Exploring Nature in the San Francisco Bay Area

  • Black Bears Buck the Trend, Thrive in California

    Black Bears Buck the Trend, Thrive in California

    In an unusual reversal of most wildlife trends, the black bear population is at an all time high and occupies a greater range in California today than it did before the Gold Rush. At that time the state was home to both black bears and the California grizzly, which seemingly dominated every local ecological niche.

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  • “Nature Belongs in Our Cities”

    “Nature Belongs in Our Cities”

    Ruth Gravanis is a long-time advocate for the protection and restoration of San Francisco’s natural ecosystems. In her efforts to preserve these precious remnants, she has volunteered countless hours with many organizations, from the Friends of Candlestick Point, to the Sierra Club to Nature in the City. She’s currently advocating for the rich and varied…

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  • From Loving Land to Saving It

    From Loving Land to Saving It

    Not everyone can say they had a hand in preserving 30,000 acres of parkland. But longtime Bay Area resident Janet Santos Cobb can. Cobb helped pass a landmark East Bay park bond in 1988, and she’s been fighting for wildlands and wildlife ever since.

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  • This Weekend: Get Dirty, Clean Up

    This Weekend: Get Dirty, Clean Up

    After a summer spent watching our nation scramble to clean up one of history’s largest oil spills, it seems like an especially good time to get our own hands dirty working to protect our nation’s fragile natural resources. Call it fate or coincidence then that both Coastal Cleanup Day and National Public Lands Day take…

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  • Park(ing) Day Highlights Need for Urban Green Space

    Park(ing) Day Highlights Need for Urban Green Space

    Parking spaces are precious commodities in downtown San Francisco and San Jose, but this Friday dozens of groups will be using these spots not to park but as parks. Artists and citizens use metered parking spaces to set up small, often movable parks for people to enjoy–as long as the meter runs.

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  • Berkeley Puma Caught at the Intersection of Habitat and Humanity

    Berkeley Puma Caught at the Intersection of Habitat and Humanity

    When a mountain lion showed up at 3 a.m. on Shattuck Avenue in Berkeley, things weren’t going to end well for that lion. Statewide, though, many times more lions die on the road or for killing domestic animals. On Wednesday, September 15, community members and puma researchers will get a chance to talk it all…

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