Mosses are not particularly competitive; they do not crowd out other species. They find a foothold where there are the proper resources: moisture, a place to tuck their rhizoid roots. The range from which they can acquire nourishment is limited. Humans are on the opposite end of that spectrum, able to move resources long distances, at increasingly devastating costs to one another and to ecosystems.
Timely news, art, ideas and science from the natural world of Northern California.
After the Algal Bloom Cleared Out of Lake Merritt, the Nudibranchs Came to Party in Droves
Oodles of nudibranchs showed up in Lake Merritt after the harmful algal bloom of August 2022. These sea slugs appeared in record breaking numbers, taking Oakland’s beloved tidal lagoon by storm.
On the (Oddly Satisfying) War Against Invasive Species
Invasive species removal is a long game. If you see the entire job before you, you may despair. But if you keep your head down and only look at what’s right in front of you, then you have a chance of really making a difference in the long term.
Bay Nature’s Summer Guide Is Here!
Inspiration for all your hiking, paddling, camping and other outdoor activities in the Bay this summer.
These Fabulous Flowers Are Spring’s Final Encore
When other plants start hunkering down, clarkias send up a dazzling array of purples and pinks.
Don’t Blame the Bark Beetles
While walking in the woods, you’ve likely encountered a dead log engraved with maze-like squiggles. These natural carvings are known as beetle galleries, and the grooves are munched out by the larvae of bark beetles in the subfamily Scolytinae.
How the DNA We Leave Behind Can Help Conservation
Bits of DNA linger on the forest floor, in the ocean, and even in the air—and these strands have stories to tell, back at the lab. Here’s how environmental DNA (aka ‘eDNA’) is starting to transform how ecologists work in the Bay Area and beyond.
Here Comes the 2023 City Nature Challenge, A Global Competition You Can Join This Weekend
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.
Dungeness Crab Fishery Is Closed Early Again to Prevent Whale Entanglements
Dungeness crabbers finished the season without a single whale entanglement, unlike past years, but they paid a price.
Avian Flu Claims at Least 7 California Condors—and a Beloved Bay Area Peregrine Falcon
Avian flu is hitting close to home, and it isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. California condors and a beloved San Jose falcon are the newest victims of this epidemic that is sweeping through domestic and wild bird populations worldwide.