NEW MOUNTAINS CONSERVANCY POSTER PUTS NATURE ON THE MAP.

Byline: Sonia Giordani Daily News Staff Writer

Mapping out graceful waterfalls and popular hiking trails, the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy debuted its colorful new pictograph poster and fold-out map Sunday.

Appealing to the region's avid hikers and naturalists alike, the new map features hundreds of cartoon icons to highlight the mountain's hot spots.

``We are trying to capture people's imaginations,'' said Garrie Mar, spokeswoman for the conservancy.

``We knew we already had various maps detailing the trails and park boundaries. We thought it would be fun to help people visualize what they could do along the trails, so we came up with a pictograph that showed some fun stuff,'' she said.

All proceeds from the posters and maps will raise money toward the Conservancy's $4 million goal to complete the Backbone Trail. The 70-mile trail spans more than 60,000 acres of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.

Since January 1997, the group has raised more than $200,000 to acquire land to complete the last six-mile link. Last month, the mountains recreation area received an additional $1 million from Congress to help complete the trail.

Painted by local artist Padraic Shigetani, the pictograph represents only one contribution by the art community to the Conservancy. The poster was released for sale Sunday at the Mountains to the Sea Gallery in Malibu, a gallery of local artists who regularly contribute 20 percent of sales from their paintings to the Conservancy.

``The mountains are my studio, so I want to give back,'' said Tanya Lowe, a member of the Allied Artists of the Santa Monica Mountains whose art is on display and sale at the gallery.

The map will go on sale in gift stores affiliated with the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area and the Mountains Conservancy in coming weeks.

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Photo: (Color in CONEJO only) The colorful pictograph poster and fold-out map unveiled Sunday will help raise money for a new trail.