In the summer of 1968 Frank Zappa and his family set up a lodge on a patch of land in the Hollywood Wills

Based in an unassuming corner of Laurel Canyon, it soon became synonymous with the hippy culture of the 1960s and served as a clubhouse frequented by the likes of Mick Jagger, Joni Mitchell and Jimi Hendrix.

While much of the neighbourhood is now covered in multimillion-dollar houses, Zappa's former hideaway remains largely untouched. However, campaigners working to preserve the 2.4-acre site have only 60 days to come up with $1 million or face losing the estate to another buyer.

If the fundraising drive is successful, the land will be transferred to the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority, which wants to preserve the spot for wildlife.

"We're going to turn this place into a hangout for salamanders and frogs," Paul Edelman, the chief ecologist, told the Los Angeles Times. A mountain lion, woodpeckers, deer and coyotes also frequent the land.

Michael Roiff, a film producer, is the present owner. He said he bought it for $828,000 in 2021 and planned to build a family home on the lot, but now he wanted it to be preserved.

"We're selling the place at below market value," Roiff said. "I believe it will be preserved as a valuable remnant of wild Los Angeles."

The Property was bought in the 1920s by the silent film star Bessie Love. Later Laurel Canyon became synonymous with the counter culture movement of the 1960s and was home to big names from the folk and rock music world, including Carole King and Jim Morrison of the Doors.