Author Archives: rastalimon

Tree Die-Off in Santa Monica Mountains due to Drought, Heat


California’s drought has caused many thousands of native oaks, sycamores, alders and willows to die at Topanga State Park, one of the largest urban parks in the U.S. The view along the park’s hiking trails has changed dramatically in the last few years as it has throughout the Santa Monica Mountains. A senior conservation biologist for the Resource Conservation District of the Santa Monica Mountains attributes the dead trees to the effects of climate change on the region.