Life is so surprisingly webbed and interconnected.
John Muir Laws
Naturalist and illustrator John Muir Laws is the author of the Laws Field Guide to the Sierra Nevada and Sierra Birds: A Hiker's Guide. Learn more and find class schedules at johnmuirlaws.com.
Naturalist’s Notebook: Best Spots to Find Migrating Swifts in the Bay Area
September 25, 2017 •
Every fall thousands of Vaux’s swifts migrate south, congregating at dusk in swirling flocks. Here’s how to find them when they pass through the Bay Area.
Naturalist’s Notebook: Illustrated Squirrels of the Bay Area
July 1, 2017 •
Follow the “kuks” and “quaaas” to find marauding hawks or foxes.
Naturalist’s Notebook: They Lowered the Level of San Mateo’s Marina Lagoon and Found … These Things
April 4, 2017 •
Australian tube worms are now widespread in brackish waters of the San Francisco Bay.
Naturalist’s Notebook: Good Algae Gone Bad
January 1, 2017 •
Blue-green algae has made some Bay Area ponds dangerous
Naturalist’s Notebook: An Illustrated Guide to Watching for Humpback Whales
October 14, 2016 •
What to look for when watching humpbacks.
Naturalist’s Notebook: The Enigmatic Clicking Cicada
July 1, 2016 •
The crepitating cicada is found in the Western United States.
John Muir Laws and the Art of Slowing Down, Sitting Still, and Paying Attention
April 18, 2016 •
“As a naturalist, educator, and artist, I have found that my journal is the most necessary tool I carry into the field with me; it is even more necessary than my binoculars.”
Naturalist’s Notebook: Meet the Hammerhead Worm
January 1, 2016 •
The alien in your back yard is a large, invasive, predatory land planarian.
Naturalist’s Notebook: How to Tell a Red-Tailed from a Red-Shouldered Hawk
October 1, 2015 •
Red-tailed and red-shouldered hawks are both common in the Bay Area.