The 1,800-acre Máyyan ‘Ooyákma–Coyote Ridge Open Space Preserve is home to 13 endangered or threatened species. Volunteers played a major role in making it accessible to the public.
Botany
The study and science of plants.
These Fabulous Flowers Are Spring’s Final Encore
May 17, 2023 •
When other plants start hunkering down, clarkias send up a dazzling array of purples and pinks.
How the DNA We Leave Behind Can Help Conservation
May 3, 2023 •
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.
Wildflower Lands Now Open in the East Bay Hills
March 22, 2023 •
Explore 20 miles of new trails and over 2,800 acres of serene hills and woodlands, now added to the East Bay’s Pleasanton Ridge Regional Park.
The Bird Nest Detectives
March 22, 2023 •
Century-old bird nests help scientists time-travel to San Francisco Bay’s lost plant communities.
The Calypso Orchid—Shady Trickster of the Understory
February 22, 2023 •
This fancy flower is secretive yet brash, and it’s an expert in the art of deceiving bumblebees.
The Nearly Unkillable Eucalyptus Meets Its Match
October 20, 2022 •
Eucalyptus trees on Albany Hill are wasting away from blight. Some people may cheer—but these trees are also home to endangered monarchs.
Meet A West Oakland YouTube Celebrity Who Brings Plants and People Together
July 11, 2022 •
Santore is known for Crime Pays But Botany Doesn’t, a self-described lowbrow approach to plant ecology.
An Enduring Oak Mystery: Synchronized Acorn Booms
July 5, 2022 •
How do the trees synchronize their reproductive efforts? Oaks, the dominant tree genus throughout much of low- and mid-elevation, temperate California, are full of mysteries.
The Amazing Color-Changing Lupine
April 7, 2022 •
Look for the blue blossoms of Lupinus chamissonis all along California’s coast.