Earth Day Welcomes The World’s Biggest Wildlife Crossing Ever Made

Guardian

It’s always nice to see people coming together to find ways to protect the world’s biodiverse population. Animals have no way of protecting themselves from human activity. They’ll only fall to extinction if nothing is to be done about their wellbeing.

However, thousands of concerned men and women are extending help to protect the wildlife that have slowly faded over time. They want to provide these animals a safe place to live and thrive, and a crossing may just be one of the many solutions.

A landmark Earth Day ceremony just happened. They aimed to celebrate the beginning of construction on the historic Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing found in Southern California. This was the first ever of its kind, and more importantly, their goal was to cater to the biodiverse life found in the area.

The crossing spans over ten lanes of the 101 freeway in the Los Angeles area. Once this is done, this will be the largest of its kind in the world and the first one found in California. This will also serve as a model for urban wildlife conservation that the world can look into.


“California’s diverse array of native species and ecosystems have earned the state recognition as a global biodiversity hotspot. In the face of extreme climate impacts, it’s more important than ever that we work together to protect our rich natural heritage” said California Governor Gavin Newsom when he talked about the endeavor. He said that the crossing will enable mountain lions and other wildlife to roam in peace without the fear of losing their lives. He described the crossing as “an inspiring example of the kind of collaborative efforts that will help us protect our common home for generations to come.”

The crossing has been made because of the two decades of study made by the National Park Service. In it, they demonstrated how roads and development can be dangerous, even fatal, for animals who want to cross the cross. Hence, they made islands of habitat that can isolate wildlife in the area. Now, bobcats, birds, and lizards can go anywhere they please as freely as they can. The crossing is there to preserve and protect the biodiversity found across the region through bridging the vital wildlife corridor. They will also assist in saving a threatened local population of mountain lions who could be on the verge of extinction if nothing is to be done.

“Wildlife crossings restore ecosystems that had been fractured and disrupted. They reconnect lands and species that are aching to be whole,” said Wallis Annenberg, Chairman, president, and CEO of the Annenberg Foundation as she was asked to make a statement for the National Wildlife Federation. She also added, “I believe these crossings go beyond mere conservation, toward a kind of environmental rejuvenation that is long overdue.”


The official ceremony had already taken place. They also have set a celebration for the general public in an afternoon at King Gillette Ranch in Calabasas.

iNews

For more details about the organization or about the #SaveLACougars campaign to build the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing, they have the Save LA Cougars that elaborates on their efforts.

They also have the GNN’s initial reporting in 2020. The video talks about how 2,700 mostly private donors raised as much as $15 million just to construct the 165-foot crossing that passes over the 101 in Liberty Canyon. This is where many of the richest personalities of Hollywood live.

The Earth Day ceremony livestream is also found in the video below.

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