This is a story about a little-known bird that’s no owl, eagle, or peacock. It’s not featured on a stamp or in a Disney cartoon. Most people haven’t heard of it and can’t even pronounce its name. But dig deeper into the marbled murrelet (that’s MER-let, not mure-a-LET), and you’ll find a story of scientific mystery and dedicated people working to help an increasingly scarce bird and its habitat.
Author Archives: Kris Vann
Kris Vann is a Bay Nature editorial volunteer.
Urban Nature
Presidio Habitats: Big Art, Made for Wildlife “Clients”
Artists, naturalists, and National Parks officials come together to create a remarkable new exhibit of installation art made for “animal clients,” open at the Presidio from May 16, 2010, though May 15, 2011.
Stewardship
Fight Over Bayshore Power Plant
A long-running controversy over a power plant proposed for the Bayshore in Hayward is heating up as opponents consider whether to appeal recent permits granted to Calpine, the company that wants to build a 600-megawatt plant in an area that has a sometimes uneasy mix of industry and important wildlife habitat.
Stewardship
Two Land Deals Protect Redwoods, Murrelets, and the Skyline Trail
In just one conversation with Reed Holderman, it’s easy to tell that he loves his job. And why shouldn’t he? As executive director of the Sempervirens Fund, he gets to help save landscapes for generations to come. With two recent land deals, the fund has come a step closer to its goal of connecting all the major parks on the Santa Cruz coast.
The Bay
California’s Big Kahuna
Winter might not be beach season for most of us, but for big wave surfers, now is the time to be out on the water. What makes winter the time for big waves? And why do a few spots, like Mavericks, get such tall waves?
