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Least Tern Return

May 20, 2009 •  by

Every spring California least terns return to the Bay Area to breed. These endangered birds, and other terns, have a remarkable hunting style: Drop quickly, and crash head-first into the water. Don’t try that at home!

A Refuge in the Harbor

April 1, 2009 •  by

Within view of Richmond, Brooks Island today is a haven for nesting terns. That’s just its latest incarnation. A short paddle across the harbor to this island refuge takes you back centuries and “away from it all.”

Dinosaur Plants

April 1, 2009 •  by

While living dinosaurs are nowhere to be found in California these days, you can see recognizable descendants of plants that lived with them–right here in the modern Bay Area.

Protecting Plovers

April 1, 2009 •  by

On a gray September day, I walked north on Ocean Beach from Sloat Boulevard to the Cliff House. It was far from an idyllic walk on that black-sand beach. I saw several dead seagulls, one being eaten by a crow. … Read more

Sudden Oak Death Blitz

April 1, 2009 •  by

The deadly plant disease known as sudden oak death (SOD) has spread to 14 coastal counties, and according to UC Berkeley’s Forest Pathology and Mycology Lab, the continuing epidemic threatens the survival of tanoaks, an ecologically important native tree, as … Read more

Hayward Haven

April 1, 2009 •  by

At Hayward Regional Shoreline, East Bay Regional Park District staff and volunteers have created new nesting habitat for the endangered California least tern. Here’s the recipe…

A Helping Hand for the Hairstreak

April 1, 2009 •  by

It has been said that the movement of a butterfly’s wings can change the course of world events. Some San Francisco neighbors hope that will be true for the green hairstreak…

Impressions of Tamalpais

April 1, 2009 •  by

We talk with Tom Killion, who grew up in Mill Valley. He has been making woodblock prints of the California landscape since he was a teenager, including about 60 of Mount Tamalpais.