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.
Exploration
Camping and Backpacking | Climbing | Gardening | Kids and Nature | Paddling | Point Reyes Walkabout | Trails
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.
Why State Wildlife Officials Took a Mountain Lion Cub From the Wild … Then Put It Back
March 29, 2023 •
It’s the first time a cub has ever been successfully reunited with its mom. But some local residents say it shouldn’t have been taken in the first place.
Wildflower Lands Now Open in the East Bay Hills
March 22, 2023 •
Explore 20 miles of new trails and over 2,800 acres of serene hills and woodlands, now added to the East Bay’s Pleasanton Ridge Regional Park.
When Will the Cotoni-Coast Dairies National Monument Open?
March 22, 2023 •
The Cotoni-Coast Dairies became a unit of the California Coastal National Monument in 2017. Following a two-year planning process, the Cotoni-Coast Dairies monument was slated to open in the fall of 2022. But that deadline has come and gone while the BLM navigates objections to the agency’s plan for public access.
At This Sonoma Park, You Can Walk to Pluto
March 22, 2023 •
If you’re looking to combine a stunning walk with a deeper contemplation of the cosmos, the PlanetWalk Trail, in Sonoma County’s Sugarloaf Ridge State Park, fits the bill.
Local Heroes 2023: Omar Gallardo, Community Hero
March 22, 2023 •
More than a decade ago, Gallardo joined LandPaths, a conservation and environmental education organization based in Santa Rosa. He became manager of a two-acre community garden called Bayer Farm in Santa Rosa’s Roseland. Under Gallardo’s guidance, the garden has flourished as a bridge between worlds.
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.
An Artist Goes Bird-Swatching
March 22, 2023 •
Artist Christopher Reiger’s “field guides” are on view at the Laguna Environmental Center in Santa Rosa until April 28.
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.