How the Landscape Does Its Quiet Work
Landscapes are not just scenery. They are places where people learn skills, traditions, and a kind of hospitality that can last across generations.
The Podcast Studio Is Gently Floating in the Harbor
In the aftermath of a psychedelic mushroom trip, Baykeeper founder Michael Herz and Kate Josephs decided to upend their lives, move aboard a boat in the East Bay, and start producing a podcast on the history of the San Francisco Bay.
Summer 2026 Almanac: Fruiting Bodies
Life during summer … bears fruit.
Summer Slog
Why oh why do the lowest of each day’s tides only happen around my favorite swim hour?
Bay Nature Events
LATEST STORIES
A Surprisingly Chill Hang Around a (Prescribed) Fire
Community spirit—and serious safety precautions—made my first prescribed burn feel like a friendly gathering.
Saving the Whales Just Got a Little Easier
Thermal cameras just installed in May have been picking up whale spouts nearly every day.
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The Endangered Endangered Species Act
How five proposed Trump Administration changes threaten protections for struggling species in the San Francisco Bay Area.
IN SEASON IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
When Red-Shouldered Hawks Arrive, You’ll Hear them First and Loudest
The red-shouldered hawk is perhaps California’s noisiest raptor. There’s a reason for it.
How Can You Tell Male vs Female Lizards?
Is there a way to tell the difference between male vs female lizards? How do they attract their mates? -Saundra, Concord One way, Saundra, is to wait until spring and watch them mate: The male is on top. But I bet you want more details than that. The Bay Area’s…
Tarantula Hawk Wasp Mamas Deliver the Smackdown of the Summer
When it comes to motherhood, it doesn’t get much more extreme than tarantula hawk wasp moms, known to duel tarantulas—and win.
Staff picks
This Trump Change Could ‘Eviscerate’ the U.S. Endangered Species Act
A plan to redefine ‘harm’ could remove federal habitat protections from almost 100 Bay Area listed species. The proposal is now open for public comment until May 17.
Living with Fire
There’s no option to live without fire in California, and setting small, controlled fires could help keep the large, unruly ones at bay. But what would an increase in controlled burns actually look like, and how would they impact our open spaces, wildlife, air, and water?
Cutting Through the Fog
While the rest of the West bakes in the summer heat, Bay Area residents salute the return of the fog. Renowned environmental journalist Harold Gilliam explains the dynamics of the Bay Area’s natural air-conditioning system as two local photographers capture its fleeting beauty.
It’s a Rock Pigeon’s World
Your fact-filled guide to the remarkable feathered urban nature we forget to wonder about.
