Courtney McCammon has a sparkling personality. Discussing her new position as L.A. Recreation and Parks’ first-ever ecologist, Courtney was enthusiastic about her goals and visions for our urban parks.

Friends of Griffith Park has advocated for a full-time ecologist for more than a decade. Courtney comes highly qualified: a Loyola Marymount University graduate in Urban Ecology (BS, MS) who has consulted on many scientific projects in Southern California. Most notably, she has been a lead scientist on our Raptor Study since the beginning of 2017.

Courtney McCammon is the sole owner and principal biologist for CJ Biomonitoring. She has over ten years of experience performing a host of biological surveys in varied habitats. She has managed and conducted several biological and ecological projects in the course of her graduate studies and various professional positions. Ms. McCammon is the co-manager of a citizen-science-driven hawk monitoring project located in Los Angeles, CA.

GRIFFITH PARK

Griffith Park is one of the largest municipal parks in North America and is the largest historic landmark in the City of Los Angeles (Historical Cultural Monument #942), now covering 4,511 acres.

This storied landmark is a rare example of untouched, natural chaparral in an urban center. Situated in the eastern Santa Monica Mountains, the park’s tree-studded canyons are crisis-crossed with more than 70 miles of hiking and equestrian trails that offer unparalleled views of the Los Angeles basin.

Griffith Park lies just west of the Golden State Freeway (I-5), roughly between Los Feliz Boulevard on the south and the Ventura Freeway (SR 134) on the north. Freeway off-ramps leading to the park from I-5 are Los Feliz Boulevard, Griffith Park (direct entry), and Zoo Drive. Approaching the park on SR 134 eastbound, take either the Forest Lawn Drive or Victory Boulevard offramps. From SR 134 westbound, take Zoo Drive or Forest Lawn Drive. After leaving the freeways, follow the signs into the park