Cities and nature can mix. Did you know a mountain lion lives in the middle of Los Angeles? Known as P-22 and made famous by National Geographic photographer Steve Winter’s now iconic images, this Hollywood cougar has put his celebrity to good use. As conservationist Beth Pratt-Bergstrom shows, his remarkable story challenges our traditional notions about nature and our relationships to wildlife, and has inspired a new type of urban environmental movement.

Beth Pratt, the California Director for the National Wildlife Federation, has worked in environmental leadership roles for over twenty years, and in two of the country’s largest national parks: Yosemite and Yellowstone. “I have the best job in the world,” she says, “I get to travel around California and spend time with condors, mountain lions, porpoises, pika, and foxes, and work with some amazing people who help wildlife thrive.” Beth serves on the board of the non-profits Outdoor Afro, Save the Frogs, and the education committee for Felidae Conservation Fund, and she has trained with Vice President Al Gore as a member of his Climate Reality Project Leadership Corps. Her work has been featured by The New Yorker, CNN, The Wall Street Journal, BBC World Service, LA Times, the Christian Science Monitor, Fast Company, NPR, and more. Her book, "When Mountain Lions are Neighbors: Wildlife in Today's California," will be published by Heyday books in 2016.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx