David Loeb was the co-founder and Executive Director of the Bay Nature Institute and the publisher of Bay Nature magazine. Now retired, he continues to roam the trails and waterways of the Bay Area and points beyond and contributes occasional articles to baynature.org.
No one can accuse me of being an early adopter—the kind of person who rushes to embrace new technologies. I didn’t get my first computer until 1991, I don’t have an iPod, and social networking still means meeting colleagues face-to-face. … Read more
I had lived in the Bay Area for 22 years before I got around to visiting Henry W. Coe State Park, southeast of San Jose. Eventually my curiosity about that very large block of green on the map (it’s the … Read more
On the Sunday following the November 7 container ship accident that dumped 58,000 gallons of bunker oil into San Francisco Bay, I biked down to the Berkeley Marina to see if there was anything I could do to help out. … Read more
Between handing out crackers to those passengers still holding on and towelettes to those who had just succumbed, the cheerful lady in the pink fleece jacket was keeping pretty busy. I tried a cracker, but it was too late, and … Read more
As we enter the last weeks of the dry season and await the return of the rains that will put some life back into our parched hillsides, I’m still living off the remembered images of our incredible, extended spring, with … Read more
Back in the mid-1970s, as a newcomer here, I felt a certain pride in learning to orient myself by sighting either Mount Tamalpais or Mount Diablo (or even better, both). While Tam is a more constant presence for those of … Read more
At first, it seemed like a rather straightforward task to put together a map for our section on the San Pablo Baylands. While no map worth its salt is ever simple, on a scale of one to ten, I was … Read more
About 15 years ago, I took a solo backpack trip in the Carson-Iceberg Wilderness near Ebbets Pass in the Sierra. On the first morning, camped beside a small lake, I was awakened—much too early!—by the sound of moos and bells, … Read more
There’s that certain moment when you first taste the arrival of a new season. (Yes, we really do have seasons in the Bay Area.) For me, it combines the momentary thrill of embracing an old friend who’s finally returned with … Read more
When I was three years old, I lost sight in my left eye in a freak accident while playing with a friend in the park. The permanent vision loss in that eye didn’t cause any lasting problems (outside of my … Read more
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