A Moveable Feast
The Ups and Downs of Coastal Upwelling

by Kathleen M. Wong

Fog rolling over Twin Peaks may not seem like a boon for salmon, sea lions, and blue whales, but it is. Coastal upwelling is the phenomenon that brings nutrient-rich colder water to the ocean surface just off our coast most every spring and summer, and that means fog for us and plenty of food for everything from phytoplankton to humpback whales.

From the Jul-Sep 2006 issue
Published July 01, 2006
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Guaranteed Returns
Banking Land for Future Parks

by John Hart

Sure, it can be frustrating to see that land purchased for a park is still closed to the public. But buying open space is only the first step in creating a new park. After that come the land-use plans and the search for funds to pay for facilities and staff. Here we take a look at what it will take for the East Bay Regional Park District to transform the 15,000 acres in its land bank into parks.

From the Jul-Sep 2006 issue
Published July 01, 2006
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Speak of the Devil

Mount Diablo is such a towering icon of our landscape that it is sometimes easy to forget how much complexity lies within its familiar outline. Indeed, the mountain holds many stories: from the drama of its birth under the ocean, to its (mis)naming by early American settlers, to last year's rediscovery of the rare Mount Diablo buckwheat. Today the story continues, with the mountain and its surrounding ridges and canyons anchoring a bold vision for a broad swath of protected open space and wildlife corridors stretching from Concord to Livermore.

From the Jul-Sep 2006 issue
Published July 01, 2006

From Collecting to Recollecting
The Tide Turns at Fitzgerald Reserve

by Susan McCarthy

This San Mateo coast reserve--home to brilliantly colored nudibranchs, 20-armed sun stars, and pupping harbor seals--has been transformed from a place of collection and plunder to one of exploration and wonder.

From the Jul-Sep 2006 issue
Published July 01, 2006
Length:

Letter from the Publisher

by David Loeb

From the Jul-Sep 2006 issue
Published July 01, 2006
Length:

What a Grand Sight!
from the writings of William H. Brewer

edited by Matthew Bettelheim

From the Jul-Sep 2006 issue
Published July 01, 2006
Length:

Ear to the Ground
News from the conservation community and the natural world

by Aleta George

After the rains, money for weeding, nature in the city, and more...