Bay Nature reported
How the surprising union between a fungus and an alga raises questions about the nature of identity
Read more at Identifying With Lichen
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 9, 2026
Identifying With Lichen
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 8, 2026
Super Owl Sunday
If the Super Bowl isn’t your cup of tea, our tenth-annual photo collection of superb owls just might be. Take a look at these magnificent birds via @TheAtlPhoto: https://www.theatlantic.com/photography/2026/02/superb-owl-sunday-x/685909/?gift=o1a-uwLOs-opQbBp5XhjHPRQpEJoHivUReIbV55PINI&utm_source=email&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=social
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 8, 2026
‘Crime-Fighting’ Llamas Catch Thief by Surrounding Him in a Field Until Cops Arrive
Good News Network reported
A would-be thief was caught by police after a herd of llamas cornered the suspect in a field until officers could arrive.
Read more at ‘Crime-Fighting’ Llamas Catch Thief by Surrounding Him in a Field Until Cops Arrive
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 8, 2026
Siskiyou Land Trust Upcoming Events
See upcoming events for the Siskiyou Land Trust at Upcoming events
Posted in Walks & Hikes | Tags: Siskiyou Land Trust Upcoming Events
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 7, 2026
Regional Parks Botanic Garden Photos 2/3/26
Photographed in the East Bay Regional Parks Botanic Garden in Tilden Park in Berkeley, CA on February 6, 2026.
The Regional Parks Botanic Garden is a California native plant garden. It is located within Tilden Park in the hills above Berkeley, California, It is a 10-acre garden includes many of the state’s rare and endangered plants and a place for visitors to wander among trees, shrubs, flowers, and grasses from plant communities throughout the state. There are free weekend and holiday tours. Admission and parking are free. For more information about the garden visit the Friends of the Regional Parks Botanic Garden.
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 7, 2026
Over 10,000 Chinook salmon return to California river to spawn
SF Gate reported
Over 10,500 Chinook salmon swam from the Pacific Ocean into the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to reach their spawning grounds in the Mokelumne River last fall. The salmon’s return helped the East Bay Municipal Utility District’s fish hatchery in the Sierra Nevada foothills reach its yearly goal of collecting and fertilizing 7.5 million salmon eggs, the agency announced last week.
Their numbers “represent a healthy count for natural spawning in the river,” EBMUD wrote.
Read more Over 10,000 Chinook salmon return to California river to spawn
Posted in Animals | Tags: Chinook salmon, Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 6, 2026
Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy Upcoming Events
See all Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy Upcoming Events at see all upcoming events
Posted in Park | Tags: Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy Events
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 6, 2026
An iconic species is vanishing from Glacier National Park
SF Gate reported
Mountain goat populations in Glacier National Park have plummeted sharply in recent years, according to new research on the iconic species that lives in the park’s mountainous terrain.
Read more An iconic species is vanishing from Glacier National Park
Posted in Animals, Park | Tags: Glacier National Park, Mountain Goats
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 6, 2026
Elusive carnivore, once thought to be extinct, spotted by remote trail cameras in California
CBS News reported
Researchers at Oregon State University have collected new data about an elusive forest carnivore “renowned for its cuteness” that was nearly driven to extinction in the 20th century.
The coastal marten, also known as the Humboldt marten, is about the size of a ferret and lives in coastal forests. Only four isolated populations of the species still exist, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Two colonies live in northwestern California. Another two live in western Oregon.
Read more at Elusive carnivore, once thought to be extinct, spotted by remote trail cameras in California
Posted in Animals | Tags: Coastal Marten, Humboldt Marten
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 6, 2026
More Than 50,000 Sea Otters Recovering Along The Pacific Coast Are Controlling Urchins, Saving Kelp Forests And Capturing Carbon
A few decades ago, this coastline was on the verge of becoming a rocky desert, stripped bare by sea urchins. Today, more than 50,000 sea otters have quietly staged a comeback along the Pacific, from California up through British Columbia and Alaska. They’re doing something no climate summit, no glossy report, can do alone.
They’re eating their way into being climate allies. And the numbers suddenly start to matter.
