Griffith Park Natural History Survey
Welcome to the Griffith Park Natural History Survey (GPNHS)
Before GPNHS was founded in early 2007, scientific data referencing wildlife and flora of Griffith Park was nearly non-existent. GPNHS and the Friends of Griffith Park website were established to help remedy this situation. In 2007, under the supervision of GPNHS’ scientific advisor Daniel C. Cooper, Ph.D., of Cooper Ecological Monitoring, Inc., a series of surveys were initiated to study bird, herptile and mammal populations in the Park. Reports published from these early projects, and many more which followed, can be viewed and downloaded from our FoGP Studies and Surveys page.
Friends of Griffith Park continues to carry out flora and fauna work in the Park, with the current list ever-expanding [pdf].
Shortly after the surveys began, Griffith Park was engulfed by the devastating May 2007 fire that burned over 800 acres, causing the closure of large areas throughout the Park. Subsequently, GPNHS was encouraged by RAP to continue our surveys, and Dan Cooper was invited to join the Fire Recovery Task Force. Dan was given the task of assessing the damage to wildlife, and developing a comprehensive Griffith Park Wildlife Management Plan.
RAP made a wise decision to develop such a program, which represents the first ever wildlife plan for the Department. See the Griffith Park Wildlife Management Plan [pdf]. The Plan is now being updated and expanded, based upon what has been learned over the last decade.
The launch of GPHNS is a great example of a grassroots effort, best captured in this newsletter story printed on GPNHS’s Fifth Anniversary. Credit goes to the inaugural funders of GPNHS, in particular: Franklin Hills Residents Association, Los Feliz Improvement Association, The Oaks Homeowners Association, and Hollywood United Neighborhood Council.
Your support of GPNHS can be shown through donations and your membership.
Send an e-mail with any comments or questions.
Read more from our News Blog
Rodenticides and Untimely Deaths
Friends of Griffith Park was recently contacted by Zach Behrens from National Park Service (in partnership with the Santa Monica Mountains Fund) to report on the latest death from ingestion of rodenticides (rat poisons)... a very preventable death. FOR IMMEDIATE...
Coyote Hazing Meeting / Video
How to coexist with coyotes is always a controversial subject in Los Angeles. Some residents want them extirpated by any means possible, while others, like myself, believe that we should learn to "live harmoniously" with the critters that were here many years before...
Volunteers for 2017 Raptor Survey is NOW FULL!
To all who signed up to take part in this survey, we thank you and hope you will enjoy your role as a "citizen scientist" in Griffith Park. And to those who wished to take part, we're appreciative of your efforts, unfortunately, we're now full! Please keep checking...