A Last Best Hope for Coho in the Russian River
Now equipped with $8.4 million in federal money, conservationists are aiming to bring back the watershed's salmonids
Water
The Mystery of the Los Gatos Beavers
Years before beavers famously returned to Martinez, Los Gatos locals were spotting them in their creeks and ponds. How they got there, though—that's a bit of a rabbit hole.
Believing in the Power of Beavers
California's beavers have been by turns hunted, protected, and neglected—even parachuted away to distant forests. Today, the embattled rodent is finding new appreciation for its ecological work.
A River Runs Above Us
In mid-November 2021, a great storm begins brewing in the central Pacific Ocean north of Hawai‘i. Especially warm water, heated by the sun, steams off the sea surface and funnels...
The Storied Bolinas Marine Laboratory Is Reborn
Nearly two decades after it was shuttered, advocates and researchers are hoping to reopen the field station where community college students were once involved in the marine sciences.
Why Thousands of Octopuses Are Snuggled Up Against a Deep-Sea Heater
Off the California coast, these creatures are getting an evolutionary edge.
Naturalist’s Notebook: How Pelicans and Humpbacks Stretch For Their Food
Pelicans don't, as you may have heard, stick their spines out of their mouths. They do, however, do some pretty crazy yawn-stretching. From John Muir Laws.
Tactical Pooping, and Other Ways Birds Survive Summer
Here’s a look at how birds beat the heat along with some ways you can help. As SFBBO researcher Katie LaBarbera says, “these are birds trying to survive in the...
With Instruments of Rocks and Shells, Cheryl Leonard Brings Nature’s Music To Life
“Anything can be musical instruments!” Leonard exclaims, in a studio full of bones, driftwood, feathers, stones, and homemade instruments.
Why a Mouse Matters
Salt marsh harvest mice are hard to find, and their fates offer a glimpse at our own coastal society’s future. A reporter tags along on an epic rangewide survey of...
