Martinez Beavers
Standing in the first light of dawn at the corner of Castro and Escobar streets in downtown Martinez, I searched the dark water for the town’s newest celebrities: four members...
Wildlife
Lord of the Burrows
Ask most people to name the most important species of our grassland habitats, and they'll probably pick coyotes, golden eagles, or even rattlesnakes. But experts say that the strongest contender...
Naturalist’s Notebook: The Herd Shot Round the Bay
In a few spots in the Bay Area, you can get a glimpse of our state's signature grazer: the tule elk.
Patience Rewarded
You might be taken by surprise at this marshland wildlife area, with its plethora of wandering elk, playful otters, acrobatic owls, and diverse waterfowl. Just be sure it's not hunting...
The Frog Days of Winter
On rainy days, wildlife watching outdoors is probably not at the top of your list, but there is one group of animals that reigns supreme during this season: amphibians. Salamanders,...
What native land snails live in the Bay Area?
Q: What native land snails live in the Bay Area? Where do the common garden snails come from, and what’s the status of our native snail populations? [Erica, Mountain View]...
Grunion
Most summers, cold northerly winds off the Pacific Coast drive warm surface waters away from the shoreline and churn up colder, nutrient-rich waters from below. But this year, for reasons...
Drakes Bay Oyster Farm
In Schooner Bay, Drakes Bay Oyster Farm grows oysters and clams, producing 85 percent of the shellfish raised in Marin County. Point Reyes National Seashore, the company’s landlord, has long...
Field Guide to the Lost Species of the San Francisco Bay Area
A field guide to help Bay Area naturalists in their search for local, lost species that are presumed extinct.
Finding the Stash
From the snowdrifts of Siberia to the labs of UC Davis, assistant research professor Vladimir Pravosudov has studied the food-caching behavior of various birds, including Russian birds that cache up...
