HOLLYWOODLAND WILDLIFE GROUP

MISSION

 Our mission is to encourage, and help guide, Hollywoodland homeowners to document wildlife on the their property using game trail cameras. Would you like to know what critters are using your property? It is fun, interesting, and maybe valuable information to wildlife biologists and conservationists. People are learning P-22 was on their property as well as bobcats, raccoons, and deer among others wildlife. If you have kids, this project may also be a great way for them to learn about nature, video, and conservation. The images you collect can be shared with naturalists and the group.

BACKGROUND

 Griffith Park is a unique urban “city” park. We have deer, bobcats, fox, a mountain lion, raccoons, hawks, owls as well as other critters inhabiting a fragile hilly desert landscape. This area is surrounded by residential neighborhoods with homes that have habitat in their yards that also offer these animals places to roam, feed and even den. These places are a “buffer zone” into the park before more dense urbanization takes place that is dangerous to wildlife. Many people’s yards offer a valuable resource to the larger ecosystem of Griffith Park. In Hollywoodland there are 575 homes and 100 vacant lots comprising 640 acres and 444 acres of parkland. In 1944, it was originally a gift by the Sherman Company to the city. The “open space” gift that is now part of Griffith Park, identified as a SEA, or Significant Ecological Area, is also located in a high fire hazard zone per state fire code #49. It is also the only Los Angeles hillside residential area bordered by three sides of Griffith Park. So, Hollywoodland is especially valuable as an ecosystem in its own right and as “buffer” to Griffith Park. Over the last few years we’ve heard anecdotally that many people are seeing fewer deer and other wildlife. What kind of future do we want for Hollywoodland and Griffith Park? Do want it to become like Central Park in NYC that has only pigeons and rats and tons of people? Maybe some do, but surely many want to preserve Hollywoodland, and our 444 acres of “open space” within Griffith Park, so our unique habitat and wildlife can be enjoyed for future generations. Experts have already graciously guided us from the Museum of Natural History, the State Park and the city wildlife officer who are excited by our mission. We hope you’ll join our group! If you want to join us, please contact us, and we’ll help you get started. To get a jump-start see the Action Plan below.

ACTION PLAN

• Buy a game trail camera. Our experts suggest the Bushnell trophy camera HD essential E2 12 MO trail camera. “Amazon” is not necessarily the cheapest and some have used B&H in NYC. So, shop around! The camera needs batteries, and rechargeable is a great way to go.

They need a 32 GB SD card. Check the class & speed needed for your camera. If theft is possible, then buy the cable and housing. Most of us are just putting them in our yards out of view. Use 1080 HD “video” mode for 12 seconds. So, we catch behavior. Then, if desired, take still snapshots from the video. Always use the date and time stamp! If you need tech help, Bushnell has a great help line; we are here for you too.

• Place the camera in a likely spot. Look for game trails on your property. A game trail, aka wildlife corridor, is a padded down trail of vegetation due to frequent use. DO NOT “bait” (water, food) the camera to draw in wildlife. If you have a pool or spa, so be it. But don’t add a water bowl, etc.
• How often you use the camera is up to each person/family. Some of us have filmed, deer, bobcats and even P22, but these are rare events so be patient and consistent!
  

  On September 30, 2017  3:20 AM, Moses Sherman, aka P22 was caught wandering in the 3000 block of Beachwood Drive of the Hollywoodland residential area adjacent to HGP .  Archives from the HOA indicate he is not the first puma in Hollywoodland with sightings in the 1960’s, 1990’s and early 2000’s

• CLICK TO SEE P22 caught on a trail camera here in Hollywoodland

Some are setting them up on Sunday, and the next Sunday downloading the images to see what wildlife was recorded, putting the images into a folder, recharging the batteries, and setting the camera back up to be checked the following Sunday. It becomes part of an interesting and fun ritual.

• What to expect on video? You will have leaves blowing triggering the camera, or birds, lizards, etc. Except for leaves, this is all useful data! There are naturalists interested in just lizards, others birds, even rats!

For example, if you post on “iNaturalist.org” experts and regular folks will see it. It’s run by the Museum of Natural History, and the L.A. Nature Map allows citizen scientists to map biodiversity in the L.A. area. This platform accepts photos only. On iNaturalist experts may notice you have an endangered specie, they want to know about! You’d probably never realize it. Even lizards and rats are important to them. Did you know we have kangaroo rates? Never seen one, but we hope to.

• Record the location, and the duration the camera was set there. For example, one property has 3 game trails. So, each trail will have the camera trained on each trial for four months of the

Over time, you may find you have P22, or a just a nutty squirrel, who like selfies and keeps coming back to pose.

A sassy squirrel caught on video!

• If you want to share your video or stills with the group, you can post them to the HHA Facebook
• The Hollywoodland Wildlife Group wants to help you with any questions, and for you to share your images & stories with each other and the professional wildlife folks!

Also, images taken from security cameras are welcome. Contact info: info@hollywoodland.org