World's Largest Wildlife Bridge Spanning 10 Lanes of 101 Freeway Is Nearly Complete
The latest car news, reviews, and features.
Three years after construction began, it's time to dump dirt on the project. Specifically, 6,000 cubic yards of a 'super' soil followed by the planting of 5,000 native flora. I'm talking about the world's largest wildlife crossing, which has reached another construction milestone as the bridge nears completion.
This prepared soil is the beginning of the end of construction for the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing, which broke ground on Earth Day in 2022. Located in Agoura Hills, California, the nearly one-acre overpass stretches over a 10-lane section of U.S. 101.
The physical bridge structure is essentially complete, having required 26 million pounds of concrete, Beth Pratt of the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) told KCAL . The NWF Regional Executive Director added, 'We just put the soil on top, and then we start burying utility lines and extend it over the access road.'
Multiple layers of soil will be needed to create a wildlife habitat on the overpass, and the soil application alone will take several weeks. However, when the Annenberg Wildlife Crossing is done, the bridge will reconnect the bisected areas of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. With more than 150,000 acres, SMMNRA is the country's largest urban national park. But the freeways have long isolated the local fauna, from butterflies and cottontails to bobcats and mountain lions.
According to the project, as far back as the 1980s, researchers identified the Liberty Canyon area as a choke point for wildlife. However, it wasn't until the National Park Service began a decades-long study of the region's mountain lion population that the 101 freeway was deemed 'the most significant barrier to the ecological health of the region.'
More than 300,000 vehicles travel along U.S. 101 daily. That's enough traffic to give a driver anxiety—try being a local critter having to dart across the road just to find dinner.
P-22, arguably the most famous mountain lion in and outside of Hollywood, surprised everyone by crossing freeways on his own. He eventually became the poster cat for the 'Save L.A. cougars' campaign. Unfortunately, he was euthanized in late 2022 after being found with severe injuries, likely due to a vehicle collision, and a myriad of other health issues.
Mountain lions are the main conservation focus of this wildlife bridge. The big cats are territorial, and being locked in by freeways limits their roaming range and biodiversity. Without the crossing to expand their habitat, SoCal cougars could be extinct within 50 years. They also continue to be killed by vehicles.
'In the Liberty Canyon area where we're putting the crossing, within the last four years, we've had four mountain lions killed just in that general area,' Pratt said.
Not just providing access to more sources of food, shelter, and mates, but the bridge would also offer an escape route from wildfires and other disasters. The Annenberg Wildlife Crossing is expected to reach completion next year.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fast Company
29 minutes ago
- Fast Company
A practical guide to being an ally in the workplace
Pride Month is here, and there's no question we've come a long way since the first Pride events, which advocated for collective solidarity, individual identity, and resistance to discrimination and violence. Yet we still have much further to go. According to one recent report from the University of California at Los Angeles, nearly half of LGBTQ workers have experienced workplace discrimination or harassment at some point in their professional lives. Add in microaggressions, or the everyday slights that happen in plain sight in front of colleagues and managers, and the number is even higher. Here's where allies can make a difference—and there are plenty of them. One PRRI public opinion report indicates that three-quarters of Americans support policies that protect LGBTQ Americans from discrimination in housing, employment, and public accommodation. But being an ally to any minority is hard, especially when it's not always obvious when someone identifies as LBGTQIA+. So how can you be a better ally and bolster inclusion at work? Here are three ways (plus a bonus!) to be a more effective ally to the LGBTQIA+ community, from a business leader who also happens to be a lesbian. 