Erin Stone
covers climate and environmental issues in Southern California.
Published May 22, 2026 4:21 PM
A recently released juvenile southwestern pond turtle swims in the San Gabriel River in the Angeles National Forest.
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Ken Bohn
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Courtesy San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance
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Topline:
There’s a day for everything, and Saturday is World Turtle Day. This is the story of how humans helped a vulnerable native California turtle.
The backstory: Southwestern pond turtles in the San Gabriel mountains were almost wiped out by the Bobcat Fire in 2020. But biologists rescued 11 adults that were held at the San Diego Zoo until 2024, when they were released.
The baby boom: But then something happened that scientists didn't expect: "One baby, two baby, three baby, four baby. Fifteen babies later," is how a wildlife care manager at the zoo described it. Yes, the rescued turtles had laid eggs in their temporary home, and the hatchlings were emerging.
A new generation: Once they'd grown a bit, the zoo released the young turtles into San Gabriel River where they belong in April.
Read on ... for more about this conservation success story.
After fires and floods, Southern California’s only remaining native freshwater turtle recently got a boost.
Just last month, 15 southwestern pond turtle hatchlings were released into the San Gabriel River — a major milestone in an effort to restore the vulnerable turtle population.
But this wasn’t a typical raise-and-release scenario.
These turtles’ parents went on a harrowing journey before they were born.
The fire eventually scorched more than 180 square miles — mostly forest in the San Gabriel Mountains. For comparison, the 2025 Eaton Fire burned about 22 square miles.
Lights from a fire truck illuminate firefighters working the Bobcat Fire in September 2021.
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Frederic J. Brown
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Getty Images
)
As the Bobcat Fire spread, biologists grew worried. The fire was burning in the West Fork of the San Gabriel River, a biodiversity hotspot and refuge for bears and mountain lions, the federally protected Santa Ana sucker fish and the mountain yellow-legged frog.
It’s also home to the largest remaining — and possibly only — population of southwestern pond turtles in the entire watershed. Their exact numbers aren’t known, but it’s likely less than 200.
What is a southwestern pond turtle?
The small, shy turtles grow to about 8 inches and range from Baja California to just south of the San Francisco Bay. They spend most of their lives in streams, rivers, lakes and other watery environments. They primarily eat small insects and plant matter.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife lists them as a Species of Special Concern, and they're being considered for federal protections under the Endangered Species Act.
“Because this hadn’t burned in decades and decades and decades, there was big concern about debris flows,” said Robert Fisher, a biologist with the U.S. Geological Survey.
Scientists hoped the turtles would be able to ride out the fire itself by staying in the water, but any rain after would likely lead to a deluge of mud, trees and other burned materials. That would be akin to an avalanche for the turtles in the river, and it had the potential to wipe out the entire population.
Once the flames died down, Fisher and a team of biologists, in partnership with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and U.S. Forest Service, trekked to the home of the pond turtles.
“It was a moonscape,” Fisher said.
They waded through ashy, murky waters, eventually collecting 11 adult turtles.
World Turtle Day’s SoCal cred
There’s a day for everything these days, but World Turtle Day (May 23) has surprisingly local roots.
Susan Tellem and her late husband, Marshall Thompson, coined the day in 2000 after founding a turtle and tortoise rescue 10 years earlier at their home in Malibu.
“When I first started helping turtles, there were hardly people helping the needs of turtles,” Tellem told LAist. “We decided to help educate people internationally so that turtles can live a longer and happier life.”
A temporary home and 15 surprises
The turtles were taken to the San Diego Zoo, where the plan was to hold them until their mountain habitat recovered enough for them to return.
By 2024, the San Gabriel Mountains were looking far better — biologists even found some pond turtles that survived major debris flows.
But right before the turtles were set to go back home, scientists got a surprise.
“Just before we were getting to release, we found a baby turtle, which is amazing,” said Brandon Scott, wildlife care manager of herpetology and ichthyology at San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. “You don't know how long it's going to take to restart that process of them actually being able to breed, with the stress and it's a new habitat.”
A juvenile southwestern pond turtle is weighed before being released to the wild.
