Aleta George

Writer Aleta George trained as a Jepson Prairie docent in 2009. In addition to writing Bay Nature's Ear to the Ground column, she has written for Smithsonian, High Country News, and the Los Angeles Times.

Touring Native Gardens

April 1, 2010 •  by

All over the Bay Area in spring, native plant gardeners throw open their yards during several public tours. Chances are, there are some great gardens right near you.

Open Space Council Turns 20

January 4, 2010 •  by

The Bay Area has dozens of great open space agencies. Two decades ago, during a down economy, they got together to create an Open Space Council. It turned out to be a very good idea indeed.

Environmental Education Off the Grid

January 1, 2010 •  by

San Francisco’s first fully off-the-grid building comes to Bayview-Hunters Point, thanks to the nonprofit Literacy for Environmental Justice. The new EcoCenter is a working model of sustainability in a neighborhood that knows firsthand the costs of conventional waste management and power generation.

Getting Closer to the Water in Petaluma

January 1, 2010 •  by

River advocate David Yearsley continues his quest to connect people of all ages to the Petaluma River, now with a Petaluma River Heritage Center that focuses on boating, boatbuilding, and wetland restoration.

Restoring Two Creeks for Coho

January 1, 2010 •  by

Restoration work along Marin County’s Redwood Creek is making this watershed more habitable for the state’s southernmost run of coho salmon, while activists push for new protections in the Lagunitas watershed, home to California’s largest remaining runs of these once-plentiful fish.

Planning for the Pond Turtle’s Protection

October 1, 2009 •  by

Scientists are working on the first draft of a conservation strategy for California’s only native freshwater turtle, the western pond turtle. The state Department of Fish and Game (DFG) commissioned the U.S. Forest Service’s Redwood Sciences Laboratory to write the … Read more

Cattails: A Wetlands Supermarket

October 1, 2009 •  by

Cattails are hard to miss, yet often dismissed. Whether in solitary clumps in a ditch or spread out in marshy fields, the burnt umber rockets hovering above dark-green blades add texture and familiarity to the landscape. They also turn out to be quite useful, with pollen that can be used as flour and roots that might help wetlands cope with sea level rise.

Closing the Loop at Carquinez

October 1, 2009 •  by

From the top of Dillon Point in Benicia State Recreation Area, you can trace the route of the Carquinez Strait Scenic Loop Trail, a 50-mile route that will, when finished, ring the strait.