As statewide funding for disease surveillance runs out this year, here’s what to look out for—and how to be a friend to your local snakes.
Snake Fungal Disease Is Spreading in California. What Can We Do?
April 4, 2024 •
Health
Sex and Poison May Explain California Death Cap Invasion
February 1, 2024 •
Local mycologists suspect death caps—huge and abundant in the Bay Area—may be competing with chanterelles underground.
Oakland’s Urban Tree Dreams Get (Partially) Funded
December 21, 2023 •
The city’s draft urban forest plan has drawn more than 800 comments—many clamoring for more native trees.
Inside the East Oakland Plant Nursery That’s Breaking the Incarceration Cycle
December 14, 2023 •
“Nobody’s got our kind of re-entry program that mixes soil, re-entry, healing, and good pay,” says Planting Justice’s operations manager, Lynn Vidal.
Just in Time for Algae Season, A New Satellite Map Offers Glimpses of Bay Blooms
August 7, 2023 •
No one agency is tasked with protecting us from marine algal blooms. So here’s a map worth checking before you go out on the waters of San Francisco Bay.
The Latest Bird Flu Pandemic Is Terrible—And Strange
January 3, 2023 •
“The landscape is riddled with risk out there right now, but we don’t want to vilify the carriers,” says one expert. “They’re just doing their thing. They’re being ducks.” So, where did this virus come from?
How Healthy Is the East Bay’s Habitat?
November 2, 2022 •
NatureCheck assesses East Bay habitat by looking at indicator species like ground squirrels, rainbow trout, hoary bats and golden eagles. You can help!
A Case for Retreat in the Age of Fire as Dozens of Wildfires Threaten Homes in the West
September 15, 2022 •
As fire risk rises, is it time to consider managed retreat? Three environmental design and sustainability experts explore the options.
Find Bay Area Swimming Spots Free of Harmful Algal Blooms
August 16, 2022 •
Harmful algal blooms are increasing in incidence, duration, and toxicity statewide and so are their health impacts on humans, domestic animals, and wildlife.
Beyond the Plume of Smoke
June 23, 2021 •
“While acute smoke is bad for human and environmental health, smoke in moderation can be part of human and environmental health and well-being.”