Grunion

October 1, 2007 •  by

Most summers, cold northerly winds off the Pacific Coast drive warm surface waters away from the shoreline and churn up colder, nutrient-rich waters from below. But this year, for reasons scientists don’t understand, that wind lacked its usual punch, resulting … Read more

Finding the Stash

October 1, 2007 •  by

From the snowdrifts of Siberia to the labs of UC Davis, assistant research professor Vladimir Pravosudov has studied the food-caching behavior of various birds, including Russian birds that cache up to half a million items in one year. Born in … Read more

At Home with the Packrats

October 1, 2007 •  by

What’s that pile of sticks over there? It could be the home of a dusky-footed woodrat. If you could see inside, you’d find a tidy little home complete with bedrooms, a pantry, and even a few latrines!

Book Review: Birds of Napa County

October 1, 2007 •  by

Birds of Napa County, by Herman Heinzel, Heyday Books, 2006, 132 pages, $12.95 www.heydaybooks.com The common image of Napa County is a world of wine, fine cuisine, and row upon row of grapevines. But Herman Heinzel’s Birds of Napa County … Read more

Book Review: Califauna: A Literary Field Guide

October 1, 2007 •  by

Califauna: A Literary Field Guide, edited by Terry Beers and Emily Elrod, Heyday Books, 2007, 293 pages, $21.95 www.heydaybooks.com The bookworm interested in a true literary field guide to California wildlife need look no further than Califauna. Part anthology, part … Read more

Diving into Our Ocean Sanctuaries

October 1, 2007 •  by

While living for a while on the Monterey Peninsula, I found myself drawn time and again from the cafes and shops of Pacific Grove down to the waters of Monterey Bay. Sometimes I would just sit on a bench and look for sea otters resting and feeding their pups in the undulating kelp beds. My time in Monterey was a small but privileged window into the wonderful diversity that makes the central coast of California one of the richest marine ecosystems in the world…

Making Waves for a Healthy Ocean

October 1, 2007 •  by

When I stand on San Francisco’s Ocean Beach and look west, it’s difficult for me to comprehend that we humans can have any impact of consequence on a body of water that is so vast, let alone impacts that are … Read more