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Ken Bohn
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Courtesy San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance
)
The turtles and the new baby were all returned to their home in the San Gabriels. But then came another surprise. And another.
“We just continually, every day, started finding a baby in that habitat,” said Scott.
Female southwestern pond turtles lay and bury their eggs in late spring or early summer. Juveniles emerge months later, only about the size of a quarter.
Fifteen babies later, conservation staff were shocked and pleased.
Their goal for the 11 rescued turtles was to make sure they could thrive before being released back into their habitat. “But in the process,” Scott said, “yes, we made it comfortable enough for them to breed.”
A hopeful release
The new generation of southwestern pond turtles was released in April near the spot their parents were rescued from in the San Gabriel River.
Such rescues of vulnerable wildlife are becoming increasingly common in the face of more catastrophic fires. All but two of the biggest fires in recorded history have been in the last 20 years.
Fisher said a similar rescue of pond turtles had occurred only once before, after the 2009 Station Fire in the San Gabriels. That time, the turtles were quickly returned to their habitat.
A staff member of the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance releases a juvenile southwestern pond turtle into the San Gabriel River.
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Ken Bohn
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Courtesy San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance
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That rescue, in part, inspired the U.S. Geological Survey to work with the San Diego Zoo to build a conservation habitat for southwestern pond turtles nearly two decades ago. And the Bobcat Fire became the first time it was used for wild rescues, Fisher said.
Ironically, the Bobcat Fire could eventually help the local population, Fisher said.
“We’ve known about [the population] for decades, but it’s not really thriving,” he said. “So this helped give it a head start. And because the fire was so intense, it opened up a lot of habitat.”
With less tree canopy and more sunlight, the cold-blooded reptiles could thrive in warmer waters and on sunnier rocks.
Threats to southwestern pond turtles
Southwestern pond turtles have lived here for millennia, but invasive species and habitat destruction have nearly wiped them out. They’re currently being considered for protection under the federal Endangered Species Act.
Nonnative turtles — such as red-eared sliders, many of which are abandoned pets — are outcompeting them in their habitats. And native pond turtle hatchlings are easy prey for invasive animals such as bullfrogs and crayfish.
On top of that, pollution in our atmosphere is driving longer, hotter droughts, which dries out the streams and rivers where they live. Worsening “weather whiplash” means more dangerous mudflows after fires, which can wipe out entire aquatic animal populations.
But the new generation is key.
“Because the site was so forested and hadn’t burned in so long, we don’t think they were having good success at breeding,” Fisher said. “Now we think we’ve really enhanced the population by putting more animals out there, especially young animals.”
Scott and Fisher said the saga has inspired preliminary conversations about formalizing breeding efforts to support the population. The little turtles' myriad threats have yet to let up, so they’ll likely need more help in the future.
But at the moment, there’s a little more hope — at least 16 hatchlings and 11 adults' worth of hope, to be exact — for California’s only native freshwater turtle.
Lucas Brady Woods
covers the weather and disasters, among other climate and science topics.
Published October 9, 2026 4:02 PM
Waves crest sand berms and flood the boardwalk along the Long Beach Peninsula on Friday.
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Megan Garvey
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LAist
)
Topline:
Southern California is in for a dose of rain this weekend from Tropical Storm Rachel, plus a cooldown, right on the heels of the latest sweltering heat wave. The storm is also driving elevated sea levels, coastal erosion and dangerous surf.
Rain: Forecasters say the rain will start late Saturday. The chance of showers will be highest on Sunday and Monday, but will continue through Tuesday. Most of L.A. and Ventura counties could get up to a half inch of rain. Orange County and the region’s mountains could get up to an inch. The rain is being driven by Tropical Storm Rachel, which will pass over the San Diego area and northern Baja California late Saturday night and early Sunday.
Tropical Storm Rachel is expected to pass over the San Diego area and northern Baja California early Sunday morning.
