The San Francisco Bay is our region's dominant geographic feature.

Book Review: Natural History of San Francisco Bay

October 1, 2011 •  by

By Ariel Rubissow Okamoto and Kathleen M. Wong, 2011, UC Press, 352 pages, $24.95 paperback, $65 hardcover. The latest installment of the UC Press Natural History series (number 102!) comes from frequent Bay Nature contributors Ariel Rubissow Okamoto and Kathleen … Read more

Trawling for Plastic in SF Bay

October 1, 2011 •  by

Researchers plan to head out this winter looking for micro-plastic in the Bay. Their first-ever trawl last winter turned up concentrations that actually weren’t as bad as some recorded in other waterways. But that might just mean we’re sending more plastic to the Pacific.

New Photo Exhibit Reveals Diversity in a Cubic Foot of SF Bay

September 14, 2011 •  by

The Golden Gate Bridge, approaching its 75th anniversary, is the most photographed bridge in the world — but what about what lies underneath it? Photographer David Liittschwager decided to address just that and discovered that the number of living things that pass through a cubic foot of water here in an hour is greater than the number of cars that have ever driven over it.

Turning a Weedy Island into Prime Habitat in Richardson Bay

August 17, 2011 •  by

Can a pile of dredge spoils covered in a jumble of invasive weeds be transformed into an island paradise for shorebirds, songbirds, and seals? The folks at the Richardson Bay Audubon Center and Sanctuary think so. And after years of planning, ground-breaking on their ambitious restoration project has finally begun on a small island near Tiburon.

Decision Time at Lawson’s Landing

July 7, 2011 •  by

For nearly five decades, the campground at Lawson’s Landing has existed in a sort of legal limbo, never acquiring the necessary permits to make camping legitimate. Now, after a half-century of unauthorized expansion, the campground finally looks set to resolve its long-standing rift with the law. The California Coastal Commission meets July 13 in San Rafael to decide the campground’s future.

Restoring Aramburu Island

July 1, 2011 •  by

Aramburu Island sounds like it might be in the South Pacific, and until recently, it was about as noticed locally as some distant atoll. But then in 2007, in the wake of an oil spill, folks from Tiburon Audubon discovered that this humble island in Richardson Bay was a major refuge for injured birds. Now, they’re hoping to make it good habitat for healthy birds and other wildlife too.

From Mild to Wild

July 1, 2011 •  by

A regional effort to create a regional Bay Water Trail is bearing fruit with new funding for an integrated program of boat launches, education programs, and more. It’s time to get out on San Francisco Bay!

Hidden Life in the Sand

July 1, 2011 •  by

It turns out the sand at your local beach is not as simple as it seems–it’s full of little creatures. From sand crabs and beach hoppers to tiny water bears, there really is a world in a grain of sand, or at least between the grains of sand.