Exploring Nature in the San Francisco Bay Area
Big Basin State Park is not the lush, shady ancient forest it once was. In August 2020, 97 percent of the old-growth forest nestled in the heart of the Santa Cruz Mountains burned in the devastating CZU Lightning Complex fire. Eighteen thousand acres burned, and the iconic park visitors center, lodge, staff homes, and other…
San Francisco Presidio: 4.2 mi, 351 ft elevation gain
The Presidio in San Francisco. Trail: 4.2 mi, 351 ft elevation gain, loop
Nine of the 20 largest wildfires in California in the last 110 years were started by lightning strikes, including the devastating Lightning Complex fires in August 2020 that burned more than 750,000 acres in and around the Bay Area. Between 2017 and 2021, Northern California has witnessed 2,093 lightning-induced wildfires. And research now suggests that…
What are some of the first things I should look for when tracking animals? —Nick in Fremont I used to think I was a good tracker. I even taught classes, but the more I learned about tracking, the more I came to realize I didn’t know scat. However, Nick, one of my first tracking lessons…
For urban butterfly habitats, more is more.
Independent, nonprofit environmental journalism connecting people with nature in the San Francisco Bay Area.
