On Tuesday, January 7, Viewpoint’s Middle School students had the unique opportunity to take part in an assembly with Lauren Gill. Ms. Gill is California’s Deputy Director of the National Wildlife Federation (NWF), which has partnered with #SaveLACougars in their campaign to build the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing. 

The crossing, which broke ground in 2022, will be the largest in the world when completed this fall. Spanning the 101 freeway in Agoura Hills, this visionary structure will preserve biodiversity across the region by creating a wildlife corridor for a multitude of mammals, birds, and reptiles, and will ultimately help save the area’s local mountain lion population from extinction.

Ms. Gill began her presentation by captivating students with the story of P-22, the famous “Hollywood cougar,” who managed to cross Los Angeles and ultimately settled in Griffith Park. Her visual presentation included photos of the process behind planning and building the crossing, including digging deep enough to provide a strong foundation, as well as designing a wide enough bridge to create a quiet and dark space for animals to safely cross.

In addition to teaching our students about the crossing’s structural elements, Ms. Gill shared photographs and information highlighting the importance of the multitude of native plants from the Santa Monica Mountains ecosystem that have been added to the crossing. She also shared photographs of the significant team of experts who collaborated on this special project, which will serve as a model for urban wildlife conservation.

A graduate of Brown University, Ms. Gill is a native of Boston, but has made her home in California where she dedicates her efforts to community-based initiatives. In addition to her advocacy work for the NWF, she also serves on the Board of Trustees for the Conejo Valley Unified School District.  

As part of Viewpoint’s commitment to creating world ready graduates, we are grateful that our students had the opportunity to hear from Ms. Gill – a true community leader who shared her passion and expertise with our students. Learn more about the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing here. For more information on local programs and tours of the crossing, savelacougars.org.