Town Talks- Wildlife in our Backyard- The Urban Carnivore Project
Town Talk: Wildlife in the Valley
Sunday, September 24
4:30-6pm
$5 admission, current Ojai Museum members free
Location: Ojai Valley Museum
Join Jenny Fitzgerald at the Ojai Valley Museum for a fascinating exploration of the increasing challenges faced by mountain lions, bobcats and coyotes due to urbanization.
Jenny Fitzgerald works with the National Park Service in the nearby Santa Monica Mountain National Recreation Area (SAMO). She will speak about the wildlife research conducted at SAMO with a focus on her work with mountain lions. Jenny previously lived in Ojai and her love of this valley and the uniqueness of OVLC inspired her to work with OVLV to set trail cameras in order to see what other species besides people use the OVLC properties. Come learn how Ojai is or is not connected to the wildlife in surrounding areas and what we can do to heighten our awareness and support for our four legged and feathered neighbors.
We will also look at how our mountains in Ojai are connected to the SAMO study areas and why maintaining connectivity between natural spaces is vital for lions and all species. Each lion has a unique story and Ms. Fitzgerald will share some of the highlights and pictures including the famous P22 who lives in Griffith Park and the newest set of cubs, P-59 and P-60.
Jenny Fitzgerald grew up in Ithaca, NY and stayed there to get her bachelor’s degree from Cornell University. After college she moved to Jackson, Wyoming where she worked as a Bear Management Ranger in Grand Teton National Park (GTNP), interned with the Teton Cougar Project, wrote educational materials for The Cougar Fund and guided wildlife tours in GTNP and Yellowstone. Currently, she works with the National Park Service in the nearby Santa Monica Mountain National Recreation Area (SAMO).
