Grassland Heritage
Stewardship of a Changed Landscape

by David Amme

When Spanish explorers first saw the San Francisco Bay in 1769, they found a land cloaked largely in perennial grasses. But the extirpation of the native elk herds that grazed the land, the introduction of cattle, and the incursion of European annual grasses abruptly and dramatically transformed the landscape into the familiar green hillside carpets that turn into brown thickets in summer. Today's grasslands, altered as they are, still produce some beautiful wildflowers, lots of wildlife, and if we look closely, remnants of the native bunchgrasses of yore, which can be enhanced with careful management. The parks of the East Bay hills are a good place to start looking for that mix of the grasslands of yesterday and today.

From the Apr-Jun 2004 issue
Published April 01, 2004
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The Courtship of Herons
Overcoming Fierce Solitude

Text by Rob Lee, photos by Philip Greene

All around the Bay Area in spring, herons and egrets begin their annual transformation from mostly solitary top predators to birds gathered in crowded breeding colonies. Local photographer Philip Greene has spent years following the whole subtle and spectacular process by which these large birds break down their resistance to social communion: the changing color of bills and legs, the growth of flowing nuptial plumage, and the complex gestures and dances that make up the fine art of getting to know one another.

From the Apr-Jun 2004 issue
Published April 01, 2004
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Serpentine Splendor
The Native Colors of Edgewood Park

by Carolyn J. Strange

Tucked into less than a square mile of land next to a freeway, the Peninsula's Edgewood Park is a showcase for stunning wildflower diversity, all the result of our region's unique geology.

From the Apr-Jun 2004 issue
Published April 01, 2004
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Letter from the Publisher

by David Loeb

From the Apr-Jun 2004 issue
Published April 01, 2004
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Indian Paintbrush
The Sunset Shades of Castilleja

by Geoffrey Coffey

It turns out that some of the Bay Area's showiest wildflowers are also parasites that draw water and nutrients from their neighbors.

From the Apr-Jun 2004 issue
Published April 01, 2004
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Grazing for Change
Interview with Joe Morris

by Cindy Spring

From the Apr-Jun 2004 issue
Published April 01, 2004
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Ear to the Ground
News from the conservation community and the natural world

by Leah Messinger

Elkhorn Slough, native garden tour, Farallones Marine Sanctuary, Bolinas Lagoon, and more...