Lila Seidman
@lilaseidman.bsky.social
📤 2401
📥 248
📝 186
Wildlife and outdoors reporter for the @latimes 🐆🦜🦝🦦🐏🐊🦭🦨🌵🏔️
pinned post!
California wildlife officials now allow mountain lions to be killed when they eat endangered bighorn sheep, a practice that was halted nearly a decade ago. How we got here is complex, involving angry hunters and another beloved species: deer. I get into all of it in my latest:
bit.ly/4s9bFOv
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California wildlife officials quietly shift on killing a high-profile predator
California wildlife officials are now allowing mountain lions to be killed to protect endangered bighorn sheep, changing a nearly decade-long practice of just moving them.
https://bit.ly/4s9bFOv
about 1 month ago
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Twenty wild horses stranded in deep snow near Mammoth survived an emergency rescue by the Forest Service, and are now recuperating. The incident stirred debate over what's best for the area's wild equines, many of which are slated for removal.
www.latimes.com/environment/...
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Starving and stranded: Inside the desperate effort to save 24 wild horses near Mammoth
Twenty-four starving wild horses were evacuated from deep snow near Mammoth Lakes, though one died and three were euthanized. The incident has stirred up heated debate about what's best for their herd...
https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2026-01-22/forest-service-rescues-wild-horses-trapped-near-mammoth-lakes-several-die
1 day ago
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reposted by
Lila Seidman
Sammy Roth
2 days ago
Starving and stranded: Inside the desperate effort to save 24 wild horses near Mammoth
www.latimes.com/environment/...
via
@lilaseidman.bsky.social
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Starving and stranded: Inside the desperate effort to save 24 wild horses near Mammoth
Twenty-four starving wild horses were evacuated from deep snow near Mammoth Lakes, though one died and three were euthanized. The incident has stirred up heated debate about what's best for their herd...
https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2026-01-22/forest-service-rescues-wild-horses-trapped-near-mammoth-lakes-several-die
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reposted by
Lila Seidman
Sammy Roth
3 days ago
Folks, next Wednesday at 4 p.m. I am moderating a climate forum with the leading candidates for California governor! So much important stuff to ask Xavier Becerra, Katie Porter, Tom Steyer and Eric Swalwell. Hope you'll watch the livestream. Register here:
envirovoters.org/gubernatoria...
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Gubernatorial Forum | California Environmental Voters
Tune in to watch EnviroVoters' 2026 Gubernatorial Forum, focused on climate and how candidates plan to address the impacts of the climate crisis on Californians’ homes, wallets, and health.
https://envirovoters.org/gubernatorial-forum/
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reposted by
Lila Seidman
Sammy Roth
10 days ago
Latest report card for the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta concludes the estuary is "mostly in poor condition and declining."
www.latimes.com/environment/...
via
@ianjames.bsky.social
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California's Delta waters are in poor ecological health, scientists warn
A new scientific assessment finds California's Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta is in poor ecological health, and that a big reason is the amount of water being pumped out.
https://www.latimes.com/environment/newsletter/2026-01-15/delta-ecosystem-boiling-point
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Lila Seidman
Ian James
13 days ago
An invasive beetle responsible for killing hundreds of thousands of oak trees in Southern California has now expanded into Ventura County. To prevent further spread, some experts are calling for regulations limiting the movement of firewood.
@lilaseidman.bsky.social
www.latimes.com/environment/...
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'It is scary': Oak-killing beetle reaches Ventura County, significantly expanding range
The goldspotted oak-borer, an invasive beetle responsible for killing 200,000 trees in Southern California, is now present in Ventura County. It's the northernmost reach of the insect.
https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2026-01-10/it-is-scary-oak-killing-beetle-reaches-ventura-county-significantly-expanding-range
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ICYMI
add a skeleton here at some point
13 days ago
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Since landing in Southern California in 2008, an invasive beetles has slaughtered hundreds of thousands of oak trees. Now the goldspotted oak borer has landed in Ventura County, sparking fears that the destruction will continue.
www.latimes.com/environment/...