Read more Saving Kelp Forests And Capturing Carbon
Posted in Animals | Tags: Kelp Forests, Sea Otters
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 5, 2026
Los Padres ForestWatch Upcoming Events
See Upcoming Los Padres ForestWatch Upcoming Events at Home | Los Padres ForestWatch
Posted in Birds, Talks | Tags: Los Padres ForestWatch Upcoming Events
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 5, 2026
Photos From Redwood Forest Explorations
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 5, 2026
Breakthrough lets scientists watch plants breathe in real time
ScienceDaily reported
Scientists have created a new way to watch plants breathe—live and in high definition—while tracking exactly how much carbon and water they exchange with the air. The breakthrough could help unlock crops that grow smarter, stronger, and more drought-resistant.Read more Breakthrough lets scientists watch plants breathe in real time | ScienceDaily
Posted in Wildflowers and Other Plants | Tags: How plants breathe
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 4, 2026
Friends of Inyo Upcoming Events
See upcoming events from the Friends of Inyo at Friends of Inyo Events
Posted in Uncategorized, Walks & Hikes | Tags: Friends of INyo
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 4, 2026
East Bay Regional Parks Upcoming Events
See the calendar of upcoming events for the East Bay Regional Parks at https://www.ebparks.org/calendar
Posted in Park, Walks & Hikes | Tags: East Bay Regional Parks
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 4, 2026
Nearly one million salmon released into California rice fields to aid survival and growth
krctv reported
Nearly one million young salmon are being released this week into flooded rice fields near the Yolo Bypass. The project is a partnership with stakeholders from
Posted in Animals, Environment | Tags: Salmon
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 4, 2026
Rapid expansion of ring-necked parakeets in UK sparks concern
The Guardian reported
Bird organisations say more research on the species needed to control impact on other wildlife.
In the past 20 years, the soundscape in the ancient wild, rolling landscape of Richmond Park has been transformed. Once you would have heard the chirrup of the stonechat, the chirp of the great spotted woodpecker or the song of the skylark. Today, the auditory power of one bird dominates.
The bright green ring-necked parakeet increased 25-fold from 1994-2023 in the UK.
Read more Rapid expansion of ring-necked parakeets in UK sparks concern
Posted in Birds | Tags: Ring-necked parakeets
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 3, 2026
Anza-Borrego Desert Natural History Association Upcoming Events
See upcoming events calendar of hikes and programs at https://www.abdnha.org/calendar1.htm.
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 3, 2026
Over 2,200 miles of Calif. dirt roads closed to protect desert tortoise
SF Gate reported
Off-roading is now off-limits on routes spanning 1 million acres of the western Mojave Desert after a six-year legal battle over whether adding thousands of miles of new dirt roads would harm the desert tortoise.
Read more Over 2,200 miles of Calif. dirt roads closed to protect desert tortoise
Posted in Animals, Desert | Tags: Desert Tortoise, Mojave Desert
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 3, 2026
California wildlife officials quietly shift on killing a high-profile predator
Phys.org
In a move that reverses nearly a decade of practice, California wildlife officials have quietly begun to allow killing mountain lions in order to protect another iconic native—bighorn sheep.
Read more California wildlife officials quietly shift on killing a high-profile predator
Posted in Animals | Tags: Big Horn Sheep, Mountain LIons
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 2, 2026
Upcoming CNPS Events
See the calendar of upcoming events of the California Native Plants Society at https://www.cnps.org/events
Posted in Talks | Tags: Upcoming CNPS Events
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 2, 2026
US judge allows last of five offshore wind projects halted by Trump to proceed
The Guardian reported
All five offshore wind projects halted by the Trump administration in December can resume construction after a federal judge’s ruling on Monday that cleared Denmark’s Ørsted to proceed with its Sunrise Wind project off the coast of New York.
Read more US judge allows last of five offshore wind projects halted by Trump to proceed
Posted in Environment | Tags: Wind power
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 2, 2026
Over 2,000 acres of Bay Area land preserved for $23M
SF Gate reported
The Peninsula Open Space Trust has purchased 2,284 acres of Sargent Ranch near the southern border of Santa Clara County along Highway 101, marking the largest land deal in the 49-year-old nonprofit’s history. The $23 million acquisition is the latest of three properties the trust has secured in its overarching goal to permanently conserve the entire 6,500-acre ranch that was once slated for commercial development as a quarry. It’s also one of the largest pieces of undeveloped private property in the South Bay.
