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The Sandhill Homecoming

October 24, 2008 •  by

Every fall, thousands of graceful sandhill cranes arrive in the Central Valley to spend the winter. They’re a sight not to be missed!

Tule Elk Rutting

October 17, 2008 •  by

You can still see tule elk, the smallest of North America’s elk, fighting for territory, mating, and raising their young in the Bay Area.

Bats Threatened by Wind Power

October 8, 2008 •  by

Studies elsewhere in the country suggest that bats may be suffering even more than birds as more and more windmills get built. And there are no easy answers: New, larger windmills considered safer for birds might be more dangerous to bats.

Book Review: California’s Fading Wildflowers

October 1, 2008 •  by

by Richard A Minnich, University of California Press, 2008, 344 pages, $49.95. This scholarly book by a UC professor of earth sciences surveys historical observations of California flora and compares theories about the original pre-European vegetation and how it has … Read more

Point Reyes Mycoblitz

October 1, 2008 •  by

Scientists and fire ecologists will be studying the cause and effects of these fires for years, and that includes taking a close look at fungi in the soil. As reported in Bay Nature‘s July-September 2005 issue, UC Berkeley microbiologist Tom … Read more

Wildfire in California

October 1, 2008 •  by

On the first day of summer, a thunderstorm crackled across much of California. Eight thousand lightning strikes ignited over 2,000 fires that burned more than 1.1 million acres by late July. California ecosystems have evolved with lightning-induced fires, but the … Read more

Fall of the Buckeye Ball

October 1, 2008 •  by

The dramatic fall silhouette of the California buckeye shows off its giant seeds, that largest of any of our native plants.

Give Me Shelter

October 1, 2008 •  by

Harbor seals, migrating seabirds, and other wildlife find shelter in the productive waters of Drakes Estero at Point Reyes.