Editor’s Letter: Ecosystem Engineers
Building a magazine is a lot like coaxing a garden or parcel of land into becoming a rich ecosystem.
Conservation
Underneath California Forever
Tech billionaires are fighting for their proposed 400,000-person city in Solano County. At least 21 imperiled species depend on the ecosystems where the new city could be built.
Otherworldly Light
Winter is the ideal season to see UV fluorescent organisms in the Bay Area.
Paddling a Resurrected Wetland
A formerly barren landscape transforms into thriving habitat at Pacheco Marsh in Martinez.
Winter 2026 Almanac: Sea Stars and Scoters
Life during winter can have ups and downs over the years.
Monte Rio Grows, Connecting Sonoma’s Redwood Corridor
With the addition of 1,500 acres, the regional park gains miles of new trails.
25 Years of Change
A quarter century of hard work has restored nature to the San Francisco Bay Area in places where it was once unimaginable.
That Time We Reared Spider Babies, and Other Memorable Stories of 2025
Stories that delighted us, enraged us, got us outside, got us thinking.
With Dams Removed, Spawning Salmon Are Heading Up Alameda Creek
These chinooks are likely hatchery strays. But they are still an ecosystem boon—and flaming-bright symbols of restoration at work.
Some Birds in the Bay Are Doing OK
The first update to a local State of the Birds report in 14 years shows restoration working—and some puzzling declines.
