Bees, Butterflies, and Other Insect Pollinators
Insects have fascinating lives and behaviors most of us never notice. But if you spend even 15 minutes watching bees or butterflies, you’re sure to be drawn into their worlds...
Exploration
Native Plant Sales
April and May are great months for getting to know native plants through native plant sales and garden tours held around the Bay Area. And not only gardeners benefit: The...
Waterfalls!
One of the special rewards of a rainy season hike is the sight and sound of a trailside waterfall.
Kayaks and Breeding Birds at Alcatraz
The nearly vertical cliffs on the western side of Alcatraz Island serve as a nursery for several species of seabirds. These cliffs are the Bay’s only breeding site for Brandt’s...
Out of the Blue
This massive South Bay preserve, which is still being assembled, forms a critical link in the chain of protected landscapes in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
Give Me Shelter
Harbor seals, migrating seabirds, and other wildlife find shelter in the productive waters of Drakes Estero at Point Reyes.
Two Napa Trail Guides
Go looking for a hiking guide to the Napa area, and you’re immediately faced with the choice between two books with almost identical titles. With very similar photos on their...
Mindego Ranch Hikes
On the Ridge Trail at Russian Ridge Open Space Preserve near La Honda, face east and you can see from Mount Hamilton to Mount Diablo. Face west and the most...
Making a Strait Loop
Thanks to a collaboration between the regional Bay and Ridge Trails, a new loop trail will soon link the north sides of the Carquinez Strait.
The Beach as Office
I go to the beach in January. It reminds me why I'm still in California, what my rent really includes, that I'm alive.
