For a lesson in food chain dynamics, go ahead and observe a fruiting toyon bush this winter.

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For a lesson in food chain dynamics, go ahead and observe a fruiting toyon bush this winter.
Winter is a great time to head out and look at the night sky.
For some flowers, bugs, and (of course) skunks, strong BO is a good MO for survival. Remember that the next time you’re dealing with smelly gym socks!
California Natural History Guide No. 96, by Kent G. Lightfoot and Otis Parrish, University of California Press, Berkeley, 2009. $19.95. Available at ucpress.edu. This book is a synthesis of a huge amount of new information and a re-interpretation of old … Read more
As summer turns to fall, thousands of shorebirds return to the shoreline and mudflats of San Francisco Bay, either for a pit stop on their way south or to stay for the winter. Sometimes many different kinds gather in one place. How can you tell them apart?
Learn about some of our local stinging insects, from the familiar honeybee to the powerful velvet ant (watch out for that one!).
What’s that pile of sticks over there? It could be the home of a dusky-footed woodrat. If you could see inside, you’d find a tidy little home complete with bedrooms, a pantry, and even a few latrines!
Would you believe a twig is watching you? That some leaves can walk? And that if you brush against a piece of bark, it just might fly away? Insects play “April Fools’” tricks on their would-be predators all the time, … Read more