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]...
Wildlife
A Big Year for Rare Species
From Mori Point in Pacifica to Lands End in San Francisco and all the way up to Tomales Bay, the Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA) forms a patchwork of...
Taking the Heat
Though we may not be able to detect it on a day-to-day basis, climate change has come to the Bay Area and is already leaving its mark on local ecosystems:...
Birds of a Different Feather, Flocking Together
Meander through an oak woodland, or even a wooded suburban area, on a winter day, and you're likely to experience something strange about our winter woodland songbirds: You may not...
Allen’s Hummingbirds in Town
Starting in February in coastal areas, keep an eye out for a change in your local hummingbirds. Our resident Anna’s will be sharing the stage with the Allen’s flying in...
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...
The Checkerspot Comes Home
Contrary to common notions of autumn as a season of dying back, our fall rains often herald new beginnings. That’s especially true this fall at Edgewood County Park and Natural...
Coyote Valley: Another Drive-By Extinction?
As we report in The Checkerspot Comes Home, Coyote Ridge southeast of San Jose is one of the last refuges for the endangered bay checkerspot butterfly. A good deal of...
Are native bees suffering the same colony collapse disorder as honeybees?
Q: Are native bees suffering the same “colony collapse disorder” as honeybees? [Linda, San Ramon] A: Colony collapse disorder, or CCD, has gotten a lot of media attention, and with...
At Home with the Packrats
What's that pile of sticks over there? It could be the home of a dusky-footed woodrat. If you could see inside, you'd find a tidy little home complete with bedrooms,...
