Newts carry enough toxin to kill a dozen people. Yet in the Bay Area garter snakes feast on them without harm.
Urban Nature
In the San Francisco Bay Area, slices of nature pop up in the most unexpected places, a testament to the region's wealth in biodiversity and the resilience of its natural systems. Bringing nature to urban areas is not just about ensuring the survival of species, but enhancing people's quality of life through a fulfillment of our innate need to be with nature.
Country Cat, City Cat
March 30, 2021 •
A Marin County-based conservation photographer spends many hours looking at wildlife, and bobcats—both in the wild and around the neighborhood—are her favorite subject.
Urban Rat Watcher’s Guide
March 30, 2021 •
Rats don’t have the best reputation, but you’ve gotta respect these adaptable survivors! Here’s how to identify your city’s rats.
What a City Can Do for Nature
February 18, 2021 •
In the early 1990s, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service reviewed the status of a rare coastal sand dune plant called the San Francisco lessingia, which grows only in San Francisco and San Mateo Counties. The background the service … Read more
California Commits to Conserving 30 Percent of its Land and Water by 2030. What Does That Mean?
December 2, 2020 •
On October 7 California Governor Gavin Newsom ordered the state to create a new California Biodiversity Collaborative and conserve 30 percent of its land and coastal waters by 2030. Conservationists have celebrated the enshrinement of biodiversity preservation among the state’s … Read more
Birding Through 2020
September 27, 2020 •
Fall migration is underway in the Bay Area. Meanwhile birding in general is having a moment amid the pandemic, social change, and political tension.
Lord of the Flies
June 21, 2020 •
Bored at home? Learn how to train common flies to ride on your finger like miniature falcons.
The New Naturalists
September 16, 2019 •
There’s a resurgence in exploring and documenting nature worldwide
Face-to-Face With Mining Bees
September 16, 2019 •
The mining bee family Andrenidae is tough to get to know. They are, for all this, among our most common wild bees.
Who’s Knocking at Your Back Door in the Night? Probably Raccoons.
July 8, 2019 •
Urban raccoons are everywhere. Some evidence suggests they’re growing smarter from living in an urban world.