Chris Torres

Chris Torres is a Bay Nature editorial volunteer.

Top 10 Bay Area nature apps

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If you plan on getting outdoors this summer, you’ll probably be bringing your smart phone with you. Forgo the hefty guidebooks and consider tapping into some of the great mobile apps out there. We reviewed our Top 10 for the Bay Area so you’ll be ready to identify that flash of wing through the trees, ramble around Golden Gate Park without getting lost, or kayak the San Francisco Bay with real-time current updates.

Angel Island gets TLC for Earth Day

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Over 150 volunteers crammed onto a ferry that set sail from Tiburon in honor of upcoming Earth Day this Sunday.Their destination? The hiker’s paradise of Angel Island. With a backdrop of clear skies and a light breeze, the crew on Saturday joined the California State Parks Foundation’s (CSPF) effort to clean up and restore 17 of the state’s neglected parks.

Japanese tsunami debris arriving, but not a deluge

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It’s been just over a year since the devastating earthquake and tsunami wiped away coastal towns in Japan. As communities rebuild and mourn the loss of loved ones, a portion of the 25 million tons of wreckage is now swirling around the ocean and making its way to California shores.It’s a unique research opportunity for scientists who have never before seen such a sudden, massive deposit of ocean debris from a one-time event.

Rodent bait a danger to wildlife

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Got rats? As appealing as it may seem to have your rodent intruders done away with the drop of a few blue pellets, the city of San Francisco is telling its citizens: “Don’t take the Bait.”The campaign seeks to turn public opinion away from best-selling rat and mouse poisons for the sake of wildlife and the environment. The trouble is that the poison-infused rodents eventually become toxic prey to any creature higher up on the food chain. Stick to the classic snap trap, officials say.