NatureCheck assesses East Bay habitat by looking at indicator species like ground squirrels, rainbow trout, hoary bats and golden eagles. You can help!
How Healthy Is the East Bay’s Habitat?
November 2, 2022 •
Wildlife
Room to Roam: Habitat Connectivity
October 31, 2022 •
To improve habitat connectivity, Midpen is working with partners to supplement a dark, narrow culvert under Highway 17 near Lexington Reservoir with another underpass designed specifically for wildlife.
Spooky, Scary Scorpions? Actually, Not So Much. (You Aren’t Worth the Venom.)
October 27, 2022 •
A little too hairy and a little too pinchy to classify as charismatic, scorpions strike fear in the hearts of many—through no fault of their own. A scorpion expert sets the record straight on these gentle loners.
Argiope Spiders Decorate Their Webs—And We Don’t Know Why: Naturalist’s Notebook
October 26, 2022 •
Maybe it helps them hunt. Maybe not. From the sketchbook of John Muir Laws.
Skippers: Between Butterfly and Moth
October 19, 2022 •
When butterfly mania took hold of me, decades back, I thought I’d never crack the skippers’ code: the creatures are impish, and maddening to learn.
To Count Seabirds From Above, Fly Slowly And Pack a Big Lens
October 13, 2022 •
Aerial wildlife surveys, conducted by the USGS to inform the coming offshore wind energy boom, are strikingly beautiful, for government data. They were also hard-won.
Tracking Prairie Falcons, Mysterious Raptors of the Grasslands
October 10, 2022 •
“Peregrines are birds of the air,” says one expert. “Prairie falcons are falcons of the ground.” That makes them more sensitive to habitat loss throughout California, too.
The Living Drill Bits That Grind Holes in Beach Rocks
October 10, 2022 •
The piddock clam makes its mark on the world at the rate of one millimeter per month.
Species to Look For in Fall 2022
October 10, 2022 •
Elusive salamanders, flying spiders, shadowy sculpins, sapsuckers, lone-ranger bats, and waxy white snowberries.
Two Young Researchers, Two New Scorpions
September 23, 2022 •
There are now two more scorpion species to appreciate, thanks to the work of two young researchers. Their efforts could change the future for these salty-lake-bed, stinger-endowed specialists.