1. Educate yourself Allyship isn't a passive thing that shows up without effort. Take it upon yourself to understand the struggles of your LGBTQIA+ colleagues and actively try to create change in your workplace. The LGBTQIA+ label is a huge catchall (and a long acronym by any measure). Learning about the everyday experiences of even part of this community is a great starting point to better understanding the struggles we face. In turn, you can take steps to become a more effective ally and drive informed change. At the very least, it'll help you recognize when you have the opportunity to stand up for, or against, something on our behalf. Checking unconscious biases is also part of this narrative. Being self-aware to identify behaviors we're not usually conscious of is the first step in learning how to avoid unintentionally acting on them. 2. Recognize your privilege and use it for good You don't have to apologize for it, you don't have to hide it, but you do need to understand your privilege and the power it bestows. Being a heterosexual person in the workplace—and in the world—gives you the chance to make a difference. It allows you to challenge bias, tackle unfairness, and effect change. And for a heteronormative individual, you can often do those things with far lesser risk. So be vocal. This doesn't have to be in a big, highly visible way—it can be as simple as respecting someone's chosen name or pronouns, and encouraging or gently correcting other people if they defer to the traditional he/she binaries. You have the armor of privilege. Embrace it and then use it to open doors for those who don't have that same protection. Incidentally, having these conversations outside of the workplace with family and friends educates them on what being an effective ally can look like and what they can do to help. The more people we can bring to a place of understanding and support, the deeper the change. 3. Change the culture Consistency is a major win when it comes to good allyship. It's essential to building trust and driving lasting change, so model inclusive behaviors. How? Good allies share opportunities with others: they cut out (and call out) microaggressions thinly disguised as banter; they use inclusive language with intention and sincerity; they listen to a member of the community over coffee and welcome someone into their space. It can be as simple as being the voice against presumptions in the workplace. I've seen this myself when colleagues default to gendered generalities. For example, there's using he/him pronouns when referring to generic or hypothetical humans ('Whoever we bring onboard, he should be highly skilled'). Or assuming someone's gender on the basis of their name when you don't actually know the person or how they identify ('I haven't met Ryan, but I hope he's top-notch'). By gently correcting ('Whoever we bring onboard, they should be highly skilled' or 'I haven't met Ryan, but I hope they're top-notch'), you remind others that gender isn't always what it seems—and that not everyone fits neatly into a gender normative box. It can also be about consciously changing patterned social behaviors. For example, if a coworker mentions that they're married, don't assume they have a husband or wife of a different gender. I can't count the number of times colleagues and clients have asked me 'What does your husband do?' over the years. I've had to come out again and again over the span of my career. Instead, consider asking about who they most enjoy spending time with outside of work or who the important people are in their life. It's an open question that, when asked in an authentic and respectful way, invites the other person to share within their own level of comfort. Continue to challenge the microaggressions. Culture change doesn't come solely from the top. It comes from repetition, from small corrections, and from people like you choosing to do the right thing consistently. The bonus: Don't beat yourself up The ever-evolving language of inclusion means we all trip up occasionally, even with the best of intentions. No one expects you to get it right every time. Don't sweat it. Even we trip up within our own community, be it over chosen names, pronouns, or how we support our loved ones who are transitioning. Give yourself some grace. If you make a mistake, apologize, learn, and keep going. Don't let a slip-up stop you from showing up. Allyship isn't about being perfect. It's rarely about big gestures. It's about showing up, paying attention, and doing what you can consistently. Sometimes it means speaking up. Sometimes it means stepping forward on someone else's behalf. And sometimes it just means being someone others know they can count on. The small, everyday actions add up. And when enough people do them, that's when real change happens.
