West Marin Night During Perseid Showers

January 1, 2011 •  by

The sugars drop down in the berries,no longer specific. That mangy deersleeps the summer off.    You’ve been herethe night away, a body with its bit           of local pain.     Under the hazel: spotson satyr anglewings [Polygonia satyrus] spaced            unevenly.    Spikenard … Read more

Abbotts Lagoon: October

January 1, 2011 •  by

The first thing that is apt to raise your eyesAbove the dove-grey and silvery thicketsOf lupine and coyote bush and artichoke thistleOn the sandy, winding path from the parking lotTo the beach at Abbotts Lagoon is the white flashOf the … Read more

Art for Auklets

January 1, 2011 •  by

Just a thousand yards off the San Mateo coast sits one of the most densely populated places in the Bay Area, with hundreds of residents sharing nine rocky acres, all with great views. But there are no people living here. This is Ano Nuevo Island, a wildlife reserve where four species of seals and sea lions coexist with seven species of seabirds. The only human presence is an occasional visit from a remarkable team of biologists, botanists, and ceramicists.

Geography of Hope Returns

January 1, 2011 •  by

After a one-year hiatus, the organizers behind the popular Geography of Hope conference in Point Reyes Station are back with a new topic. Event organizers honored Wallace Stegner at the inaugural conference in 2008 and celebrated sustainable farming in 2009. This year’s theme will be “Reflections on Water.”

On Mount Diablo

January 1, 2011 •  by

Here, the sedimentary rocksof the town where I was raisedlift up, the layers of ancient seabed exposed in ridges running left to right, time turned on its side– Eocene, Miocene, Pliocene. At this height, the twilight rises, a tidal shadow … Read more

EndangerBus Feature: Mission Blue Butterfly

December 23, 2010 •  by

If you’re lucky some spring day in a few small patches of land near San Francisco, you may catch the glint of a male mission blue butterfly’s iridescent wings. If you are so fortunate, thank the determined conservationists who’ve been working to protect a small butterfly from big threats.

Painted Wings

July 1, 2010 •  by

MaryAnn Nardo’s luminous watercolors capture species’ whole life cycles, from larvae feeding on host plants to winged adults in search of nectar.

The Sounds of the Sea, Performed

June 1, 2010 •  by

A team of artists has collected more than 1,000 recordings of people sharing their thoughts about the oceans. Hear voices from from scientists and schoolchildren, people in the United States, Europe, Asia. A sound collage from the collection premieres at Cal Academy on June 3.