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National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
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Coastal impacts: Waves are already battering the Southern California coast as surging surf from Rachel combines with elevated sea levels from an El Niño-driven Kelvin wave. Newport Beach and Laguna Beach saw flooding Friday, according to news reports. Coastal flood warnings and advisories are in place through Tuesday for L.A., Orange and Ventura county coastlines. The flood risk will remain high throughout the weekend and early next week, but will be worse on Sunday and during high tides. Beaches will also see dangerous waves and rip currents.
On the Long Beach Peninsula: LAist correspondent Jill Replogle reported from the boardwalk on Friday that workers were piling sand to try to keep the waves from coming through and causing further damage. But tides were high earlier in the day and are expected to be over 7 feet this weekend. All the recent erosion, flooding and other damage raises questions about the long-term future of the peninsula.
The cooldown: Temperatures are expected to drop significantly over the weekend. By Monday, highs across L.A. and Orange counties will range from the mid-60s to the low 70s.
Erin Stone
covers climate and environmental issues in Southern California.
Published October 9, 2026 3:32 PM
Black bear 162 stands over a broken bird feeder in a backyard in La Cañada-Flintridge in 2024. The bear was later euthanized by state officials who determined it had become too habituated to humans.
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Susanne Whatley
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LAist
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Topline:
With state resources having been cut, a former state biologist launches her own bear coexistence business.
Why it matters: It’s the time of year when black bears are beefing up — often on trash — in Southern California’s foothill communities. In recent years, these areas have seen a rise in conflicts with bears.
Read on ... for more on why one biologist who lost her job with the state is starting her own business to help communities live with bears.
It’s that time of year when black bears are beefing up, often on trash, in Southern California’s foothill communities.
From fall to early winter, bears quadruple their food intake in preparation for the cooler months — bears here don’t really hibernate given our mild weather and plethora of resources, but they do slow down during the winter (as we all should). And right now, mother bears are looking to find a safe place to den and have their cubs.
Bears aren’t just roaming the roads of mountain towns either. They’re in suburban neighborhood streets along the 210 Freeway corridor — including Altadena, Sierra Madre and Monrovia — and even in Encino and Tarzana.
A black bear walks along an Arcadia street earlier this month.
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Courtesy Wild Neighbor
)
This time of year is when humans and bears might come into conflict more frequently, says a former biologist with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
“You're going to see those bears just eating ravenously, foraging all day for food, and then also they're going to start looking for these potential denning sites under our crawl spaces, unfortunately,” said Jessica West, a human-wildlife conflict specialist who over the last five years worked for the state on bear coexistence efforts from Santa Barbara to San Diego.
Nearly 60,000 black bears are estimated to live in California. Here in Southern California, the estimate is around 2,000, according to the latest count by the state’s Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Who's that bear?
Though they may appear brown or blond, black bears are the only species of bear in California.
For thousands of years, brown bears, also called grizzly bears, were the main bear of the California landscape, including here in Southern California. But European and American settlers killed them all off by the early 1900s.
Evidence of black bears in Southern California dates to about 25,000 years ago. The theory is they headed farther north in the middle of the Ice Age as the landscape here got a lot drier and the ancient forest disappeared.
So how did black bears come back? They were brought here by the government from Yosemite as a tourist attraction. (Wild right? If you want to dig deeper, listen to our podcast about black bears in Southern California.)
Black bears are omnivores and opportunists. They primarily eat plants and bugs, but they’ll also eat animal carcasses, small mammals and, of course, whatever’s in your trash.
State resources to help communities coexist with bears have been cut. That includes West, who was the sole wildlife conflict biologist serving Southern California counties. Gov. Gavin Newsom just signed a bill into law that aims to bring some of those resources back, but in the meantime, the need remains.
“More than ever, people and bears are sharing space,” West said. "The fact is that they're here and they're not going anywhere, and we're here as humans and we're not going anywhere.”
Neither did West’s passion for wildlife coexistence when she was laid off. That’s why she just launched her own business to help fill the resource gap: Wild Neighbor.
Jessica West, a bear biologist, installs an "unwelcome" mat at a home. The electrified mat helps keeps curious bears away.
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Courtesy Wild Neighbor
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An "unwelcome" mat with bear prints outside of a home in Ojai.
