A landmark Earth Day ceremony just took place to celebrate the start of construction on the historic Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing in Southern California.

Spanning over ten lanes of the 101 freeway in the Los Angeles area, when complete the crossing will be the largest in the world, the first of its kind in California, and a global model for urban wildlife conservation.

"California's diverse array of native species and ecosystems have earned the state recognition as a global biodiversity hotspot. In the face of extreme climate impacts, it's more important than ever that we work together to protect our rich natural heritage" said said California Governor Gavin Newsom of the project. Stating that the crossing will enable mountain lions and other wildlife to roam safely, he described the crossing as "an inspiring example of the kind of collaborative efforts that will help us protect our common home for generations to come."

The crossing responds to two decades of study by the National Park Service that has shown roads and development are deadly for animals trying to cross and have created islands of habitat that can genetically isolate wildlife, from bobcats to birds and lizards.

It will preserve biodiversity across the region by re-connecting an integral wildlife corridor, and most critically, help save a threatened local population of mountain lions from extinction.

"Wildlife crossings restore ecosystems that had been fractured and disrupted. They reconnect lands and species that are aching to be whole," said Wallis Annenberg, Chairman, president, and CEO of the Annenberg Foundation in a statement from the National Wildlife Federation. "I believe these crossings go beyond mere conservation, toward a kind of environmental rejuvenation that is long overdue."

The official ceremony took place this morning at 10 a.m. P.S.T, while a celebration for the general public happened early this afternoon at King Gillette Ranch in Calabasas.

For more information about the events, or about the #SaveLACougars campaign to build the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing, visit Save LA Cougars.

Also check out WS's initial reporting on this story in 2020-which details how 2,700 mostly private donors raised $15 million for the construction of this 165-foot crossing that will pass over the 101 in Liberty Canyon-an area where some of the wealthiest Hollywood celebs have their digs.

(WATCH today's Earth Day ceremony livestream in the video below.)

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