The Northern California black walnut led scientists into a genetic mystery: is this a rare tree, or a common one?
Tree Detectives
January 6, 2020 •
Botany
The study and science of plants.
As Temperatures Change, What Organisms Move North to California?
September 18, 2019 •
What are some the biological consequences of climate change in Northern California?
California Funds Seed-Banking as Hedge Against Climate Change
September 16, 2019 •
California is a world biodiversity hot spot. Full stop. Roughly 32 percent of the nation’s native plants are found in California, and those 6,500 species provide habitat that supports the state’s multitude of wildlife. To protect that biodiversity as the … Read more
East Bay Regional Park District Bans Glyphosate
September 16, 2019 •
This past July, the East Bay Regional Park District announced a ban on the controversial herbicide glyphosate, also known by the brand name Roundup. The prohibition was effective immediately in picnic areas. The district said it would discontinue use of … Read more
Fasciated Plants and Where to Find Them in the Wild
September 4, 2019 •
What is this weird belt-like growth on poison oak? Fasciated plants have fascinated humans for thousands of years due to their gnarled and belt-like growth patterns on stems or bizarrely elongated flowers. Fasciation has been documented in over 107 plant … Read more
An Artist Finds the Life Lessons of Seaweed
August 29, 2019 •
If you’ve ever stepped into a certain kind of beach town gift shop on the Northern California coast, you are likely familiar with Josie Iselin’s work: an artist, Iselin creates slim coffee table books filled with detailed, dramatically lit photographs … Read more
An Update to the App to Identify (Almost) Anything (Almost) Anywhere
June 24, 2019 •
If you ever wander around wanting to know the names of plants and animals around you, Seek, a newly rebuilt app from the iNaturalist team at the California Academy of Sciences, now offers instant identifications through the camera view on … Read more
What Does Trampling Do to Wildflowers?
April 17, 2019 •
How much damage does trampling do to wildflowers? No other state is as iconic for its flora as California, so it’s no surprise that thousands of Californians have flocked to Southern California to experience wildflower heaven in this year’s “super … Read more
How to Meet a Flower
April 10, 2019 •
Looking to learn more about wildflowers this spring? Consider introducing yourself first, José González writes.
California Wildflowers and Climate Change
March 25, 2019 •
Rob Badger’s collection goes by the title “Beauty and the Beast”