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Courtesy Wild Neighbor
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She offers detailed property assessments and recommendations for $150. She focuses primarily on prevention, such as strategically placing electric wiring and “unwelcome” mats to secure crawl spaces, trash and other vulnerable areas, which can cost $350 to around $900 depending on the home. She also rents such equipment if residents prefer. West works with manufacturers of electric bear-resistant tools that have been vetted for fire safety and bear conflict.
“What the science shows is that the most effective deterrent that we have at this point in time in our tool belt for bears is electricity,” West said. “There's really nothing like that in the wild for bears. It's a very novel stimulus for them.”
Don't attract bears
Get a bear-resistant trash can if your city offers it and it fits your budget. If you can’t, take your trash out as close to trash pickup as possible. (GPS collar data has shown that bears actually learn trash day schedules.) Or keep your trash inside a secure structure, like a closed garage.
Get rid of bird seed and hummingbird nectar feeders.
Bears have extremely powerful noses and can squeeze through even small opened windows to get to a refrigerator. So if bears are present in your neighborhood, keep accessible windows closed and locked as much as possible.
If a bear has already gotten into your crawl space, West can be hired to coax it out. But if a mother bear with cubs is under the house, West won’t evict them. Instead, she’ll work with the property owner to monitor the situation until the bear family leaves.
“We really want to avoid potentially orphaning those cubs,” she said.
It’s best to avoid allowing a bear to get into your crawl space or trash in the first place, West said. When bears become too accustomed to humans and eating human food, the risk of injury to people and pets rises. And the bears themselves are more likely to be euthanized.
In 2023, California hit a tragic milestone: It was the state’s first documented killing of a human by a black bear, in Northern California. In Southern California, foothill communities such as Sierra Madre have seen several bear-related injuries in recent years (more on that in our 2024 podcast on this topic). Several bears, including a well-known one in La Cañada Flintridge, have also been euthanized in recent years.
In the vast majority of cases, this is preventable, West said, if residents take a little responsibility for securing their own properties. That can also save thousands of dollars in damage caused by a bear.
Since West is no longer with the state, she can’t trap bears that have risen to the point of becoming a problem — for example, those that learn how to regularly get into homes or cars, or have lost their fear of humans. She does encourage her clients to share sightings and any concerning conflicts with the Department of Fish and Wildlife, but she doesn’t share anything herself without clients’ permission. (Learn how to report bear sightings or human-bear conflict here.)
West said that in lieu of state resources, companies like hers may become more common.
“What [clients] can expect is someone who is going to listen to them, and someone who is passionate about their job and really wants to help them,” West said. “Because at the end of the day, I'm a bear biologist by training. I love bears, but my whole goal in all of this is to help people. Because if we help people, we're also helping bears.”
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A wave crashes into a home as Long Beach firefighters inspect the house as the high surf and tides caused by Hurricane Rachel hit the Peninsula on Friday, October 9, 2026.
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Thomas R. Cordova
/
The Long Beach Post
)
Topline:
City inspectors have declared several buildings on the Peninsula unsafe to enter after Hurricane Rachel’s high surf and tides chewed away at the shoreline Thursday, tearing apart a section of a wooden wall that is the neighborhood’s last line of defense against the ocean.
The damage: Officials issued a notice Thursday night that a large section of the bulkhead, left exposed after waves from Hurricane Marie ripped away its surrounding sand, was badly damaged over the past day and left a gap that allowed water to reach homes and side streets. Residents stood in shin-deep flooding on Friday, with vehicle access closed at 62nd Place. Waves continued to chew at homes’ foundations along the shoreline and tear planks from the boardwalk. At least one home in the 6500 block of Seaside Walk appeared close to collapse.
High surf and tide continue: Bryan Lewis, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said high surf and tide are expected to rise precipitously each day through Sunday, with tides reaching 7.5 feet high on Saturday and nearly 8 feet high on Sunday morning around 10 a.m. Waves are currently ranging from 4 to 7 feet high, but are expected to rise to up to 8 feet by Sunday, he said. Conditions on Sunday evening and Monday morning, he said, will mirror Saturday, and likely will not relent in strength until Wednesday morning.
