In partnership with KCETLink, the Laboratory for Environmental Narrative Strategies (LENS) at the University of California, Los Angeles has launched a year-long collaboration to develop models and media for reporting environmental stories.
The second storyline, Urban Ark, considers how Los Angeles has inadvertently become a sanctuary city for non-native animal species that are sometimes endangered in their native habitats. The articles, interactive web features, and a documentary short written and produced by UCLA faculty and graduate students raise intriguing questions about human-created urban ecosystems, biodiversity and opportunities for creating sanctuaries for endangered species, including the beloved red-crowned parrot.