Readers submitted their mini-stories of nature encounters, including a thrill in the dark, a bobcat vs. squirrel drama, and a surprisingly aggressive flower.
Art & Design | Botany | Climate Change | El Niño | Fire | Fungi | Geology | History | The Bay | The Ocean | Urban Nature | Water | Weather | Wildlife
How the South Bay Salt Ponds Got So Rainbowy
The South Bay Salt Restoration Project is reconnecting salt ponds to SF Bay, converting them into tidal marsh for endangered species.
Bay Area Nature Spring Almanac: Ringtails and Bushtits
This spring features ephemeral amphibians, sticky flowers, architectural bushtits, elusive not-cats, ocean drifters, and various antler enthusiasts.
The Bird Nest Detectives
Century-old bird nests help scientists time-travel to San Francisco Bay’s lost plant communities.
How a ‘Sturgeon Surgeon’ Tracks the Bay’s Giant, Stealthy Living Fossils
Researchers are investigating the secrets of our two resident sturgeon species, which have razor-sharp armor and shlorp up clams with their vacuum-shaped mouths.
Rainy Day Roundup: All About Atmospheric Rivers
Gosh—is it raining again? When you’d rather stay inside reading about rain than go out and get wet, here’s a pile of stories from our archives.
That Foam on the Beach Is (Probably) Fine
Storms on the California coast whip up sea foam, especially in winter and spring. Here’s a frothy dollop of the science behind how this stuff forms (it’s kind of a planktonic meringue).
A Nasty Salmon-Killing Tire Chemical Is in Bay Waterways. Can It Be Cleaned Up?
6PPD-quinone comes from a long-used chemical that will be hard to replace in tires. But green infrastructure like “living levees” may help trap it.
The Calypso Orchid—Shady Trickster of the Understory
This fancy flower is secretive yet brash, and it’s an expert in the art of deceiving bumblebees.
Something Fishy Is Happening Inside the Ears of Delta Smelt
Abnormalities in the ear bones of hatchery-reared delta smelt could challenge efforts to save the
endangered fish.