Couple Focuses on ‘California Critters’

Growing up on a large family ranch along California’s Central Coast afforded Merle Price the opportunity to explore nature in an unfettered environment. The ranch, located 14 miles north of San Simeon, has been in his family since 1885.
“When my father grew up on the ranch, there were no paved roads and no automobiles,” Merle says. His dad was born in 1897, when there was no Highway 1 (construction was completed in the area in 1937), and horses and wagons were the only modes of transportation. There is even a family cemetery on the property, where Price’s great-great grandmother and others are buried.
Price, born in 1947, grew up without electricity or television reception, and the closest neighbor was over 10 miles away. He and his sister “had to drive about 15 miles to a school bus, then another 10 miles to school,” he says. There were some winters when the road or bridge washed out, making it impossible to get to school. Price lived on the ranch until he left for UC Santa Barbara, which was followed by a long career in education (including serving as principal at Palisades High School from 1991 to 1997).
Now that he’s semi-retired and his wife of 44 years, Shirley, is a retired attorney, the Prices enjoy spending more time visiting the ranch and enjoying the wildlife and ocean views.
The Pacific Palisades residents have also collaborated on the newly released “California Coastal Critters A to Z,” a colorful book that features photographs and rhymes about animals found on the Central Coast and elsewhere along the California coast. Readers can delight in odes to dozens of animals including otters (“In the kelp forest, floating on his back, He smashes shellfish for an afternoon snack”) and frogs (“For such a tiny little bloke, This guy lets out a super loud croak”).
The impetus for the book came from the couple’s love of nature. They bought a good digital camera and began photographing animals at all times of the day and night at their ranch.
“My wife is not an early-morning person,” Merle says. “For this book, she became nocturnal and was up in the middle of the night.”  Adds Shirley, “Animals feed and are up at dawn and dusk,” as was she, even in her bathrobe, angling for the perfect shot.
Photographing a plethora of animals for the book, the Prices became intimately aware of the habits of the different species. It was “a challenge to get one of everything representing the alphabet,” Shirley says.
One time, Merle says, “We bought cat food to set out in pans” in hopes of attracting a raccoon. “I think I stayed up until 2 a.m. hoping, waiting,” Shirley adds. “I went to bed and got up at 5 a.m. and everything was eaten. Darn it, I only slept three hours.”

Images in the book came from the ranch, the Malibu Lagoon, and even as far north as San Francisco for sea lions and south to Long Beach/San Pedro. The squirrel and owl photos came from their backyard on San Remo Drive, where some owls live in an oak tree for part of the year. Recently, for the first time, Cooper’s hawks have nested and raised their young in the Prices’ yard, which overlooks Sullivan Canyon.
All of the pictures in “Critters” were taken by Merle or Shirley, except for the condor, which was given to them by neighbor Arlene Fink, and the dolphin, donated by marine biologist Kera Mathes.
“Critters” is different than most children’s animal books. “What I noticed is virtually all the animal books for kids are cartoons with talking animals,” Shirley says. “Or a book will be focused on one particular animal—dogs, cats. This was trying to be some kind of a cross between National Geographic and something fun.” To that end, there is an extensive list of organizations, such as monarchbutterfly.org, to find out more information about specific animals and habitats.
“I kept pushing for diversity,” Merle says. “The tendency is to look at mammals. As a biology teacher, I’m aware of invertebrates, insects, sea life. We wanted to show that animals are not just fuzzy and warm blooded.”
The family ranch, along with the Los Padres National Forest and Hearst Ranch, make up the “longest length of state that is not developed,” Merle says. “It’s a magical section of California where wildlife can thrive as they have for centuries.” He’s reassured that there are many protections in place, thanks to the California Coastal Commission, that will prevent development in the foreseeable future.
Merle’s sister Marlou, her daughter and grandchildren also spend time at the ranch. “It’s good to have the younger generations appreciate the magic of this place so when their time comes they’ll love it and treat it with respect like previous generations,” Shirley says.
“All of the wildlife is all interdependent. They are having a hard time, and are going to continue having a hard time.”
Shirley will have a book signing for “Critters” from noon to 2 p.m. on Saturday, August 17 at Bank of Books in Point Dume. Locally, the book is available at the Malibu Feed Bin, Diesel at the Brentwood Country Mart and BookZone at UCLA.

As principal at Palisades High, Merle Price helped lead the campaign to gain charter status for Palisades public schools, before becoming deputy superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District. Earlier, he was a science teacher for nearly 20 years at various schools in Los Angeles. At Pali, he recalls, he once substituted for a science teacher and taught the kids a lesson in photosynthesis. “A 15-year-old kid raised his hand and said, ‘Mr. Price, I thought you were just a principal. I didn’t think you really knew anything.’” He still teaches education leadership classes at UCLA and CSU Northridge.
Shirley taught math and science at St. Matthew’s School before going to law school and then practicing law for 20 years. She and Merle have written various math and science books that have been used in schools all over the country.