Believing in the Power of Beavers
California's beavers have been by turns hunted, protected, and neglected—even parachuted away to distant forests. Today, the embattled rodent is finding new appreciation for its ecological work.
Category: Perspective
Opinion pieces and perspective from people connected to nature in Northern California.
What Happens When Everyone Wants to Photograph the Same Wildlife
"Our time spent watching wildlife has the potential to cause harm," argues naturalist and photographer Sarah Killingsworth.
To Fight Climate Change, We Need the Newark Baylands
Just south of the Dumbarton Bridge lies one of the most important conservation opportunities for the Bay's future—and one of the most threatened, a group of scientists is warning.
Moss Knows How to Wait
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.
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.
Publisher’s Letter: Connecting People, Places and Action
Wes Radez writes: "I have joined this team because I believe that environmental literacy connects people with places, motivating us to explore our natural world and work toward an equitable and sustainable future."
Cheeky Bobcat Kitten, Owl on the Hunt: How a Young Wildlife Photographer Gets the Goods
You don’t have to go far. But it helps to spend all your spare time in the woods. That's what Vishal Subramanyan, 20, does.
How Many Birds Can Be Found in the Bay Area in One Day?
Behind the scenes of a frenetic, 13-hour birding challenge.
Sea Otters in San Francisco?
Ever since the 1930s, when an improbable remnant colony of sea otters was discovered off the rugged Big Sur coast after more than a century of intensive fur hunting, Californians have worked to bring the animals back from the edge … Read more
We Can’t Rely on Drought-Busting Atmospheric Rivers Anymore
Atmospheric rivers are nothing short of a miracle for California. But climate change is altering their character.
