The San Francisco Bay Area is bejeweled with hundreds of parks and open space preserves as well as a rich set of laws and policies meant to ensure the survival of vulnerable species and ecosystems. Real people made this happen through a dedicated call to stewardship.

Resources for Healthy Soil

January 1, 2005 •  by

General Information Sources and Websites Bio-Integral Resource Center www.birc.org (510)524-2567 Extensive information resources for least-toxic pest management. California Integrated Waste Management Board www.ciwmb.ca.gov/organics/gardening Information and resources for organic materials management and home gardening, including grasscycling, home composting, and worm composting. … Read more

Soil-Friendly Practices

January 1, 2005 •  by

Organic matter is the most important part of the soil because it is fodder for the many organisms that keep soil alive and elastic. And because it is consumed by these organisms, soil organic matter needs to be replenished. The … Read more

Taking Refuge

January 1, 2005 •  by

At this small, sandy National Wildlife Refuge on the industrial outskirts of Antioch, you’ll find great views of the San Joaquin River, and rare plants and insects that don’t exist anywhere else.

Natural World Museum Exhibit: Anima Mundi

October 1, 2004 •  by

In its debut exhibit, the San Francisco-based nonprofit Natural World Museum (www.naturalworldmuseum.org) presents an exploration of ancient and contemporary environmental art. Called Anima Mundi, Latin for “Soul of the World,” the multimedia exhibition show-cases modern works by renowned wild-life painter … Read more

A Tall Order

October 1, 2004 •  by

There are many factors to consider—from endangered species and sediment deficits to flood control and budget deficits—when you restore 16,500 acres of salt ponds.

Bay Activist: Florence LaRiviere

October 1, 2004 •  by

When Florence LaRiviere heard last year that 16,000 acres of Cargill’s salt ponds had been acquired for restoration, the longtime Bay advocate rejoiced. “This work will start changing the land and the waters back to what they looked like a … Read more

Invitation to a Restoration

October 1, 2004 •  by

Planners designing a strategy for one of the biggest wetlands recovery projects ever undertaken in this country—the South Bay salt pond restoration—want to hear what folks like you and your neighbors have to say about it. You may have ideas … Read more

Refuge Volunteer: Eileen McLaughlin

October 1, 2004 •  by

The baylands’ swampy smells and power lines are distasteful to many. But to Eileen McLaughlin, Don Edwards National Wildlife Refuge was unknown territory to be explored. This energetic woman started volunteering at the refuge in 1998, going out to closed … Read more

Scientist: Howard Shellhammer

October 1, 2004 •  by

Howard Shellhammer is known as the champion of a very rare mouse. A world expert on the endangered salt marsh harvest mouse, the former San Jose State biology professor has studied these diminutive rodents for over four decades, and spoken … Read more

A Modest Majesty

October 1, 2004 •  by

Seventy-five years ago, there were only 900 acres of public parks in the East Bay. Today, the East Bay Regional Park District encompasses over 95,000 acres. From its humble beginnings in the Berkeley hills, the EBRPD has blossomed into the nation’s largest regional park district, making beaches, redwood forests, oak woodlands, tidal wetlands, and so much more, forever accessible to the people of the Bay Area.