With a little luck we have all found that person, or group of persons, who are regularly game to join, or plan, our outdoor adventures. For me, that friend of almost 30 years, Kristina, is thankfully way more organized than I am when it comes to grabbing reservations for popular events. I have her to thank for snapping up spots last spring on a hike through the Sacramento Valley’s remnant volcano, currently called the Sutter Buttes by most.
The Buttes rise abruptly from the flatlands of the valley to some 2,000 feet, cutting a rocky figure against the horizon. Known for their geology, wildflowers, and cultural history, they are also famously home to a state park surrounded by private land, making them inaccessible to the public. There’s nothing like being unreachable to cultivate fascination, and so it goes with the Buttes. To lift the veil, Bay Nature sent reporter H.R. Smith to this andesite trove to bring back tales of their mystery and geologic drama, along with tips for snagging space on a guided hike.
For those of us leaning into the spontaneous, reservation-free life, this issue recommends other destinations. There’s the reopening of trails in Big Basin State Park, which continues to recover from the 2020 CZU fires in Santa Cruz County. Also, 26 miles of new sloughs in restored wetlands await paddlers at Lookout Slough, north of Rio Vista in Solano County. And if you haven’t already heard, Estero Americano Coast Preserve is at last open. The 547-acre preserve straddles the border of Marin and Sonoma counties where they meet the Pacific, and while parking has been a challenge, we’ve gotten the latest guidance on where to leave your car from the preserve owners, The Wildlands Conservancy.
Also in this issue is a beginner’s primer on “mothing.” Yes, these days mothing is thrown around as a verb, very much like birding. To moth often means “to gather with other moth fans in the evening hours, use UV lights and a sheet to attract moths, and marvel at and identify whatever species show up.” It’s a newish kind of outdoor escapade to convince that friend to try with you. If the enthusiasm of naturalists Cat Chang and Allen Fish, who wrote the article, is a sign, mothing will soon find its way into Merriam-Webster, and you and your adventure crew will have heard it here first.
—Victoria Schlesinger
Editor in chief
