Sailing the Salt Line
Carquinez Strait is where Sierra snow meets the San Francisco Bay, but the line of engagement between fresh and salt water is always moving.
Wildlife
Summer 2024 Almanac: Meteors, Tree Fog, and Katydid Romance
Some happenings enigmatic or unnoticed—and some that can't be unseen.
Like Top Gun, But With Falcons, and On Alcatraz
Our first sign of falcon presence is a lone pigeon feather that floats down like a sinister snowflake from the top of the Alcatraz lighthouse, the highest point on the island. “I bet that top walkway is just littered with … Read more
The Tussle Between A Beetle and its Shrub
Look closely on a spring day, and you will find an emerald gleam on ubiquitous coyote brush.
Spring 2024 Almanac: Kingfishers, Sycamores, and Sea Hares
Words by Bay Nature staff; illustrations by Jane Kim. This year’s spotlight: The night sky. (Illustration by Jane Kim) Night sky: Zodiacal light Find a location free of artificial light, like the Point Reyes National Seashore, with a clear view … Read more
There’s a New Blue Flitting on Xerces’ Old Turf
The Xerces blue, long gone from San Francisco, became a symbol of the fight against extinctions. Now scientists are sending in a replacement to the dunes of the Presidio. Will it take?
Snake Fungal Disease Is Spreading in California. What Can We Do?
As statewide funding for disease surveillance runs out this year, here’s what to look out for—and how to be a friend to your local snakes.
A Rare Closeup on the Delta Green Ground Beetle, a Predator of the Pools
The quarter-inch-long, brilliantly colored Delta green ground beetle is "still a bit of a mystery," even to experts.
Scientists Look to a Rare Butterfly’s Next of Kin
Maybe we can save the Lange’s metalmark. Or maybe there’s a stand-in, waiting in the wings?
