The Nature Nexus Institute wants you to get outside and take a closer look at our creepy, crawly neighbors right now. They’re holding a “Spooky Critter Stroll” at the Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook on October 25 — to give people a chance to learn about their sometimes scary neighbors, and how important they are to the local ecosystem.
“In our programs, we give people a different perspective of these very common areas and talk about the wildlife that live there. We do nature walks for the community. And we also focus a lot on habitat restoration, and provide opportunities for people to do hands-on planting of native plants,” says Emily Cobar, the community programs director.
Thursday’s twilight stroll will feature talks of bats, spiders, snakes, possums and more, and their place in SoCal’s wild and domestic spaces. “It's really important to respect critters, even though they look creepy and scary. … They're really important to our ecosystem,” notes Cobar.
L: Emily Cobar greets hikers with binoculars and other goodies. Photo by Kimberly Orbe. R: Participants in the stroll will be using blacklights to try to locate creepy critters like scorpions, shown here. Photo by Emily Cobar.