The Essential Tree
It's almost impossible to imagine the California landscape without oak woodlands. But this most familiar and prolific habitat faces a number of serious threats, including unchecked suburban development and Sudden...
Wildlife
Four Threats to a Healthy Bay
Habitat Loss On the fringes of the Bay lie the varied wetlands that feed and shelter the Bay’s wildlife. Chinook salmon, white croaker, and northern pintails feed in the shallow...
Toward A Healthy Bay
In the 40 years since the movement to save San Francisco Bay began, we have moved from desperately fending off more bay fill projects to proactively restoring thousands of acres...
Great White Shark Diving
While most beachgoers or surfers in Northern California would prefer never to meet up with great white sharks, some folks are actually paying big bucks for the privilege of such...
Update: Sea Otter Census Numbers Rise
Since our story went to press, there’s been some good news for the Southern Sea Otter: census numbers for the California population soared by 17 percent since last year. More...
Southern Resident Killer Whale in Monterey Bay
A funny thing happened in 2000. And again in 2003. For the first and second time in recorded history, a southern resident killer whale entered the waters of Monterey Bay....
West Nile Virus
Amid predictions that the West Nile virus will reach the Bay Area some time this summer, local health and pest control authorities are keeping a sharp eye out for mosquitoes...
Eye to Eye with Otters
Dubbed the cosmic center of the universe by locals, Elkhorn Slough is one of the richest wetlands along the California coast, a magnet for wildlife and humans alike. And the...
Do mockingbirds have their own specific song or are they mimicking other birds’ songs?
Northern mockingbirds, year-round residents of the Bay Area (having expanded their breeding range here after the arrival of European settlers), each develop their own songs. Similar to those of other...
Why is Autumn a Good Time to See Raptors in the Bay Area? Where is Best?
For many birds, autumn is a flurry of eating and movement to find stuff to eat, before winter sets in. The same is true for raptors and their prey. In...