Fox News
an hour ago
- Fox News
Ingredient in common kitchen herbs could target Alzheimer's, but don't change any recipes just yet
Experts believe they've identified a chemical compound in certain herbs that could help mitigate or prevent Alzheimer's disease — but before anyone makes a run for the spice rack, there are a few catches. In a study published in the journal Antioxidants earlier this year, researchers from the Scripps Research Institute identified a compound called carnosic acid, which is prevalent in rosemary and sage. The compound could prove therapeutic for neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer's disease, the experts concluded. Carnosic acid contains "striking antioxidant [and] anti-inflammatory properties," the researchers wrote in the findings. Scripps Research postdoctoral associate Piu Banerjee and board-certified neurologist Dr. Stuart Lipton, based in California, spoke with Fox News Digital about the results. "In this study, we observed that administering this drug to mice that had advanced Alzheimer's-like disease significantly improved the number of neurons, as well as the number of synapses or connections between the brain cells," the team said. The experts added, "It also reduced inflammation that is caused by the current anti-amyloid antibody therapies. We also observed an improvement in the learning and memory behavior of the mice that received the drug." "From the results of our animal studies, we are cautiously optimistic for its success in the human clinical trials." Banerjee and Lipton also noted that carnosic acid is a "prodrug," meaning it's inactive at first — but once it enters the body, it's activated by oxidative and inflammatory stress. "It specifically targets cells undergoing oxidative and inflammatory stress, without affecting the healthy, normal brain cells," Banerjee said. "This further makes it a safe option for therapeutics." The experts agreed that carnosic acid could potentially improve the inflammation that generally occurs in most aging brains. There are cautions, however. Courtney Kloske, director of scientific engagement for the Chicago-based Alzheimer's Association, told Fox News Digital that studies based on a mouse model of Alzheimer's can be helpful but are not conclusive. There is insufficient clinical evidence to recommend rosemary and sage as a standard therapy. "Models are important in helping us understand the basic biology of the disease, but we need human studies in representative populations for ideas to be fully validated," Kloske said. "Therefore, while these are intriguing findings, more research is needed to understand the impacts and outcomes of these compounds on people living with, or at risk for, Alzheimer's." Cooking sage and rosemary won't provide the full anti-inflammatory effects, Banerjee and Lipton stressed. "Critically, one cannot take sufficient herbs safely to produce the same effect as our new drug," Banerjee said. The study, funded in part by the National Institutes of Health, did have some limitations, the researchers acknowledged. Kloske advised that, at this point, "no one should consume these herbs (or carnosic acid) to prevent or treat Alzheimer's or other cognitive impairment." Dr. Lee Murray, a neurologist in Jackson, Tennessee, echoed Kloske's concerns. "Before patients start incorporating rosemary and sage in every dish they eat, we need to remember these studies are pre-clinical," Murray told Fox News Digital. "Currently, there is insufficient clinical evidence to recommend rosemary and sage as a standard therapy for Alzheimer's dementia." Murray, however, said the data "is encouraging" and opens the door to additional pathways for potential therapeutics. Banerjee said she hopes that "our drug will start human clinical trials soon." She added, "If it proves to be effective, it will be a great new drug for those suffering from Alzheimer's … From the results of our animal studies, we are cautiously optimistic for its success in human clinical trials."
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Impact of Medicaid changes on Shasta County subject of town hall meeting
What could be ahead for health care in Shasta County should federal legislation proposing changes to Medicaid be approved will be the topic of a community meeting scheduled to take place on Monday. The informational meeting will be held from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Monday, June 30 at the Shasta Community Health Center, located at 1035 Placer St. in Redding. The League of Women Voters of the Redding Area and Shasta Community Health Center are sponsoring the event, said organizer Susan Morris Wilson, president of the league's board of directors. "They are still working on, and there's obviously at the national level, some disagreement about what should go into Medicaid and what should not. So we thought this would be a good time to try to make people aware of what it could do to Shasta County," Wilson said about the federal budget cut proposal. More: No Medicaid cuts for Redding, Shasta County right now. But health care execs are worried "As the federal government (makes) changes, so changes the California budget on Medicaid," she said. There will be in-person seating for about 100 people and the event will also be live streamed, organizers said. Two speakers are scheduled to address the meeting. Shasta Community Health Center CEO Brandon Thornock will speak about Medicaid. Another local health care expert, Shasta Regional Medical Center CEO Sam Itani, will address the issue of how rural hospitals could be impacted by changes in Medicaid, said Wilson. Both California and the federal government share Medicaid's costs. Members of the audience will also be able to ask questions about Medicaid, the program providing health care services to low-income and some disabled people. In Shasta County, Partnership HealthPlan of California enrolls 66,000 individuals, or approximately 37% of the population. Partnership, a nonprofit with a massive presence in the North State, manages benefits for Medi-Cal, the program that administers Medicaid benefits in California. Wilson said Monday's forum will also be livestreamed at these links: Facebook: Microsoft Teams: Michele Chandler covers public safety, dining and whatever else comes up for the Redding Record Searchlight/USA Today Network. Accepts story tips at 530-338-7753 and at mrchandler@ Please support our entire newsroom's commitment to public service journalism by subscribing today. This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Top Shasta health care execs will answer questions about Medicaid cuts
