Urban Walks
During the rainy months, when trails often become too muddy for easy walking, consider taking an urban hike. In San Francisco, a new edition of Stairway Walks in San Francisco...
Science and Nature
Fluke or Fixture
An increasing number of gray whales have been spotted in San Francisco Bay in recent years. Why are these aquatic giants venturing here now in greater numbers? Are they temporary...
Creating a Creekside Haven
When she gets out of the shower in the morning, Sue LaTourrette might find herself standing 10 feet from a great egret. “We live on a creek,” she says, “so...
Drawing with a Local Palette
If not for an unassuming wire fence, you might mistake Judith Larner Lowry’s garden for one of nature’s own. The tall wooden gate resists slightly, then yields, permitting the visitor...
Starting with the Oaks
A winding path through Kathy Welch’s garden leads to an oak grove. Photo by Saxon Holt. Kathy Welch had already begun to consider renovating her yard in the Oakland hills...
What’s the Buzz? Native Bees!
They don't live in colonies, they rarely sting, and—if you plant natives—you might find some in your own backyard.
Rooted in History
Once a major crossroads for the Coast Miwok, and briefly a home for the Grateful Dead, Rancho Olompali now sits quietly beside Highway 101 north of Novato. But follow its...
Whaling from San Francisco Bay
Though whales were never hunted in San Francisco Bay itself, the whaling industry had a long presence here. Beginning in the 1830s, whaling ships of British and New England–based fleets...
Red-Legged Frog Protected Near Morgan Territory
The federally listed California red-legged frog received some good news recently: A portion of its riparian habitat—shaded by many old sycamore, oak, and bay trees—won’t be developed, thanks to Save...
Sudden Oak Death Update, Oak Art Benefit
The aggressive pathogen Phytophthora ramorum that causes Sudden Oak Death (SOD) continues to spread, adversely affecting more and more oak trees in the Bay Area and throughout the west. This...
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