In the heart of Los Angeles, there is a garden filled with more hummingbirds than anywhere this side of the Mississippi. We talk with the garden’s naturalist, Scott Logan, and UC Davis hummingbird expert and veterinarian Lisa Tell to discover how and why one person’s backyard became a haven for thousands of hummingbirds. We’re also joined by Dr. Eric Strauss, Executive Director of the Loyola Marymount University Center for Urban Resilience, who tells us how wildlife conservation in our urban setting is changing. Less than 10 miles away at the L.A. Zoo, we meet Star, a bird so rare that she was smuggled into the United States in someone’s socks, and it’s up to Mike Maxcy, Lori Rogalski and the team at the Zoo to save her – and maybe her species.

Want a peek into what hummingbird tagging looks like? See Lisa Tell collect a hummingbird for tagging here. See the chip reader that the hummingbirds fly through here.

For more information about programs at the L.A. Zoo visit lazoo.org

BiodiverCity is made possible with support from The Gottlieb Native Garden. 

Host:
Dr Jake Owens, Director of Conservation, Los Angeles Zoo

Executive Producers:
Susan Gottlieb
Tom Jacobson
Diane Shader Smith
Denise Verret

Producers:
April Merl
Jake Owens

Associate Producer:
Brenda Scott Royce


Original Music:
Micah Smith

Additional contributions from: 
Hannah Beal
Bennett Rea