Project Phoenix volunteers, partners, and community members gathered together at Ascot Hills Park for an evening of native plant and pollinator education and an evening bird walk.

We heard from our Project Phoenix communication lead, Caitlin O’Neil, who shared the science driving Project Phoenix. We then set out for a bird walk through the nearby trails. The talented Graham Montgomery, a PhD student from the Tingley Lab at UCLA, led our 2 bird walks.

Birders observed several species of birds common to the Los Angeles area, American Kestrels, Red-tailed Hawks, and Northern Mockingbirds. There was also a very exciting sighting of a Yellow-breasted Chat, a large warbler with a bright yellow throat and chest, on our second bird walk!

Attendees also had the fantastic opportunity to learn about the various kinds of native pollinators found in Los Angeles during a workshop led by Lola Salgado (@chicawithbees). North East Trees (NET) led a native plant workshop, where volunteers were able to replant California Sunflowers (Helianthus californicus) in NET’s native plant nursery.

More photos from the event can be found here.