They don’t live in colonies, they rarely sting, and—if you plant natives—you might find some in your own backyard.
.jpg)
What’s the Buzz? Native Bees!
January 1, 2003 •
Wildlife
Sonar Testing and Gray Whales
January 1, 2003 •
In mid-November, a federal judge gave the U.S. Navy permission to test its Low-Frequency Array (LFA) sonar in the western Pacific Ocean. The system transmits sounds up to 215 decibels, approximately equivalent to the noise of an F-15 fighter jet … Read more
Book Review: Birding at the Bottom of the Bay
October 1, 2002 •
by the members of the Santa Clara Audubon Society Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society, 2002 152 pages, $14.50 This little book, which describes 54 promising spots for bird-watching in Santa Clara County, is a great tool that is unique in … Read more
Book Review: Inland Fishes of California
October 1, 2002 •
by Peter Moyle University of California Press, 2002 502 pages, $70 In this revision of his 1976 classic, biologist Peter Moyle has once again collected in one place the information available on California’s inland fishes and created a masterful snapshot … Read more
-150x150.jpg)
The Call of the Rails
October 1, 2002 •
The Bay Trail through the Palo Alto Baylands is among the best places to see the endangered California clapper rail and multitudes of other shorebirds.
Salt Ponds Restoration Report
July 1, 2002 •
As you have probably heard, 16,500 acres of salt ponds in southern San Francisco Bay will soon be purchased from Cargill Salt and handed over to the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge. This historic purchase, funded by … Read more
-150x150.jpg)
The Raven Returns
July 1, 2002 •
Considered one of the smartest and most adaptable birds in the sky, ravens are as comfortable dining on garbage as on endangered snowy plovers. After dwindling for decades, raven populations have rebounded throughout the Bay Area, bringing with them a touch of wildness to our urban lives.
Why are Banana Slugs so Slimy?
July 1, 2002 •
Back when I used to teach children about nature, I often relied on a “hook” to keep them focused. Slapping myself with stinging nettle was a great attention grabber, but banana slugs worked just as well and didn’t hurt as … Read more
Learning More About Ravens
July 1, 2002 •
To learn more about ravens, you might first dive into a field guide—Audubon, Golden, Peterson, Sibley, among others. In addition to a clear, concise description of your bird in question, most field guides will point to distinguishing features (in the … Read more
-150x150.jpg)
A Leap of Faith
April 1, 2002 •
After moving to Berkeley from Mendocino County, writer David Wallace found that he missed the springtime serenades of his local amphibians. So the dug a small pond in his backyard to see if he could get a few frogs to breed there. It turns out that despite the very real threats posed by pollution and sprawl, the Bay Area’s native frogs are remarkably resilient survivors.