The Gottlieb Native Garden is the creation of Susan and Dan Gottlieb, lovers of southern California native flora and fauna and devoted environmental philanthropists. Both are also respected nature and wildlife photographers who founded the renowned G2 Gallery on Abbot Kinney Boulevard in Venice, California in 2008. They closed the gallery in late 2017 so they could focus their efforts full time on their garden and their work with California native plants. They will continue to showcase the work of environmental photographers that have been a part of the Gallery.
Dan Gottlieb
Born in Chicago, Dan Gottlieb grew up spending hours in the Field Museum of Natural History and the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry. He graduated from Boalt Hall Law School and then served for four years as a Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney.
In 1976, Dan co-founded a real estate company that he ran for 40 years. During the 1990s, Dan served a six-year term on the Board of Directors of the U. S. Chamber of Commerce.
In his free time, Dan loves to take photographs, with a specific interest in the hummingbirds that live in his backyard.
Susan Gottlieb
When Susan Lenman Gottlieb was born, her family was living in a log cabin built by her Swedish immigrant father in a remote area of Quebec, Canada. After graduating from nursing school in Ontario, Susan worked for many years in California as a registered nurse.
Although the Gottliebs have had a lifelong interest in nature and the environment, Susan became actively involved in the 1990s when she began the restoration of her garden by removing most of the exotic and invasive plants and replacing them with California natives. The Gottlieb Native Garden is now designated by the National Wildlife Federation as an official Backyard Wildlife Habitat and a Xerces Society Designated Pollinator Habitat. It is often included as a stop on LA’s prestigious garden tours.