City inspectors have declared several buildings on the Peninsula unsafe to enter after Hurricane Rachel’s high surf and tides chewed away at the shoreline, tearing apart a section of a wooden wall that is the neighborhood’s last line of defense against the ocean.
Officials issued a notice Thursday night that a large section of the bulkhead, left exposed after waves from Hurricane Marie ripped away its surrounding sand, was badly damaged over the past day and left a gap that allowed water to reach homes and side streets.
Residents stood in shin-deep flooding on Friday, with vehicle access closed at 62nd Place. Waves continued to chew at homes’ foundations along the shoreline and tear planks from the boardwalk. At least one home in the 6500 block of Seaside Walk appeared close to collapse.
Laath Martin, a city spokesperson, said inspectors are still assessing the extent of the bulkhead and boardwalk damage.
Crews rushed to make emergency repairs, pump water off the streets and fill in the exposed section with roughly 1,000 sandbags. The city is bracing for rain this weekend, and more high tides and surf are expected.
Inspectors surveyed homes threatened by water damage and red-tagged two buildings containing three units in the 6400 and 6500 blocks of Seaside Walk. The red tag means they’re too dangerous to enter.
Craig Nakano, a spokesperson for the city’s Community Development Department, said Friday that nobody has been displaced by the tagging. One property was under construction, he said, while the other was confirmed by the owner to be vacant.
A young man talks with an employee helping pump water out of the street as high surf from Hurricane Rachel crashes into the Peninsula in Long Beach on Friday, October 9, 2026.
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Thomas R. Cordova
/
The Long Beach Post
)
A third building received a yellow tag, which means its owner may go in briefly to collect belongings but may not stay. Nakano confirmed that the owner had already found somewhere else to stay.
Two buildings were already yellow-tagged after damage from Hurricane Marie weeks ago. The latest damage brings the total to five damaged Peninsula structures, two red-tagged and three yellow-tagged. The tags are preliminary, and a red tag can be downgraded to yellow once repairs are made and inspectors sign off. Inspectors will keep checking homes twice a day.
The city is planning a multimillion-dollar dredging project to rebuild the stretch of Peninsula beach that’s been eroded. Long-term fixes are expected to be even more expensive.
In the meantime, storms keep rolling in.
The forecast for this weekend
Bryan Lewis, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said high surf and tide are expected to rise precipitously each day through Sunday, with tides reaching 7.5 feet high on Saturday and nearly 8 feet high on Sunday morning around 10 a.m. Waves are currently ranging from 4 to 7 feet high, but are expected to rise to up to 8 feet by Sunday, he said.
Conditions on Sunday evening and Monday morning, he said, will mirror Saturday, and likely will not relent in strength until Wednesday morning.
The NWS expects to announce a flood warning later Friday. They currently have an advisory running through Tuesday. Warnings are usually triggered when coastal buoys the Service monitors — in this case ones in the San Pedro Channel and city harbor — are routinely hit with high enough surf, Lewis explained.
This storm could also bring rain and wind. The city expects up to a half-inch of precipitation this weekend and gusts strong enough to knock down trees and power lines.
“Protecting our residents is our top priority as high surf and erosion impact our Peninsula community,” Mayor Rex Richardson said in a statement. He praised emergency crews and urged residents to “be prepared and follow City guidance.”
Lewis said rain showers could start in the area as early as Friday night and Saturday morning, with a second storm system hitting the area on Monday. Showers are expected to total between a half inch and three quarters of an inch of rain.
“This will bring additional rain, so that’s kind of separate from what tropical storm Rachel could be responsible for,” Lewis said.
Destiny Torres
covers all things SoCal, from breaking news to local government, with a focus on Orange County.
Published October 9, 2026 2:28 PM
Metrolink is planning for major service cuts — slashing 29% of weekday trains and 40% of weekend trains.
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Courtesy of Metrolink
)
Topline:
Metrolink, Southern California’s regional commuter rail service, is preparing for major service cuts — slashing 29% of weekday trains and 40% of weekend trains.
Why it matters: The changes would mostly impact Orange County and Antelope Valley lines, which have the highest percentage of service cuts under the proposal.
