Soil-Friendly Practices
Organic matter is the most important part of the soil because it is fodder for the many organisms that keep soil alive and elastic. And because it is consumed by...
Exploration
Soil Matters
We tend to take the ground beneath our feet for granted, but soil is a defining feature of the landscape around us, in the garden and on the trail.
Garden Stories
The old saw about weather in San Francisco—if you don’t like it, walk a block—could also be applied to Bay Area soils. Nonconformity in Bay Area rocks, along with varied...
Book Review: Point Reyes: The Complete Guide to the National Seashore & Surrounding Area
Point Reyes: The Complete Guide to the National Seashore & Surrounding Area, by Jessica Lage, Wilderness Press, 2004, 250 pages, $15.95 (www.wildernesspress.com). Although visitors to the Point Reyes National Seashore...
Book Review: The Best in Tent Camping, Northern California
The Best in Tent Camping: A Guide for Car Campers Who Hate RVs, Concrete Slabs, and Loud Portable Stereos: Northern California, by Hans and Jane Huber and Bill Mai, Menasha...
Book Review: Sierra Birds: A Hiker’s Guide
Sierra Birds: A Hiker’s Guide, by John Muir Laws, California Academy of Sciences/ Heyday Books, 2004, 64 pages, $9.95 (www.heydaybooks.com). Jack Laws, Bay Nature’s own “Naturalist’s Notebook” illustrator and a...
Book Review: Tom Stienstra’s Bay Area Recreation
Tom Stienstra’s Bay Area Recreation, by Tom Stienstra, Foghorn Outdoors, 2004, 498 pages, $19.95 (www.foghorn.com). In introducing his newest guide-book, Tom Stienstra writes, “Like many people, at one time...
Book Review: Top Trails: San Francisco Bay Area
Top Trails: San Francisco Bay Area, by David Weintraub, Wilderness Press, 2004, 294 pages, $13.95 (www.wildernesspress.com). Bay Area day hikers, take note — and take a look at one of...
Old Oaks Fleck Franklin Ridge Above Martinez
John Muir National Historic Site in Martinez. Trail: 7.8 mi, 1,505 ft elevation gain, out-and-back
Book Review: 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles
60 Hikes Within 60 Miles, by Jane Huber, Menasha Ridge Press, 2004, 260 pages, $15.95 (www.menasharidge.com). Jane Huber offers a welcome guide to hikes within a 60-mile radius of...