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'It is scary': Oak-killing beetle reaches Ventura County, significantly expanding range
The goldspotted oak-borer, an invasive beetle responsible for killing 200,000 trees in Southern California, is now present in Ventura County. It's the northernmost reach of the insect.
https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2026-01-10/it-is-scary-oak-killing-beetle-reaches-ventura-county-significantly-expanding-range
15 days ago
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Lila Seidman
Pam Kan-Rice
15 days ago
“And as we go north, we have tons of oak woodlands that are very important ecosystems over there. It [goldspotted oak borer] can even get into the Sierras if we don’t stop it,” Beatriz Nobua-Behrmann
@ucanr.edu
tells
@lilaseidman.bsky.social
add a skeleton here at some point
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Lila Seidman
Grace Toohey
18 days ago
Hard to believe it's Jan. 7. Again. The devastating fires that ignited this day a year ago continue to challenge and shape Los Angeles -- in loss and grief and anger, but also resilience. If you missed the
@latimes.com
special section, today's the day to read:
www.latimes.com/after-the-fi...
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After the Fires: L.A.'s double disaster left thousands of scars, and the healing will take years
The Eaton and Palisades fires tragically exposed L.A.’s vulnerability. The Times looks back at a devastating year, scrutinizes official response and makes the case for being better prepared next time.
https://www.latimes.com/after-the-fires
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Communed with my spirit animal, the banana slug, on the Central Coast 💛
19 days ago
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Lila Seidman
20 days ago
Congrats to Chuck and TNC California. DFW Director is one of the hardest jobs in state government and Chuck always managed it with a strong and steady hand. TNC is a good fit for him, and vice versa.
add a skeleton here at some point
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Cambria, California
23 days ago
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Lila Seidman
Standing Mountain
24 days ago
When it rains in the desert— a miracle— the soil remembers how to listen.. Seeds long asleep break their silence, crack open, and color rises to meet those who notice.. Nothing new is added to what was hidden— it has simply found its hour.
#NewYear2026
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Big shakeup: The head of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife is stepping down. Chuck Bonham is the longest-serving director of the agency that's at the center of heated debates over how to manage salmon and wolves.
www.latimes.com/environment/...
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California's longest-tenured wildlife department chief steps down after 15 years
Charlton "Chuck" Bonham is leaving the top post at the California Department of Fish and Wildlife at the end of the month to join the Nature Conservancy. He departs as the state contends with mounting...
https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2025-12-30/charlton-bonham-director-of-california-wildlife-department-steps-down
26 days ago
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Lila Seidman
Sammy Roth
about 1 month ago
RIP Betty Reid Soskin, America's oldest park ranger. She helped people learn that "Rosie the Riveter" wasn't always white.
www.latimes.com/environment/...
via
@lilaseidman.bsky.social
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Betty Reid Soskin, 'trailblazing' oldest national park ranger, dies at 104
Betty Reid Soskin, the National Park Service's oldest ranger, died Sunday. As a ranger, she shed light on the painful reality of working on the WWII home front as a Black woman.
https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2025-12-23/betty-reid-soskin-oldest-national-park-service-ranger-dies-at-104
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Lila Seidman
Los Angeles Times
about 1 month ago
SoCal agave owners have been hacked. What are thieves doing with those filched leaves?
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SoCal agave owners have been hacked. What are thieves doing with those filched leaves?
For the second time in three years, someone has been hacking off and stealing waxy, 2-to-4-foot-long serrated leaves from agave plants at east Torrance homes.
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-12-24/thieves-are-hacking-agave-plants-throughout-socal-but-why
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reposted by
Lila Seidman
Ian James
about 1 month ago
Juvenile coho salmon have been spotted in a tributary of the Russian River for the first time since 1991
apnews.com/article/anim...
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Juvenile coho salmon found in Mendocino County creek after more than 30-year absence
Juvenile coho salmon have been documented in a tributary of the Russian River in Mendocino County for the first time since 1991, state officials announced Thursday.
https://apnews.com/article/animals-fish-california-general-news-d908a7de19bda05e80bb918ae2cb086d
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Andy Warhol, Bighorn Ram, Endangered Species Series, 1983(!)
about 1 month ago
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Deer are dwindling in the Eastern Sierra, spurring concern among hunters. Some have called for killing mountain lions, which eat deer. But lions are protected (and beloved by many). With cars posing a major threat to deer, wildlife crossings are seen as a win-win.
bit.ly/4rQI6Rx
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Can wildlife crossings offer a lifeline for deer in the Eastern Sierra?
Many in the Eastern Sierra are concerned about a decline in mule deer and eager to see a wildlife crossing rise in a roadkill hot spot.
https://bit.ly/4rQI6Rx
about 1 month ago
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reposted by
Lila Seidman
Sammy Roth
about 1 month ago
Can wildlife crossings offer a lifeline for deer in the Eastern Sierra?
www.latimes.com/environment/...
via
@lilaseidman.bsky.social
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Can wildlife crossings offer a lifeline for deer in the Eastern Sierra?
