Naturalist’s Notebook: Venn and the Art of Hummingbird Identification
In spring, not every hummingbird you see in the Bay Area is the same. John Muir Laws helps us tell the difference between the Allen’s, the rufous, and the Anna’s.
Science and Nature
Climbing the Waves at Castle Rock State Park
The high ridges and sandstone outcrops at Castle Rock have fascinated adventurers from explorer George Vancouver to the pioneers of modern rock climbing. Prolific wildflowers, great views, and an 80-foot...
Getting Closer to the Water in Petaluma
River advocate David Yearsley continues his quest to connect people of all ages to the Petaluma River, now with a Petaluma River Heritage Center that focuses on boating, boatbuilding, and...
Restoring Two Creeks for Coho
Restoration work along Marin County’s Redwood Creek is making this watershed more habitable for the state's southernmost run of coho salmon, while activists push for new protections in the Lagunitas...
Studying Underwater Mountains in Monterey Bay
The remarkable Davidson Sea Mount has gained new protections as part of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. This and other nearby seamounts attract spectacularly diverse sea life.
Naturalist’s Notebook: A Small Bird That Acts Big
Turns out this little songbird is a little fiercer than most.
Petaluma’s Teenage Fish Force
At first glance the tan building blends into the rest of Petaluma's Casa Grande High School. It's nondescript from the outside, but it houses a rare kind of conservation organization,...
Public Transit and Other Endangered Species
Might the streets we travel have once been migratory corridors for other species, now displaced and threatened by our urban ways? Did butterflies pass by this way, looking for mates,...
Rafting Time for Diving Ducks
The great rafts of ducks on San Francisco and Tomales bays, mostly surf scoter, greater and lesser scaup, and canvasback, are a wintertime spectacle. Scoter flocks can range from many...
What’s the deal with pelicans’ weird bills?
Can a pelican really hold a week’s worth of food in its bill?
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