Read more Over 2,000 acres of Bay Area land preserved for $23M
Posted in Park | Tags: Peninsula Open Space Trust land acquisition, Sargent Ranch
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 2, 2026
Theodore Payne Foundation Upcoming Events
Theodore Payne Foundation inspires and educates Southern Californians about the beauty and ecological benefits of California native plant landscapes.We are located on 22 acres of canyon land in the northeast corner of the San Fernando Valley. Our full-service native plant nursery, seed room, book store, art gallery, demonstration gardens, and hiking trails are open to the public year round. We offer garden tours and classes for adults and families, as well as field trips to TPF and in-classroom programs for children. Friendly on-leash dogs are welcome and there is no admission charge!
See upcoming events at Theodore Payne Foundation Events – Upcoming Activities and Tickets | Eventbrite
Posted in Class/Workshop | Tags: Theodore Payne Foundation Upcoming Events
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 2, 2026
City bird beaks adapted quickly during COVID-19, research reveals
Bird Guides
Beak shapes in some common urban birds appear to have changed rapidly during the COVID‑19 pandemic, according to a new study.
This suggests that sudden shifts in food availability and human disturbance may have driven short‑term evolutionary responses.
Researchers examined museum specimens and live birds from several city populations in the United States, comparing beak morphology before, during and after the pandemic lockdowns that dramatically altered urban environments.
Read more City bird beaks adapted quickly during COVID-19, research reveals
Posted in Birds | Tags: Short‑term evolutionary responses
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 1, 2026
Upcoming CNPS Events
See the calendar of upcoming events of the California Native Plants Society at https://www.cnps.org/events
Posted in Talks | Tags: Upcoming CNPS Events
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 1, 2026
Regional Parks Botanic Garden Photos 1/31/26
Photographed in the East Bay Regional Parks Botanic Garden in Tilden Park in Berkeley, CA on January 31, 2026.
The Regional Parks Botanic Garden is a California native plant garden. It is located within Tilden Park in the hills above Berkeley, California, It is a 10-acre garden includes many of the state’s rare and endangered plants and a place for visitors to wander among trees, shrubs, flowers, and grasses from plant communities throughout the state. There are free weekend and holiday tours. Admission and parking are free. For more information about the garden visit the Friends of the Regional Parks Botanic Garden.
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 1, 2026
Magnolia cambelllii at UC Berkeley Botanical Garden
Magnolia cambelllii
Magnolia cambelllii
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 1, 2026
A “super-tusker” elephant named Craig has died — of natural causes. That’s a good sign for elephant conservatio
Monga Bay reports
- The death of Craig, a widely known super tusker from Amboseli, drew attention not just because of his fame, but because he lived long enough to die of natural causes in a period when elephants with tusks like his are rarely spared.
- Craig’s life reflected decades of sustained protection in Kenya, where anti-poaching efforts and community stewardship have allowed some elephant populations to stabilize or grow after catastrophic losses in the late 20th century.
- His passing is also a reminder of what has been lost: Africa’s elephant population fell from about 1.3 million in 1979 to roughly 400,000 today, with forest elephants in particular still in steep decline.
- There are signs of cautious progress, including slowing demand for ivory and stronger legal protections, but continued habitat loss means that survival, even for the most protected elephants, remains uncertain.
Read more at What Craig’s long life reveals about elephant conservation
Posted in Birds | Tags: Craig the Elephant, Super Tusker
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 1, 2026
Pumas in Patagonia started feasting on penguins — but now they’re behaving strangely, a new study finds
LIve Science
Pumas in Patagonia are preying on penguins — and it’s changing how the big cats interact with each other.
The pumas in question reestablished themselves in an Argentinian national park that housed a penguin breeding colony — and the cats promptly began eating the birds. Now, it turns out the normally solitary cats that eat the penguins are tolerating each other more often than expected, new research published Wednesday (Dec. 17) in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B reports.
Read more at Pumas in Patagonia started feasting on penguins — but now they’re behaving strangely, a new study finds
Posted in Animals | Tags: Pumas Prey ON Penguins
Natural History Wanderings 