Los Padres ForestWatch Launches Community Science Project to Protect Central Coast Wildlife

Los Padres ForestWatch is launching a new community science project, empowering residents to help protect wildlife across the Central Coast by documenting wildlife sightings and roadkill along local roads and highways.

Participants download a free mobile survey and upload observations during their daily routines and commutes, compiling critical data that will help guide conservation and land-use planning efforts throughout the region. Volunteers can participate by collecting data opportunistically or by committing to regular wildlife surveys along local roads and highways.

As development continues to fragment natural habitats, wildlife face growing threats from vehicle strikes and loss of migration routes.

“One of the biggest challenges we face is that roadkill often goes unreported, leaving dangerous gaps in our understanding of where protections are most needed,” said Carlo Calderon, Wildlife Program Coordinator at Los Padres ForestWatch. “This project helps fill those gaps by generating reliable, community-driven scientific data.”

In 2024, California enacted A.B. 1889, the Room to Roam Act, which requires cities and counties to consider wildlife movement and habitat connectivity when updating their local land-use plans, and to reduce barriers created by new development where feasible. ForestWatch’s citizen monitoring program will help support local planners in implementing the Room to Roam Act by providing real-world data on wildlife movement across roads and landscapes.

To introduce the project and provide an overview of participation opportunities, ForestWatch will host two free informational webinars on Zoom:

• Wednesday, January 28, 2026 from 6:00 – 7:00 p.m.

• Saturday, January 31, 2026 from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m.

Registration is free: forestwatch.org/events