Being a Salamander
In a tiny hollow beneath a log, reflected in my headlamp’s glow, were two gold-flecked black eyes and a dull pinkish snout.
Science and Nature
25 Years of Change
A quarter century of hard work has restored nature to the San Francisco Bay Area in places where it was once unimaginable.
Swimming in the Bay: Winter Clean
Even in winter, Bay water is mostly safe to swim in. It smells good. It tastes fine.
Naturalist’s Notebook: The Rainbow Connection
The poet Keats warned that understanding a rainbow may "unweave" it, robbing it of mystery. John Muir Laws disagrees.
California’s Blackbird
The tricolored blackbird traverses the Golden State with cat calls and friends.
That Time We Reared Spider Babies, and Other Memorable Stories of 2025
Stories that delighted us, enraged us, got us outside, got us thinking.
The Zombees Are Here (And That’s Probably OK)
A parasitic fly was found in San Francisco taking over a honeybee.
Why Is That Woodpecker White?
For years, the author has gathered photographs of local leucistic birds: white (or whitish) woodpeckers, hummingbirds, sparrows, turkeys, bald eagles, and more.
With Dams Removed, Spawning Salmon Are Heading Up Alameda Creek
These chinooks are likely hatchery strays. But they are still an ecosystem boon—and flaming-bright symbols of restoration at work.
Split Verdict Over State of the Estuary
This piece was originally published in KneeDeep Times, a digital magazine featuring stories from the frontlines of climate resilience in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond. The 2025 State of Our Estuary...
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