Black Coal, Bright Flowers
Contra Costa's Diamond in the Hills

by Horst Rademacher

The peaceful hills of Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve weren't always so: One hundred twenty years ago, you'd have found bustling towns full of miners and their families and, nearby, the mine works and railroads that carried out tons of coal and sand, feeding the booming industries of Northern California. Today, the park offers grand vistas, abundant wildflowers, and a mine tour that gives an illuminating view of both the work of the miners and the geological history that brought them here and shaped the aboveground landscape.

From the Apr-Jun 2008 issue
Published April 01, 2008
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Muir Woods Anniversary
A Millennium of Redwoods, A Century of Conservation

Text by John Hart, photographs by Stephen Joseph

Though named for legendary conservationist John Muir, Muir Woods National Monument is really the legacy of William Kent, a wealthy landowner and politician. His gift to the nation 100 years ago of this redwood-lined valley in southwestern Marin, containing the last significant old-growth stands in the county, meant that millions of visitors from around the region and the world would get to witness these magnificent trees. The park's anniversary caps a remarkable century of conservation in the Bay Area.

From the Apr-Jun 2008 issue
Published April 01, 2008
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Shifting Sands
A Dilemma in the Dunes at Tomales Bay

by Jules Evens

At the mouth of Tomales Bay, sand dunes and seasonal wetlands coexist uneasily with California's largest coastal campground. The dunes at Lawson's Landing, home to rare butterflies and plants like the dune tansy, are among the few left of a once-common coastal habitat that could be restored and maintained as a healthy, functioning ecosystem. But can that be accomplished without driving out the family-run camping operation at the dunes that, since 1957, has been an affordable summer getaway for thousands of visitors?

From the Apr-Jun 2008 issue
Published April 01, 2008
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Marking Time on the Dunes

by Dan Rademacher

From the Apr-Jun 2008 issue
Published April 01, 2008
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The Fremont Peak Experience
Traveling Through Space and Time

by Doris Sloan

Discover rare rocks, distant stars, beautiful wildflowers, and a bit of California history all at one small state park south of San Juan Bautista.

From the Apr-Jun 2008 issue
Published April 01, 2008
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Mount Burdell Open Space Preserve

by Sue Rosenthal

From the Apr-Jun 2008 issue
Published April 01, 2008
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Mount Wanda

by Ann Sieck

From the Apr-Jun 2008 issue
Published April 01, 2008
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San Bruno Mountain

by Kate Brittain

From the Apr-Jun 2008 issue
Published April 01, 2008
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Letter from the Publisher

by David Loeb

From the Apr-Jun 2008 issue
Published April 01, 2008
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The Grunion's One-Night Stand in the Sand

by Christopher Richard

From the Apr-Jun 2008 issue
Published April 01, 2008
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In the Wake of the Oil Spill

by David Carroll

From the Apr-Jun 2008 issue
Published April 01, 2008
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Flower Power

by Sue Rosenthal

Sepal, stigma, stamen, style; pollen, pistil, petal. Say what?! Like all scientists, botanists have a specialized language for talking about the things they study, in this case, flowers. Next time you're out hiking, take a few minutes to look closely at a wildflower and you can discover these fascinating, strangely named parts for yourself.

From the Apr-Jun 2008 issue
Published April 01, 2008
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Why do dragonflies swarm?

by Michael Ellis

From the Apr-Jun 2008 issue
Published April 01, 2008
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Ear to the Ground
News from the Conservation Community and the Natural World

by Aleta George

Concord Naval Weapons Station, Ecocity Summit, invading mud snails, and more...

From the Apr-Jun 2008 issue

Fluke of Nature

by Jack Laws

Intrepid naturalist Jack Laws finds a fluke of nature in six not-so-easy steps.

From the Apr-Jun 2008 issue
Published April 01, 2008
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