Peninsula ‘Goes Wild’
Corridor acquisition increases nature preserve to over 1,500 acres by Elka Worner On the bluff overlooking Abalone Cove, federal, state, and local leaders last month announced the creation of a 96-acre wildlife corridor in Rancho Palos Verdes, which expands the size of the Palos Verdes Nature Preserve to 1,500 acres. “No longer will this land suffer the threat of bulldozers and development,” Palos Verdes Land Conservancy Executive Director Adrienne Mohan said at the August 26 gathering. The newly preserved land is home to the endangered Palos Verdes blue butterfly, and coastal California gnatcatcher, as well as cactus wrens, raptors, and owls. The acquisition was made possible by a $30 million fundraising initiative launched by the Conservancy to create a vast wildlife corridor and restore native habitats. Mohan said the Conservancy has already raised $19.7 million through federal, state, and local grants. “It’s a miracle. It really is,” Rancho Palos Verdes Mayor Pro Tem Barbara Ferraro said. “It’s not often you can get all those government agencies to work together.” Last year, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service awarded the Conservancy a $12.6-million grant, the largest in the…
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