Support your local grasslands

Grass. We mow it, water it and (usually) forget it. But the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy reminds us that wild grasses are worth their weight in green. The backbone of the global ecosystem, grasslands help support indigenous human populations and a vast array of wildlife.

 The Upper Las Virgenes Canyon area of the Santa Monica Mountains is a major grassland preserve and vital natural habitat for both native animals and migrating birds traversing the Pacific Flyway.

Learn more about this overlooked and underappreciated natural resource in a special two-hour education hike on Saturday, February 26, at 4 p.m. It’s presented by the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority and sponsored by the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy. Meet at the Victory Trailhead; information and directions are here.