LOS ANGELES — A nursey, where the National Wildlife Federation’s #SaveLACougars campaign and its partners are working, will ensure the historic Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing will not only help wildlife travel safely across one of the busiest highways in the nation, but also support local biodiversity and pollinators. To achieve this, landscape architects and an expert team will use more than 1 million locally collected seeds to blend the crossing into the habitats it will connect and demonstrate the value of science-based landscape architectural design. 

Unlike a traditional freeway overpass that carries vehicles, the monumental structure will span over ten lanes of the U.S. 101 freeway in the Agoura Hills area near Los Angeles and will play host to native vegetation and allow passage for local wildlife. Beyond the robust engineering it relies on — a sophisticated ecological restoration plan will cover the crossing with nearly one acre of new native wildlife habitat — reinforcing the rich biodiversity of the Santa Monica Mountains and creating a habitat where wildlife can thrive. 

The meticulous work at the nursery will also ensure that the wildlife crossing enhances the surrounding natural landscape and connect an area that has been divided by one of the busiest freeways in the world, for nearly 100 years. This historic fragmentation poses a serious threat to the survival of local California mountain lions and has limited access to the shelter, food, and water that individual wildlife species in the area need to thrive. As one of 36 biodiversity hotspots worldwide, the site where the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing will be constructed is home to mountain lions, bobcats, the California bat, and desert cottontails, among other animals. 

Led by the landscape architectural practice Living Habitats LLC, work at the nursery is being advanced and guided by world-renowned experts in biology, horticulture, soil science, soil biology, and mycology. The team also is collaborating closely with expert staff from the Santa Monica Mountains Fund, The National Park Service, Caltrans, and the Mountain Recreation Conservation Authority. Conservation Authority. Funding for the project nursery has been made possible by the National Wildlife Federation’s #SaveLACougars campaign and is located on land donated by the Mountain Recreation and

“To say that there are many levels of innovation behind the design and construction of the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing would be an understatement. It truly is unlike any other crossing of its kind, anywhere in the world and the role of the nursery in particular, has required careful study of the local ecology and thoughtful, science-based planning,” said Robert Rock, principal and COO of Living Habitats LLC. “We’re incredibly grateful to our partners at the National Wildlife Federation, the Santa Monica Mountains Fund, the National Park Service, Caltrans, and the Mountain Recreation Conservation Authority for sharing their expertise. This is a challenge we’ve met collectively, and we look forward to seeing the nursery continue to grow.”

More than 1 million native seeds including key species like coastal live oak, toyon, ceanothus, sages, buckwheat and penstemon, among many others have been collected to date from carefully selected locations within a five-mile radius of the crossing in an effort to support local genetics within the unique plant communities. To cover the nearly one acre of space atop the wildlife crossing, the first stage of construction will require approximately 5,000 plants, over five thousand cubic yards of soil. 

Stage two will require nearly 50,000 individual plants in an effort to revitalize approximately twelve acres of open space to the north and to the south of the freeway. These areas that are still recovering from the 2018 Woolsey Fire, include native vegetation that will cover two structures built over adjacent roads. In total, the ambitious ecological restoration effort will create new or restore approximately thirteen acres of wildlife habitat in the Santa Monica Mountains.

“This project is special to me for a number of reasons,” said Katherine Pakradouni, nursery manager for the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing Project Nursery. “Not only do I have the good fortune of working with a fantastic group of individuals and organizations on this monumental project, but I also have the opportunity to educate others and share my love of our native California landscapes.”

The project nursery has also provided an opportunity for engagement at a number of levels. With regular events for volunteers, work with youth groups, participation in the Malibu Powwow, and inquiries from university students doing ecological research, education and outreach are embedded in the work that Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy Fund nursery manager, Katherine Pakradouni, and her colleagues, Julia Samaniego and Jose Campos, are advancing. 

“In addition to the scientific underpinnings of this work, it is important that we acknowledge, honor and build upon the knowledge of these tribal lands” says Julia Samaniego, assistant nursery manager. “It is this heritage, my heritage, that teaches us that the plants and the animals are not separate from our community but are instead integral members of our community. The work we are doing here is about honoring and respecting them.” 

After years of planning, work at the nursery officially began in 2022. The collection of seeds and other aspects of the work happening there will continue through completion of construction on the crossing, scheduled for the end of 2025. With more than 300,000 cars driving through the U.S. 101 in the area every day, the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing will also call for a large, vegetated barrier and a series of other design innovations that will reduce the impact of traffic noise, light from cars and roadway lighting on wildlife movement. 

The Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing is a public-private partnership of unprecedented scope that has leveraged the expertise and leadership of dozens of organizations and institutions. Upon completion, the crossing will be the largest in the world, the first of its kind in California, and a global model for urban wildlife conservation. It serves as a conservation project for the next century and will provide a lasting benefit to the wildlife and ecology of the area for future generations. 

Download broadcast quality renderings of the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing and drone video over the site here. To see real-time updates of construction at the site, access the dedicated webcam here. For more on the #SaveLACougars campaign, including its partners and efforts in communities all over the greater Los Angeles area, visit 101wildlifecrossing.org and savelacougars.org.