Rare Plant Persists in Salty Soils at Livermore Preserve
In the highly alkaline, salty soils of Springtown Preserve near Livermore, few annuals can make it through the hot, dry summer months. But the Palmate bracted bird’s-beak has found a way.
Botany
Critical habitat in SF to protect Franciscan manzanita
Last week, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service added the Franciscan manzanita to the federal endangered species list and proposed new critical habitat in San Francisco for this famous flowering shrub. The critical habitat designation, though only in draft form … Read more
Photographer Ron Wolf falls into fungi
Early in our work on each issue of the magazine, we send out a call for photos to more than 400 local photographers and artists. The idea is maybe they have some images on file that fit with stories we … Read more
EcoFair Marin Returns!
Mark your calendars for September 9th! EcoFair Marin is back, and even better this year, with over 80 exhibits, do-it- yourself demonstrations and speakers, including author Van Jones, as keynote presenter. Inspired by San Rafael’s Climate Action Plan and presented in … Read more
Tree trekker breaks records finding ‘extreme’ trees
Recent high-school graduate Zane Moore is sitting — or rather towering — with the masters of tall tree finders. This summer Moore, 18, embarked on a mission to measure and record the locations of some of the tallest trees in … Read more
Poison oak has a good side, too
It may be hard to believe, but poison oak is not the bogeyman of the forest. As a California native plant, many an animal has sought nourishment or shelter in its "leaves of three," immune to the toxic oil that plagues humans. This versatile plant, a member of the cashew family, may never get over its inherent antagonistic relationship with hikers and gardeners, it may be nevertheless worth a nod of respect.
Alcatraz Island is a renowned prison — but a horticultural gem?
From afar, this windswept island in the middle of the San Francisco Bay appears so rugged that you'd expect to find only century plans and eucalyptus. But Alcatraz is alive with color.
Happy Plants on New Presidio Dunes
Recent dune restoration at the southwestern edge of the Presidio has worked wonders for native plants.
First-ever Solano County flora in the works
Two local botanists are at work on a multi-year project to create the first-ever Solano County flora -- a record of all the native plants that grow there.
Point Reyes: Renewed by Fire
When I started visiting Point Reyes in the 1970s, the landscape from Limantour Beach up to the crest of Inverness Ridge had a special appeal. I had spent my early childhood in the New England countryside in the 1940s, so vestiges of the pre-Seashore ranching days made me nostalgic--homestead sites, dammed lakes, fence lines, timothy hay growing in old fields. On the other hand, watching the wild ecosystem come back, with its brush rabbits, jackrabbits, quail, hawks, and bobcats, was endlessly fascinating.
