San Francisco’s Presidio is among the richest historical sites in the Bay region, or perhaps in all of California, a place with structures and changes in the landscape that go back to the arrival of the Spanish in 1776 and … Read more
Art & Design | Botany | Climate Change | El Niño | Fire | Fungi | Geology | History | The Bay | The Ocean | Urban Nature | Water | Weather | Wildlife
Video: Explore the Bay Area from Point Reyes to the Inner Coast Range
From the shores of Point Reyes to the Inner Coast ranges, our densely-populated metropolitan region has a rich natural heritage.
Video: Migrating Birds Provide a Feast for the Senses
Humans aren’t the only creatures that flock to California to take advantage of our state’s mild winter climate. Millions of ducks, geese, and other migrating birds also make the Golden State their winter home.vWhether feeding, breeding, or just loafing, the … Read more
Video: The Return of the California Condor
The Big Sur coast has always provided nature lovers with an abundance of breathtaking scenery. But one of the most majestic elements of this coastal landscape, the California condor, nearly disappeared entirely in the early 1980s. Down to as few … Read more
A Hardy Californian
Lester Rowntree (1879-1979) was a self-taught botanist and independent spirit who spent half her life trekking up and down California observing, gathering, and photographing the state’s native flora. Born in England, Rowntree lived in Kansas, Southern California, and on the … Read more
Which spot in the Bay Area gets the most rainfall and which the least?
Q: Which spot in the Bay Area gets the most yearly average rainfall and which spot gets the least? Why? [Diane, Bolinas] A: Nearly all the precipitation we receive comes between November and April in the form of rain from … Read more
Botanic Magic
On just ten acres in the Berkeley hills, there’s an enchanting garden that hosts much of California’s vast botanic diversity. The Regional Parks Botanic Garden—Northern California’s only public garden focused on our state’s native plants—is a center for conservation, research, and public education. Rare and endangered plants from around the state have found a refuge here. And thousands of children and adults alike have walked the garden’s paths, under the spell of our native flora.
Duck! It’s Time for Winter Waterfowl
San Francisco Bay and its surrounding wetlands become a mallard mecca every winter. Mallards come by the thousands to spend the relatively balmy fall and winter months here while their breeding grounds are locked in snow and ice. And they’re … Read more
Bay Area Migrations
Thanks to our mild climate and productive ecosystems, many species of animals (including people) migrate to and through the Bay Area. Winter is a great time to learn about some of them. In the North Bay, on Mare Island in … Read more
Lead Poisoning in California Condors
When California condor number 307 saw biologists capturing other condors at Pinnacles National Monument last summer, she apparently spooked and flew northeast to San Luis Reservoir. By the time she returned three days later, biologists were concerned: Of the ten … Read more