2020: A challenging time for all.

We care deeply about the people, pets, and wildlife in our community. It is vital to continue our focus on providing education. Here is information on where we've been and where we are going in 2020.

First, we wanted to improve the navigation experience on our website. In January, we completed that project, and we continue to revamp it based on feedback. 

 
In February, we had our kick-off meeting, and Kendra Butters created a new logo for Poison Free Agoura.

We supported the Center for Biological Diversity by signing on to its coalition letter to help Southern California and Central Coast mountain lions. We also sent comments to have verbiage included in the Agoura Village Specific Plan (AVSP) around clean sanitation and alternatives to rat poisons. We placed "test" raptor poles in our backyard.

In March, the cancelation of the Great Race due to COVID-19 kept us from distributing our educational postcards in 4,000 goodie bags. Although we were sad not to participate in the event, we moved forward with what we could do given our circumstances. We continued with our social media efforts and shared information about At Your Door Special Collections. This service picks up bait boxes and rat poisons for disposal. Waste Management offers this service at certain times of the year. 

At the beginning of April, we created our first Poison Free Productions video on Agoura Hills Wildlife.

Link to video: https://youtu.be/S7RZz4L_KTQ

At the end of April, we started a new project with wildlife advocate, Julie Newsome, to identify locations in Old Agoura that are suitable for owl boxes. 

We also started up our 2020 Cities Against Rat Poison meetings via Zoom. Together we are better at providing education to our communities! 

In May, we created masks for businesses that carry our educational postcards and members of our community. We also helped an Agoura Hills resident get a deceased barn owlet in for testing. The results of the necropsy revealed that the owlet died due to blunt trauma. We are awaiting more test results.

At the beginning of June, neighbors in Old Agoura and Poison Free Agoura team members worked with Cathy Schoonmaker of the National Park Service to locate a collared bobcat (B 372). Sadly, she passed away before treatment or evaluation. Rodenticides caused her death.

At the end of June, and we assisted the City of Agoura Hills by sending our valued business owners the City's brochure on protecting our wildlife and a letter signed by Mayor Illece Buckley Weber. The purpose of the letter is to bring attention to the dangers posed to our wildlife via the use of rodent poisons.

At the present time, we are focused on helping homeowner groups build awareness in their communities we have an Owl Box project in Old Agoura. Recently, we helped the community of Annandale II by providing door hangers and postcards for an outreach project.

We continue educational efforts with our newly-formed group, Cities Against Rat Poisons (the coalition of poison-free cities). 

Please be safe out there! Thank you for visiting our site and your support of people, pets, and pumas! 

Carolyn Trocino

Director, Poison Free Agoura