What’s your plan for this year’s City Nature Challenge, April 28-May 1? Here’s what it’s all about, plus a map of Bay Area bioblitzes you can join.
Kate Golden
Kate Golden is Bay Nature's digital editor. Her background is in investigative, data-driven, and science journalism, and she has reported from rural Australia to the Bering Sea. She is also an artist, cyclist and sailor. Send tips to kate at baynature.org, or find her on IG at @meownderthal.
The Lyrids Are Our First Chance to See Some Shooting Stars This Year
April 13, 2023 •
The story of how Earth came to be graced with this meteor shower starts at the birth of the universe, with a dirty snowball.
On the Family Dramas (and Weird Feet) of the American Coot
March 22, 2023 •
One of the commonest birds on the shoreline has a soap opera for a home life. Coots fight for territory, which is about food—pond muck, insects, and the stakes are high.
Local Heroes 2023: Stu Weiss, Conservation Action Award
March 22, 2023 •
Weiss’s research on checkerspot butterflies and their habitat has provided the bedrock on which efforts to protect Bay Area lands have been anchored. And he’s helped build out a data network that enables strategic conservation choices.
A Sparkling Terror in the Dark, and Other Tales of Readers’ Wildlife Encounters
March 22, 2023 •
Readers submitted their mini-stories of nature encounters, including a thrill in the dark, a bobcat vs. squirrel drama, and a surprisingly aggressive flower.
The Bald Eagles Have Landed in Alameda, and They’re Building a Nest
January 11, 2023 •
Longtime birder and Alameda local Rick Lewis found the nest, and he’s been discreetly visiting it almost daily since. No sign of eggs yet, but the birds seem good so far—preening each other, and adding sticks to their nest.
A Doe on the Patio Table: Readers’ Close Encounters With Nature
January 3, 2023 •
We asked for your mini-stories about memorable nature moments, and you, readers, provided a wondrous bounty, like acorn woodpeckers contributing to the communal haul. Here are our favorite dozen.
Why Sneaker Waves Are So Insidious
November 17, 2022 •
Every now and then, the ocean sneaks up on the land, with a wave that’s bigger than all the rest. Scientists are working out where these dangerous waves come from.
To Count Seabirds From Above, Fly Slowly And Pack a Big Lens
October 13, 2022 •
Aerial wildlife surveys, conducted by the USGS to inform the coming offshore wind energy boom, are strikingly beautiful, for government data. They were also hard-won.
In Bay of Life, an Internationally Renowned Media Duo Look to Their Monterey Backyard
October 4, 2022 •
With Bay of Life, Frans Lanting and Christine Eckstrom wanted to go past Monterey Bay’s natural beauty to explore its past, present and possible futures.