Starting a Wildlife Habitat Garden

January 1, 2003 â€˘  by

It’s really not that hard to transform your garden into a welcoming habitat for native wildlife. But you do need to know where to start. Here are a few steps to help you begin: 1. Start small. Working in a … Read more

Starting with the Oaks

January 1, 2003 â€˘  by

A winding path through Kathy Welch’s garden leads to an oak grove. Photo by Saxon Holt. Kathy Welch had already begun to consider renovating her yard in the Oakland hills when she made a few discoveries. “I found a trillium … Read more

Letter from the Publisher

January 1, 2003 â€˘  by

On December 9 I received an e-mail from Guy Oliver at the Oceanic Society, announcing the appearance of the first gray whale of the season in San Francisco Bay, a 30-foot individual sighted east of Angel Island. The news came … Read more

Rooted in History

January 1, 2003 â€˘  by

Once a major crossroads for the Coast Miwok, and briefly a home for the Grateful Dead, Rancho Olompali now sits quietly beside Highway 101 north of Novato. But follow its trails and you’ll hear the echoes of the voices of those who came before.

Whaling from San Francisco Bay

January 1, 2003 â€˘  by

Though whales were never hunted in San Francisco Bay itself, the whaling industry had a long presence here. Beginning in the 1830s, whaling ships of British and New England–based fleets wintered in San Francisco Bay. A hundred ships or more … Read more

Sonar Testing and Gray Whales

January 1, 2003 â€˘  by

In mid-November, a federal judge gave the U.S. Navy permission to test its Low-Frequency Array (LFA) sonar in the western Pacific Ocean. The system transmits sounds up to 215 decibels, approximately equivalent to the noise of an F-15 fighter jet … Read more

Book Review: New Bay Area Trail Guides

October 1, 2002 â€˘  by

100 Hikes in the San Francisco Bay Area, by Marc J. Soares (The Mountaineers Books, 2001, 239 pages, $15.95) has something for everyone, from the novice to the serious hiker. Organized into seven regions, the guide offers trail distance, estimated … Read more