Many in the Eastern Sierra are concerned about a decline in mule deer and eager to see a wildlife crossing rise in a roadkill hot spot.
https://www.latimes.com/environment/newsletter/2025-12-11/la-enviro-mule-deer-eastern-sierra-wildlife-crossing-highway-395
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reposted by
Lila Seidman
Lisa Fung
about 1 month ago
‘A good day, not just for mountain lions, but for Californians.’ California Department of Fish and Wildlife recommends granting threatened species status to roughly 1,400 mountain lions on the Central Coast and Southern California Via
@lilaseidman.bsky.social
www.latimes.com/environment/...
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Southern California mountain lions recommended for threatened status
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife is recommending listing mountain lions in Southern California and the Central Coast as threatened.
https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2025-12-10/southern-california-central-coast-mountain-lions-recommended-for-threatened-status
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California wildlife officials now allow mountain lions to be killed when they eat endangered bighorn sheep, a practice that was halted nearly a decade ago. How we got here is complex, involving angry hunters and another beloved species: deer. I get into all of it in my latest:
bit.ly/4s9bFOv
loading . . .
California wildlife officials quietly shift on killing a high-profile predator
California wildlife officials are now allowing mountain lions to be killed to protect endangered bighorn sheep, changing a nearly decade-long practice of just moving them.
https://bit.ly/4s9bFOv
about 1 month ago
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reposted by
Lila Seidman
Hailey Branson-Potts
about 2 months ago
My latest for
@latimes.com
: Here’s why San Francisco’s legendary albino alligator Claude, the “iconic swamp king,” died this week at age 30
www.latimes.com/california/s...
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Here’s why San Francisco’s legendary albino alligator 'Claude' died at age 30
Claude, a rare albino alligator who lived at the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco, died this week at 30. Late Wednesday, officials revealed why the "iconic swamp king" perished.
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-12-03/claude-san-francisco-beloved-albino-alligator-dead-at-thirty
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reposted by
Lila Seidman
Ian James
about 2 months ago
New international protections have been adopted for more than 70 species of sharks and rays amid concerns that overfishing is driving some to the brink of extinction.
www.latimes.com/science/stor...
@apnews.com
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Governments endorse greater protections for sharks
Governments adopted greater protections for more than 70 species of sharks and rays at an international wildlife trade convention in Uzbekistan.
https://www.latimes.com/science/story/2025-12-01/governments-endorse-greater-protections-for-sharks
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Lila Seidman
Ian James
about 2 months ago
The Trump administration has outlined a plan to weaken protections for fish in the Delta and pump more water to Central Valley farmlands. State officials have objected, warning it would threaten fish and could reduce water deliveries to millions of Californians.
www.latimes.com/environment/...
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California strongly objects to Trump's plan to pump more delta water south
The Trump administration plans to send more water to Central Valley farmlands. California is objecting, saying that poses multiple threats.
https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2025-12-03/california-opposes-trump-water-pumping-plan
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reposted by
Lila Seidman
Sammy Roth
2 months ago
The proposed Amargosa Basin National Monument sounds rad. It's beautiful desert, if you've never been there.
www.sfchronicle.com/california/a...
via
@kurtisalexander.bsky.social
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A dramatic stretch of desert is being proposed as California’s next national monument
California’s proposed monument, encompassing a river in one of the hottest and driest corners of the country, would be larger than Yosemite.
https://www.sfchronicle.com/california/article/amargosa-river-monument-california-21200944.php
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ICYMI
add a skeleton here at some point
2 months ago
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Flip the camera here and you’d see the urban carpet of L.A. spread out below. But doesn’t it look like we’re far, far away? That’s the magic of our mountains ✨
2 months ago
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San Gaberow
2 months ago
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reposted by
Lila Seidman
Sammy Roth
2 months ago
A fire tore through Joshua Tree National Park during the government shutdown, seemingly torching more than 1,000 Joshua trees. And it's possible there will be little or no active restoration thanks to Trump administration cuts.
www.latimes.com/environment/...
via
@lilaseidman.bsky.social
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Hundreds of Joshua trees were scorched during the shutdown
A firefighter with the National Park Service says a fire wiped out more than a thousand Joshua trees amid the government shutdown. Restoration could be limited by a depleted staff, they said.