Background:The service cuts are part of Metrolink’s proposed budget for this fiscal year. It’s mostly funded by Orange, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura counties’ transportation agencies. For more than a year, Metrolink officials have been designing a budget that member agencies, like the OC Transportation Authority and LA Metro, would approve of. Both OCTA and L.A. Metro proposed cutting its subsidies to the rail service.
What do riders think? At the Metrolink board meeting on Friday, several riders expressed concern over the service cuts.
“This is going to be a net negative for MetroLink. I'm very concerned that we're going to be back here in six months, looking at even more severe cuts,” Adriana Rizzo, a founding member of Californians for Electric Rail, said in public comment. “MetroLink is essential for the economy. It's essential to keep our region moving, and we cannot just let it die.”
Read on … for more on the cuts.
Metrolink, Southern California’s regional commuter rail service, is planning for major service cuts — slashing 29% of weekday trains and 40% of weekend trains. Those cuts could go into effect as soon as next month.
The Metrolink Board of Directors on Friday voted to move forward with a $420 million budget proposal for this fiscal year, which includes the service cuts. The proposal now goes to member agencies for review and approval.
A majority of Metrolink’s budget is funded by Orange, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura counties’ transportation agencies. For more than a year, Metrolink officials have been building a budget that member agencies, like the Orange County Transportation Authority and L.A. Metro, would approve as it struggles to close its funding gaps.
How did we get here?
The service announcement comes the same week as the agency rolled out fare increases.
Metrolink officials blame low ridership numbers for the budget troubles and increasing operational costs for the potential change in service.
The agency expects an 18% dip in ticket revenue in the next fiscal year. On top of that, both OCTA and L.A. Metro proposed cutting their subsidies to the rail service by millions of dollars.
Tom Schamber, Metrolink's chief financial officer, said the service cuts were necessary to balance the budget.
“These cuts were targeted at low-performing trains and trains that overlap with the Pacific Surfliner service,” Schamber said. “The schedule will look more like a commuter rail service focused on weekdays during peak periods.”
How could my routes change?
In Orange County, the number of weekend trains will be cut in half and weekday trains by nearly 40%. Weekday service to Oceanside is included in those cuts.
San Bernardino and Antelope Valley lines will also see major service cuts to weekday and weekend trains. Weekday trains for the Ventura County line were cut by 36%.
During public comment on Friday, many riders expressed concern that Metrolink was entering a transit death spiral — a slippery cycle where fewer services and higher fares lead to fewer riders and deeper financial trouble.
Cooper Crane, a UC Riverside graduate student and historian of Southern California’s public transportation network, said the cuts make the service impractical.
“It is going to bring Metrolink into a death spiral, which could be compared to the historic collapse of services such as the Pacific Electric here in Southern California,” Crane said. “We don't want to experience something like the collapse of the Pacific Electric again, but the budget cuts that have been made by Orange County and the lack of government commitment to the support for the service is pretty much exactly what that will lead to.”
Mason Buck of Irvine said he mainly uses the Metrolink services recreationally.
“You can understand my concern when I look, and I see weekend service getting absolutely gutted in Orange County. … Issues like this are extremely frustrating to me because it feels like such a self-inflicted wound,” Buck said. “I just want an alternative to driving.”
The changes will not just stunt ridership growth but exacerbate ridership loss, Adriana Rizzo, a founding member of Californians for Electric Rail, said.
“This is going to be a net negative for Metrolink. I'm very concerned that we're going to be back here in six months, looking at even more severe cuts,” Rizzo said. “Metrolink is essential for the economy. It's essential to keep our region moving, and we cannot just let it die.”
What’s next?
County transportation agencies need to consider and adopt the budget before it goes back to the Metrolink board for final approval on Oct. 23.
How to participate in the next Metrolink public hearing
Metrolink’s public hearing is scheduled for Oct. 23 at 10 a.m. in the Metro Board Room at 1 Gateway Plaza in Los Angeles.
You can also participate in the meeting online here.
Comments for the public hearing must be made in-person or submitted ahead of time via e-mail to BoardSecretary@scrra.net.
