Hello Sunshine!
The Sunshine Preserve is a crucial wildlife passageway in Glendale, just up the hill from Verdugo Park, and we’ve tracked P-41 and Nikita to this land. If these apex predators are to make it to the San Rafael Hills, they must first reach the Verdugo Wash.
This AFC preserve helps them do this. We continue working to find free passage from the Verdugo Wash into the San Rafael Hills and then on to the San Gabriel Mountains.
A wonderful Glendale community member donated the 3.5 acre Sunshine Preserve to AFC in 2020. When we began to assess the property for its ecological value we learned this passageway, that critically connects the San Rafael Hills to the Verdugo Mountains, was being used by apex predators like mountain lions and bobcats. We saw the potential for this corridor to be enhanced through stewardship to better support passage and habitat for both large mammals and small pollinators likes bees and Monarch Butterflies.
Since acquiring the property, so much hard work has been done by The Friends of Sunshine. The Friends are a volunteer-led committee that oversees the restoration and programs on the property. They have advanced wonderful restoration of the habitat by beginning the removal of the invasive fire-hazardous grasses that plagued the hillside, creating walkways, and nurturing newly planted native species. The Friends and their community of volunteers usually meet the 3rd Saturday of every month. You can follow them on Instagram for all Sunshine related news and to stay updated on when you can join them to maintain this beautiful habitat!
Sunshine Preserve