https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2025-11-21/hundreds-of-joshua-trees-scorched-amid-shutdown
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During the shutdown, a fire in Joshua Tree National Park scorched hundreds of its namesake trees. An inside source says staffing shortages are making it harder to salvage the trees, while park leaders maintain a major response isn't needed. My latest:
bit.ly/49ySvuu
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Hundreds of Joshua trees were scorched during the shutdown
A firefighter with the National Park Service says a fire wiped out more than a thousand Joshua trees amid the government shutdown. Restoration could be limited by a depleted staff, they said.
https://bit.ly/49ySvuu
2 months ago
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reposted by
Lila Seidman
Sammy Roth
2 months ago
A new wolf pack has formed in California, thanks partly to a male wandering in from Oregon:
www.latimes.com/environment/...
via
@lilaseidman.bsky.social
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California has a new wolf pack after another was euthanized
A new wolf pack has been confirmed in Plumas County. Though another pack was recently euthanized, state wildlife officials say the population of the endangered predators is growing.
https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2025-11-18/4-california-wolves-were-eliminated-but-theres-new-pack-in-town
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reposted by
Lila Seidman
Mark Z. Barabak
2 months ago
Thousands of delegates at the UN climate conference stayed on diesel-powered cruise ships, embodying a contradiction at the event. Infrastructure reshaped parts of the Amazon, raising concerns about environmental trade-offs. MelodyGutierrez in Brazil
www.latimes.com/politics/sto...
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An Amazon climate summit built on contradiction, creating unease for California delegates
As COP30 brings cruise ships to the rainforest, the tensions between climate ideals and political realities echo far beyond Brazil.
https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2025-11-17/climate-summit-built-on-contradiction
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Lila Seidman
Sammy Roth
2 months ago
So stoked for my friend and former colleague
@rosannaxia.bsky.social
! Her documentary “Out of Plain Sight,” about the hidden history of DDT dumping off the SoCal coast, is making its theatrical debut at the
@laemmle.com
in North Hollywood this week. Get tickets here:
www.outofplainsight.com/tickets
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Get Tickets — Out of Plain Sight - A Feature Documentary from the L.A. Times
OUT OF PLAIN SIGHT tickets are available NOW for the Santa Barbara International Film Festival and Slamdance Film Festival screenings. Stay tuned for additional screenings and upcoming film festival a...
https://www.outofplainsight.com/tickets
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add a skeleton here at some point
2 months ago
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My interests have not changed an iota since 2019. (Married the guy.)
2 months ago
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At some national parks, like Joshua Tree and Death Valley, it's been hard to tell the government is shut down. While bathrooms are being cleaned and trash emptied, some say conservation work is being neglected. My latest w/ Alex Wigglesworth on the front page of today's
@latimes.com
! .
2 months ago
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reposted by
Lila Seidman
Sammy Roth
2 months ago
If you visited a popular national park during the government shutdown, everything might have seemed normal. Behind the scenes, the Trump administration was likely neglecting key environmental work:
www.latimes.com/environment/...
via
@lilaseidman.bsky.social
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Why did national parks look so normal during this shutdown?
At some national parks such as Joshua Tree and Death Valley, it's been hard to tell the federal government is shut down.
https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2025-11-12/why-did-national-parks-look-so-normal-during-this-shutdown
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Update! I’m now writing a newsletter about California wildlife for
@latimes.com
In my first edition, I spotlight messy politics and difficult decisions in the policy realm. One example: A battle over a plan to kill 450,000 West Coast owls. Check it out and subscribe:
bit.ly/47A0LZN
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The surprisingly divisive world of California wildlife policy
Reporting on California's wildlife is fun, but there's plenty of controversy. Case in point: A battle over a plan to kill hundreds of thousands of West Coast owls.
https://bit.ly/47A0LZN
2 months ago
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reposted by
Lila Seidman
Los Angeles Times
3 months ago
Second-highest number of rabid bats ever recorded in L.A. County, officials say
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Second-highest number of rabid bats ever recorded in L.A. County, officials say
People have been advised to immediately report to Animal Control any bat found inside, or outdoors if the bat appears sick, active during the day, unable to fly or dead.
