California Shrub Book
University of California Press natural history guides are always welcome additions to a nature lover’s library, and the newest in the series is no exception. Trees and Shrubs of California,...
Science and Nature
Exhibit on Russia’s Great Voyages
At the California Academy of Sciences’ new exhibit, “Russia’s Great Voyages to America: Science Under Sail 1728-1867,” viewers get a firsthand look at thousands of animal and plant specimens, artifacts,...
Fall Birding
Every year—fall to spring—the Bay Area plays host to millions of birds, some wintering over, others migrating through. Three of the area’s experienced birders offered to share with Bay Nature...
What’s the difference between bird songs and bird calls?
Q: What’s the difference between bird songs and bird calls? [L.R., Santa Clara A: Bird song, usually produced by the male, is an advertisement of territory and breeding availability, and,...
Gulf of the Farallones Marine Sanctuary 20th Anniversary
Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary (GFNMS) celebrates its 20th anniversary on October 13 at the GFNMS Visitor Center, at Crissy Field in San Francisco’s Presidio. The festival includes...
Goat Rock State Beach
The Pacific Coast north of San Francisco is justly renowned for its scenic beauty. It is also geology writ large, where evidence of powerful forces still at work on our...
Mastadons in Our Midst
The Blackhawk Quarry in Danville points to a time, nine million years ago, when the Bay Area was inhabited by elephant-like browsers, herds of three-toed horses, packs of bone-crunching dogs,...
California Quail Named Official Bird of City of San Francisco
Best known for its topknot and characteristic call—”chi-ca-go”—our state bird, the California quail, was recently named “Official Bird of the City of San Francisco.” Once abundant and an important food...
Shadows in Flight
Rarely seen and, until recently, poorly understood, bats are a significant component of the Bay Area's natural environment. Now, researchers are filling in the gaps by studying several of the...
Taxonomy 101
Over 200 years ago, Swedish naturalist Karl von Linne (or, as he Latinized the name, Carolus Linneaus) devised a system for classifying all living things based on anatomical structures. Although...
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