SANTA MONICA—The Santa Monica Mountain Fund will be hosting a live virtual fundraiser on Friday, July 24, to support trail upkeep, education, and wildlife programs in the Santa Monica Mountains.

The live event will start at 5 p.m. and will feature an online quiz with prizes, the release of a Santa Monica Mountains film, and personal testimonies from staff. The SMMF’s silent online auction began Monday, July 20, and is scheduled to end Monday, July 27.

The silent auction offers luxury items such as an Eagles acoustic guitar signed by the entire band during their Hell Freezes Over Tour in the mid-’90s. Also offered is a 6-night vacation package to Costa Rica and a safari in South Africa.

Beyond the deluxe items available, smaller items such as jewelry, an interior design consultation, a beach bike cruiser, wine packages, and food packages are also offered.

SMMF’s website details how donations will benefit the Santa Monica mountains. A price of $50 will pay for 10 children from underserved areas to learn about Santa Monica Mountain wildlife and nature. A price of $100 will pay for eight plants or trees propagation, growth, planting, and nurturing in the area.

A price of $500 will pay for a school bus of 50 children from underserved areas to participate in a day of outdoor learning in the mountains, while $2,500 will pay for one mountain lion collar that helps officials track and protect mountain lions in the region.

Earlier this year, a mountain lion mother gave birth to a litter of children in the Santa Monica Mountains, helping the low genetic diversity mountain lions in the area face.

The fundraiser has raised over $10,000 from 30 donors; about 20 percent of the $50,000 goal the SMMF set.

The Santa Monica Mountains contains over 40 miles of coastline and 500 miles of trails. The mountains provide a home to over 1,000 plant species and hundreds of animal species.

The SMMF was established in 1988 to “support the education and resource protection efforts of the National Park Service and California State Parks in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area,” as stated on their website. Since its inception, the SMFF has protected wildlife and nature in the area and has been committed to educating children about and in nature.

To donate to the SMMF, bid on an auction item, or join the SMMF’s live event on July 23, click here.