Mountain Lions: The Top of the Food Chain

”In the 1920s and 30s, Temescal Canyon in the Pacific Palisades was home to the largest independent Chautauqua in the nation, which featured music, art, science, and religious programming under the canopy of oaks and beside the stream. On October 25, the Santa Monica Mountains Conservation (SMMC) and Mountains Recreation & Conservation Authority (MRCA) will present the seventh program in the new Chautauqua Series, ‘Mountain Lions in Los Angeles,’ a lecture by National Park Service wildlife biologist Dr. Ray Sauvajot. This free program will be held at Temescal Gateway Park in the Temescal Dining Hall at 7:30 p.m. Parking is free. ”As the top predator in Southern California’s wild landscapes, mountain lions are vital to the health of the ecosystems of the Los Angeles area. The mountain lion populations of Los Angeles face many difficult challenges as a result of their proximity to urban areas. Their survival, and therefore the continued existence of the ecosystems with which they are inexorably linked, is in question. Dr. Sauvajot will discuss his work monitoring the mountain lions in the Santa Monica Mountains, Simi Hills, and Santa Susana Mountains. Using radio collars, remote cameras, and tracking stations, he and his team of researchers have made great strides in understanding how these animals, including the last known adult in the Santa Monica Mountains, survive in an increasingly urbanized landscape. Dr. Sauvajot is Chief of Planning, Science and Resource Management at the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area and is a Senior Science Advisor for the National Park Service. He also holds adjunct faculty positions at the University of California, Los Angeles and California State University, Northridge. ”It is the goal of the MRCA and SMMC to recapture and foster the original spirit of the Chautauqua movement, described by Theodore Roosevelt as ‘the most American thing in America.’ Honoring the tradition of the original Chautauqua philosophy, we will present a lively monthly series of lectures and events showcasing regional, local, and national talent in a variety of art forms.