 |
|
Please give nesting birds like this baby owl the best possible chance for survival.
NESTING SEASON HAS BEGUN -
DON’T TRIM YOUR TREES DURING THE SPRING AND SUMMER SEASONS!
The nesting period for the majority of birds in Los Angeles is early March through mid-August. (It should be noted, however, that certain species are nesting at any given time throughout the year.) Unfortunately, the city as well as its residents tend to trim their trees and shrubs during spring just when most birds are busy nesting. Severely cutting and trimming trees and other greenery in the spring and summer can destroy nests and may eliminate valuable nest sites.
During the Spring the Santa Monica Mountains experience a flurry of activity as birds are busy looking for mates and collecting nesting material. In addition to our many native birds that live here year-round, our Mediterranean weather makes the mountains the perfect stopover for millions of birds to pass through or to settle in, just for the nesting season. While some species of birds build nests on the ground or in cavities, most of our bird population build their nests in trees or large shrubs. By trimming trees and shrubs during the time of year when birds are not nesting, great numbers of birds may be spared the destruction of their nests and young each year.
For those of us living in the hillsides, nesting season also coincides with the time when LAFD requires that we do our annual brush clearance. While most homeowners are well-intentioned, the fear of being “non-compliant” can sometimes lead homeowners to be unnecessarily aggressive in their brush clearance. The good news is that you can follow the Brush Clearance requirements and protect nesting birds at the same time. Here are a few important guidelines to help protect nesting birds and their critical habitat:
- Follow and read the LAFD directions carefully – trim and remove only what is required.
- Do not denude your hillside. Birds, and other wildlife, depend on native shrubs for food, shelter, rest, and nesting. Furthermore, a denuded hillside can destabilize the hillside and lead to mudslides during the rainy season.
- If you hire a crew to assist with brush clearance, hire a professional contractor who understands the rules and regulations and has been trained to protect nesting birds as well.
- Do not be tempted to hire an inexpensive, and unlicensed crew.
- Don’t be fooled into thinking that brush clearance time is an opportune time to trim your trees. Trimming trees in the spring is unhealthy for your trees and it is destructive for the health of our nesting birds! Trees should only be trimmed during fall or winter seasons.
- If you or someone you hire finds an active nest, do not disturb the bird, its eggs, or the nest. It is illegal to harm or remove a nest for any native bird in California.
Most of the information in this article was obtained from Los Angeles Audubon’s bird friendly tree trimming guide. You can obtain more detailed information from the complete guide here: https://www.laaudubon.org/resources/#trimming
Mindy Mann
|
|
|
Bel Air-Beverly Crest Neighborhood Council
bringing together these volunteer representatives
and these communities
for a better Los Angeles
Bel-Air Association: Mark Goodman, M.D., Gail Stroloff,
Jaye Rogovin, Leslie Weisberg
Bel Air Crest Master Association: Irene Sandler
Bel Air Hills Association: Andrew Paden, Patricia Templeton
Bel Air Glen District: Timothy Steele, Ph.D
Bel Air Ridge HOA: André Stojka
Benedict Canyon Association: David Scott Kadin, Donald Loze, Nickie Miner, Robert Schlesinger
Casiano Estates Association: Sandy Ryan
Franklin-Coldwater District: Steven Weinberg
Holmby Hills HOA: Jason Spradlin
Doheny-Sunset Plaza Neighborhood Association: Mirco Gros
Laurel Canyon Association: Jamie Hall, Robert (Bobby) Kwan,
Stephanie Savage, Cathy Wayne
North of Sunset District: Aaron Kamin, Vadim Levotman,
Angela Roessel
Residents of Beverly Glen: Dan Palmer, Robert Ringler
At-Large Traditional Stakeholder: Shawn Bayliss,
Mindy Rothstein Mann
At-Large Youth Representative: Alonzo Wickers
Commercial or Office Enterprise Districts: Maureen Smith
Community Interest At-Large: Ellen Evans
Custodians of Open Space: Travis Longcore, Ph.D.
Faith-Based Institutions: Robin Greenberg
Private 7-12 Schools: Jon Wimbish
Private K-6 Schools: Elizabeth Barcohana
Public Educational Institutions: Kristie Holmes, Ph.D.
|
|
The City's shelters are suffering from extreme overcrowding and hundreds of beautiful animals desperately need new homes -- dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, turtles, chickens, and more.
If you can’t adopt, consider volunteering, fostering an animal for a period of time, or providing items from the shelter’s Wish Lists. Every bit helps!
Visit the Shelter
Closed Mondays
Tuesdays through Friday 8 a.m.—5 p.m.
Saturdays and Sundays 11 a.m.—5 p.m.
West Los Angeles Animal Shelter
11361 W Pico Blvd (just west of the 405)
Los Angeles, CA 90064
Phone (310) 207-3156
https://www.laanimalservices.com/shelters/west-los-angeles/
Volunteer: https://www.laanimalservices.com/volunteer/
Foster: https://www.laanimalservices.com/volunteer/foster-program/ |
|
 |
|
THE LOS ANGELES NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL SYSTEM
Because of the size of Los Angeles, each Los Angeles City Council member represents around 250,000 people. To keep City officials in closer touch with the neighborhoods of the City, in 1999 Los Angeles adopted a Neighborhood Council system to advise the City Council members of local issues.
There are 99 separate Neighborhood Councils in the City of Los Angeles. Members of the Neighborhood Council are considered City employees without compensation of any kind. They are formally elected by the public or communities and must live, work or own property in the area they represent.
The Bel Air-Beverly Crest Neighborhood Council represents approximately 28,000 people in a beautiful mountain and canyon area of the Santa Monica Mountains within City of Los Angeles bounded on the West by Sepulveda Boulevard, on the North by Mulholland Drive, on the South by Sunset Boulevard and on the East by Laurel Canyon. All Board and Committee meetings are open to the public. |
|
 |
|
April showers bring Bush Monkey-Flowers-
this native plant is part of the nature of our Bel Air-Beverly Crest Neighborhood Council community
The Bel Air-Beverly Crest Neighborhood Council REPORT TO OUR COMMUNITY is published by the Bel Air-Beverly Crest Neighborhood Council Outreach Committee:
Robin Greenberg, Mirco Gros, Mindy Rothstein Mann,
Nickie Miner, Robert Schlesinger, Maureen Smith,
Patricia Templeton, Alonzo Wickers
Andre Stojka: Newsletter Editor and Outreach Chair
BABCNC President: Travis Longcore, Ph.D.
Newsletter (c) 2024 Bel Air-Beverly Crest Neighborhood Council
Photo Credits: Robin Greenberg, Shutterstock, Nithya Raman, LA Metro, Travis Longcore
Your comments are solicited and appreciated.
Please contact us at: [email protected]
Please forward this newsletter to neighbors who you feel will be interested. To subscribe to this free newsletter click here.
|
|
|
|
|
