The city of Berkeley plans to purchase a Fourth Street parking lot and transfer the property to the nonprofit Sogorea Te’ Land Trust, as part of a recent settlement agreement over the long-contested shellmound site in West Berkeley.
Urban Nature
In the San Francisco Bay Area, slices of nature pop up in the most unexpected places, a testament to the region's wealth in biodiversity and the resilience of its natural systems. Bringing nature to urban areas is not just about ensuring the survival of species, but enhancing people's quality of life through a fulfillment of our innate need to be with nature.
An Interview with Amy Tan: Wild Birds and Backyard Journals
February 13, 2024 •
Bestselling author Amy Tan has filled journals with anecdotes, observations, and drawings of backyard birds.
Eulogy for a Crayfish We Hardly Knew
January 18, 2024 •
The death knell for the sooty crayfish probably sounded with the introduction of its cousin from the north.
Oakland’s Urban Tree Dreams Get (Partially) Funded
December 21, 2023 •
The city’s draft urban forest plan has drawn more than 800 comments—many clamoring for more native trees.
Inside the East Oakland Plant Nursery That’s Breaking the Incarceration Cycle
December 14, 2023 •
“Nobody’s got our kind of re-entry program that mixes soil, re-entry, healing, and good pay,” says Planting Justice’s operations manager, Lynn Vidal.
As Cities Heat Up, USDA Grants $42 Million for Urban Trees Around the Bay
December 7, 2023 •
The money is meant to fix longstanding tree-cover gaps in disadvantaged neighborhoods—but it’s a fraction of what’s needed.
Oakland Offers a Plan to Aid Its Troubled, Unequal Tree Canopy
October 30, 2023 •
The plan—yet to be City-approved—calls for upward of $17 million in maintenance for Oakland’s neglected trees.
New Trail on Doolittle Drive Does a Lot
October 10, 2023 •
A half mile of new trail helps address a surprising number of problems in Oakland.
Now We Are Asking Nature to Solve the Problems We Created
October 5, 2023 •
What’s a nature-based solution? An explainer.
Map: Where Oodles of Federal Dollars for Nature Are Going
September 15, 2023 •
BIL and IRA spending on nature in the greater San Francisco Bay Area has topped $1 billion, according to Bay Nature’s most recent tally for our Wild Billions project.