Cooper Ecological Monitoring, Inc.

Long-Term Research Projects

Griffith Park

After a major fire in 4,000-acre Griffith Park, Cooper Ecological Monitoring was selected by the City of Los Angeles to advise the Department of Recreation and Parks on the post-fire recovery of the site. Since then, we have worked with neighborhood groups and advocacy organizations to continue ecological research in the park. Read more →

Ballona Wetlands

Since 2003, we have conducted quarterly bird surveys of the Ballona Freshwater Marsh (2003—2008) and the Playa Vista Riparian Corridor (2008—present) for E Read and Associates, Inc. We have also conducted bird surveys of the Ballona Wetlands for the Ballona Wetlands Foundation, and are working with Los Angeles County to develop recommendations for nesting colonial waterbirds at Marina del Rey. Read more →

Santa Clara River

We provided analysis of impacts on sensitive species along the Santa Clara River for the "Landmark Village" portion of the proposed Newhall Ranch development in northern Los Angeles County for Audubon California and Pacific Coast Conservation Alliance. We are also working for the River Project to analyze impacts on sensitive species and to develop mitigation recommendations at the "Vista Canyon Ranch" site east of Santa Clarita.

Past Projects

We at Cooper Ecological Monitoring have over ten years experience in conducting bird and wildlife surveys and designing monitoring projects. Take a look at a small sample of our past work.

	Coffee Conservation Award We are conducting bird and wildlife surveys on coffee farms in Central America for several coffee importers in the U.S. We have also developed species lists and hiking maps for several properties, and are pilot-testing several other projects, such as an ecotourism internship program and a "coffee conservation award." Read more →
	Coastal Cactus Wren Survey In spring 2009, we worked with the Nature Conservancy to organize, train and supervise a team of more than 20 volunteers to conduct the first-ever comprehensive survey of this rare bird in coastal Los Angeles County.
	Marina del Rey Dredging and Sand-Separation Project We designed survey protocol and carried out surveys and construction monitoring for wintering population of federally-threatened western snowy plover at Dockweiler State Beach for the US Army Corps of Engineers.
	San Gabriel River Discovery Center Cooper Ecological Monitoring was asked by the Los Angeles and San Gabriel Rivers and Mountains Conservancy to review previous biological studies and conducted new bird surveys and a habitat assessment for a proposed nature center and conference facility at the Whittier Narrows Recreation Area.
	Sanford-Avalon Community Garden, Watts We conducted a wildlife inventory of a strip of urban community gardens in South Los Angeles for the L.A. Community Garden Council.
	Northeast Los Angeles Open Space Parcels We surveyed a cluster of open space fragments in the Mount Washington and El Sereno area north of downtown Los Angeles for the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority/Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy.
	Malibu Lagoon Restoration We conducted pre-restoration bird surveys of Malibu Lagoon and developed a bird checklist for the park based on historical and recent sightings.