Exploring Nature in the San Francisco Bay Area

  • Butterflies, Pelicans, and Bobcats at Point Reyes

    Butterflies, Pelicans, and Bobcats at Point Reyes

    As part of his Point Reyes Walkabout, Jules Evens covers 10 miles on the Estero Trail, spots a bobcat, and logs a record-early sighting of a common butterfly, possibly thanks to climate change.

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  • Legislating for nature

    Legislating for nature

    Berkeley Assemblymember Nancy Skinner muses about an early internship gathering park data, how local governments are leading the world on environmental issues, and why she wants to make reflective roofs as popular as recycling.

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  • Presidio’s forest resists the sands of time

    Presidio’s forest resists the sands of time

    The Presidio in San Francisco is a forested oasis, home to around 300 bird species. But once upon a time, the park was coastal dunes with nutrient-poor, shifting soils. Just how the Presidio was transformed is a story of one man’s grand ambitions that are still playing out today, as stewards of the Presidio struggle…

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  • EMS for injured wildlife

    EMS for injured wildlife

    Stunned bobcats, entangled geese, sea-foamed birds – sound like the makings of a horror film? These are just a few of the creatures given a new chance at life by WildRescue, a Bay Area organization that delivers wildlife in distress to animal health clinics.

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  • Let It Rain: Two Short Strolls at Point Reyes

    Let It Rain: Two Short Strolls at Point Reyes

    Now that the winter rains have finally found us here along the central California coast, my attention focuses on finding weather windows for walks in the wild. During a gentle shower, or a just after a stormy squall, the forests and fields are freshened and it’s a fine time to take to the trail.

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  • Images of activism

    Images of activism

    Petaluma photographer Scott Hess never shied from a debate about conservation. He’s hiked, admittedly illicitly, around Lafferty Ranch to reveal the property’s hidden beauty, and once snapped pinups of “ecobabes” for a calendar on climate change. In this Q&A, Hess explains how his activism and photography intersect, and the pitfalls of doing what you love…

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