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-11-06/second-highest-number-of-rabid-bats-ever-recorded-in-l-a-county-officials-say
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reposted by
Lila Seidman
Sammy Roth
3 months ago
"My beat is focused on wildlife and the outdoors. And in this world of fierce contention, over seemingly everything, it sounds downright peachy... However, there is also plenty of strife, messy politics and difficult decisions." From
@lilaseidman.bsky.social
:
www.latimes.com/environment/...
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The surprisingly divisive world of California wildlife policy
Reporting on California's wildlife is fun, but there's plenty of controversy. Case in point: A battle over a plan to kill hundreds of thousands of West Coast owls.
https://www.latimes.com/environment/newsletter/2025-11-06/boiling-point-wildlife-policy-california
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reposted by
Lila Seidman
Los Angeles Times
3 months ago
Waymo killed KitKat. California neighborhood mourns a corner-store cat
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Waymo killed KitKat. California neighborhood mourns a corner-store cat
One mourner called KitKat 'the best city bodega cat anyone could ever ask for. His lil pet requests meant a lot for some of us.'
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-11-03/waymo-kills-kitkat-the-cat-and-san-francisco-mourns
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reposted by
Lila Seidman
Kimery Wiltshire
3 months ago
Fascinating. And heart breaking - but invasive species - what to do? Thank you
@lilaseidman.bsky.social
for the piece.
www.latimes.com/environment/...
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Plan to kill 450,000 owls pushes past major obstacle with Republicans both for and against
A plan to kill hundreds of thousands of barred owls to save spotted owls overcame a major threat when senators this week failed to pass a Republican-led effort to keep it from happening.
https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2025-10-31/lawmakers-reject-bid-to-overturn-plan-to-cull-barred-owls-pacific-northwest
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It's been an eventful month for a battle over the fate of a controversial plan to save spotted owls by killing hundreds of thousands of other owls. This week the Senate voted to OPPOSE a GOP resolution that would have overturned the plan.
www.latimes.com/environment/...
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Plan to kill 450,000 owls pushes past major obstacle with Republicans both for and against
A plan to kill hundreds of thousands of barred owls to save spotted owls overcame a major threat when senators this week failed to pass a Republican-led effort to keep it from happening.
https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2025-10-31/lawmakers-reject-bid-to-overturn-plan-to-cull-barred-owls-pacific-northwest
3 months ago
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reposted by
Lila Seidman
Sammy Roth
3 months ago
The owl wars just won’t end. Latest from
@lilaseidman.bsky.social
:
www.latimes.com/environment/...
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Plan to kill 450,000 owls creates odd political bedfellows — loggers and environmentalists
GOP legislators and animal rights activists have sought to stop a plan to cull barred owls to save spotted owls. The timber industry has joined environmentalists in raising the alarm about consequence...
https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2025-10-29/timber-industry-opposes-republican-resolution-to-stop-owl-killing-plan
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It might be spooky season for you but it's a time for love for tarantulas 💘
www.latimes.com/environment/...
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Tarantula mating season is in full swing. Not everyone comes out alive
October is a peak mating month for tarantulas in California, when the hulking, furry males set out in search of a mate. They don't always come out alive.
https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2025-10-25/tarantula-mating-season-is-underway-california
3 months ago
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reposted by
Lila Seidman
Sammy Roth
3 months ago
Last week I left the L.A. Times and launched Climate-Colored Goggles, an independent newsletter about climate and culture. Here's my mission statement, please check it out and subscribe!
www.climatecoloredgoggles.com/p/why-writin...
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Why I'm writing about climate and culture
I never expected to leave the Los Angeles Times and start a Substack. Then a story about Disneyland caught me by surprise.
https://www.climatecoloredgoggles.com/p/why-writing-climate-culture
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My latest 🕷️👀
add a skeleton here at some point
3 months ago
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reposted by
Lila Seidman
Sammy Roth
3 months ago
Salmon have finally reached the Klamath River headwaters in Oregon. Amazing.
www.sfchronicle.com/california/a...
via
@kurtisalexander.bsky.social
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Salmon reach headwaters for first time in a century after California dam removal
Klamath River salmon have crossed a major threshold after dams were removed along the California-Oregon border, with the fish reaching the river’s headwaters for the first time in more than a...
https://www.sfchronicle.com/california/article/dam-removal-klamath-salmon-21110145.php
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reposted by
Lila Seidman
Joanna L. Pearce, Ph.D.
4 months ago
This thread culminates in a really interesting article about wild horses and the environment and Indigenous people's connection to the land and several other interesting issues.
add a skeleton here at some point
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