Santa Monica Mountains Fund

The Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area is a place where people, animals and plants co-exist in a fragile and beautiful environment. It is a place of wild landscapes, ancient habitation and modern development.

The Santa Monica Mountains Fund works to protect and encourage appreciation and understanding of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. The Fund achieves this by supporting National Park Service efforts in education, science, research, improved facilities, citizen engagement, stewardship and philanthropy.

At over 150,000 acres the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area is the largest urban national park in the United States.  More than 17 million people live within a one hour drive of the mountains yet the landscape is wild and feels a million miles from the urban core of Los Angeles.  It is surrounded by the Pacific Ocean, housing developments and 10 lane freeways which serve to trap animals in a comparatively small area. 

Despite these challenges the landscape is one of the most scientifically important regions on the planet, and one of only five Mediterranean environments in the world.  Mountain lions, bobcats, Monarch butterflies, coyotes, raccoons and an array of wildflowers and plants such as California poppies and many species of sage call this place home. 

Three thousand feet peaks rise up from the beaches at Malibu and winding, narrow roads criss cross the hills. The Backbone Trail challenges hikers to walk the 67 miles from Pt Mugu along the crest of the mountains to the Hollywood Hills as they enjoy views of the ocean, valleys and the city.

Mountain lions need more space than they can hope to have here. They are trapped in the mountains and several have been killed on the freeways trying to escape. We are working with the National Wildlife Federation to raise money to build a wildlife corridor over the 101 freeway that will connect two areas of open land and give access to the huge Los Padres National Forest.

Your donations will also go towards the scientific research that helps us understand the behaviors and movements of mountain lions and other animals such as bobcats and coyotes in the Santa Monicas. This research has helped us realize that a wildlife crossing is necessary to ensure the longterm sustainability of the mountain lions here.

We invest in the more than 500 miles of trails in the park, so that more people can enjoy the health and fitness benefits of outdoor recreation and escape  the pressures of modern urban living.

We pay for buses so urban kids can visit the Santa Monica Mountains and get a taste of outdoor fun while learning about nature, plants and animals in their own environment.