The Deer Next Door

April 1, 2005 •  by

It certainly seems that we’re seeing more deer all over our neighborhoods. But how can these large mammals make a living among all the cars and houses? Writer Bruce Morris took the time to observe the deer in his suburban Belmont backyard. What he learned may surprise you: These deer weren’t just “making do”; they were thriving. With surprisingly small home ranges, suburbanized deer are redefining our built landscapes to fit their needs—an orchard becomes a fawning zone, an abandoned garden a nursery, a wooded lot a feeding area.

Bay Area Butterfly Resources

April 1, 2005 •  by

The Bay Area is home to almost 150 species of butterflies, skippers, and moths—and to quite a few butterfly lovers as well. If you number yourself among that group, spring is high season. Here’s a sampling of local butterfly events: … Read more

Peaceful Coexistence with Deer

April 1, 2005 •  by

The first time I began to pay closer attention to the small band of Columbian blacktail deer that coexist—more or less peacefully—with my neighborhood’s human residents was during the summer of 1997 while working outside on my house in Belmont … Read more

By the Water’s Edge

January 1, 2005 •  by

The East Bay is home to 44 creeks that drain into San Francisco Bay—from small but well-protected Wildcat Creek in the north to the 700 square miles of Alameda Creek’s watershed to the south.

Flyway Festival

January 1, 2005 •  by

Heading farther east on Highway 37 toward Mare Island in Vallejo, birders and wetlands enthusiasts can come in for a landing at the Ninth Annual San Francisco Bay Flyway Festival from January 21 to 23. The free festival celebrates the … Read more

Notes from Underground

January 1, 2005 •  by

It is often the smallest things that get overlooked, and life in the soil is probably the most neglected habitat of all. Tilling the soil or weeding the garden puts us in touch with a few members of the soil … Read more

Taking Refuge

January 1, 2005 •  by

At this small, sandy National Wildlife Refuge on the industrial outskirts of Antioch, you’ll find great views of the San Joaquin River, and rare plants and insects that don’t exist anywhere else.

They Keep Coming Back

January 1, 2005 •  by

In the early 1970s, when the Army Corps of Engineers built a weir across Alameda Creek to stabilize a railroad crossing and the new BART tracks, they also blocked steelhead from swimming to upstream spawning grounds. Given the numerous dams … Read more