Jan-Mar 2008
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A Big Year for Rare Species
January 01, 2008 by David Carroll
From Mori Point in Pacifica to Lands End in San Francisco and all the way up to Tomales Bay, the …
Issue Content
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Birds of a Different Feather, Flocking Together
January 01, 2008 by David Lukas
Meander through an oak woodland, or even a wooded suburban area, on a winter day, and you’re likely to experience something strange about our winter woodland songbirds: You may not see them at all. Then suddenly the trees come alive with dozens of birds of several species.
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Allen’s Hummingbirds in Town
January 01, 2008 by Aleta George
Starting in February in coastal areas, keep an eye out for a change in your local hummingbirds. Our resident Anna’s …
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Martinez Beavers
January 01, 2008 by Aleta George
Standing in the first light of dawn at the corner of Castro and Escobar streets in downtown Martinez, I searched …
Plastics in the Ocean
January 01, 2008 by Aleta George
Nurdles bobble but they don’t go down. Nurdles are industrial-grade plastic pellets that get melted to make all manner of …
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River of Words, 2008
January 01, 2008 by Aleta George
When teacher Linda Cover walks into a classroom, she steps onto fertile soil, knowing that her students have a cumulative …
Sudden Oak Death Still With Us
January 01, 2008 by Aleta George
A mountain biker flew down Patrick Ridge in Marin County’s China Camp State Park. He was focusing on the rocky …
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Forgotten Foundation
January 01, 2008 by Gray Brechin
On a trail at Mount Tamalpais or Diablo, perfectly set stone steps make an ascent easier; farther along, a massive log bridge crosses a rugged ravine. It’s common to pass by and take these structures, and those who made them, for granted. This spring marks the 75th anniversary of the inauguration of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, whose epic New Deal work projects brought us not only dams and bay fill but also enduring public trails and other park infrastructure that thousands of people use today with little knowledge of their origins and the great nationwide social experiment that built them.
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Letter from the Publisher
January 01, 2008 by David Loeb
On the Sunday following the November 7 container ship accident that dumped 58,000 gallons of bunker oil into San Francisco …
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Lord of the Burrows
January 01, 2008 by Kathleen M. Wong
Ask most people to name the most important species of our grassland habitats, and they’ll probably pick coyotes, golden eagles, or even rattlesnakes. But experts say that the strongest contender of all is the animal eaten by all those other ones: the lowly California ground squirrel, a true keystone of local grasslands. Belowground, the squirrels’ lengthy burrows harbor insects, snakes, owls, and even frogs and salamanders that couldn’t live in such a dry landscape without the squirrels’ help. And above-ground, they’ve evolved some unusual defenses that allow them to thrive, even as they feed so many others.
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The Herd Shot Round the Bay
January 01, 2008 by John Muir Laws
In a few spots in the Bay Area, you can get a glimpse of our state’s signature grazer: the tule elk.
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Patience Rewarded
January 01, 2008 by Joe Eaton
You might be taken by surprise at this marshland wildlife area, with its plethora of wandering elk, playful otters, acrobatic owls, and diverse waterfowl. Just be sure it’s not hunting season when you go.
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The Frog Days of Winter
January 01, 2008 by Mike Koslosky
On rainy days, wildlife watching outdoors is probably not at the top of your list, but there is one group …
What native land snails live in the Bay Area?
January 01, 2008 by Michael Ellis
Q: What native land snails live in the Bay Area? Where do the common garden snails come from, and what’s …
