The Revelator reported
Jeffrey pines shouldn’t be found 12,657 feet up a mountain — but that’s where they’ve turned up recently in California’s Sequoia National Park. And what does their arrival tell us about climate change, forest composition, and California’s fiery future?
Read more at How did they get there?
Posted in Wildflowers and Other Plants | Tags: Jeffrey Pines
See upcoming events at East Bay Regional Parks Botanic Garden at events.
Posted in Garden, Park, Talks, Walks & Hikes | Tags: East Bay Regional Parks Upcoming Activities
SF Gate reported
The Marine Mammal Center announced Wednesday it had documented more than 300 cases this year of domoic acid poisoning in marine mammals. The Sausalito-based organization, which covers 600 miles of California coastline, said it typically only sees 75 to 90 cases per year.
Read more at Toxic algae outbreak poisons over 300 marine mammals in California this year
SF Gate reported
The number of common murres washing ashore in critical condition has alarmed experts. These charcoal-and-white seabirds rarely come to land.
International Bird Rescue has taken in 162 of the penguin look-alikes from Northern California beaches this year, with a notable spike since August. Many are starving.
Read more at Biologists fear the worst as Bay Area seabirds starve
Posted in Birds | Tags: common murres
Berkeleyside reported
The closure, which has been done during the newts’ seasonal migration since the 1980s, allows the salamanders to seek out the higher air moisture levels they favor for breeding.From Nov. 1 through March 31, South Park Drive will be closed to all automotive traffic, and cyclists are asked to proceed slowly and keep an eye out for the little beady-eyed creatures, which usually run 5 to 6 inches long. Dogs should be kept away from the amphibians as California newts are poisonous to pets. Drivers can use the alternative routes of Grizzly Peak Boulevard, Wildcat Canyon Road and Central Park Drive during the five-month closure.
Posted in Drives, Park | Tags: South Park DRive Road Closure, Tilden Park Road Closure
ScienceDaily reported
Scientists think beneficial fungi could help transform nutrient-poor lunar and Martian regolith into a material capable of supporting crops. By helping plants access nutrients and withstand harsh conditions, these microbes could someday make self-sustaining space farming more realistic.
— Read on www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/09/260924020400.htm
Posted in Mushrooms, Wildflowers and Other Plants | Tags: growing plants on Mars
EnviroLink reported
Sightings of the endangered Persian leopard in the Caucasus have been rare over the past 20 years — just three in Georgia and 10 in Armenia. But one leopard in particular has caught the attention of scientists and conservationists. Named Aren, the leopard is presumed to have traveled 240 kilometers (150 miles) through cold, mountainous terrain on only three legs. The region, which spans southern Russia, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan, still contains decades-old minefields left from past conflicts, and it’s believed this is how Aren lost the use of one leg.
Monga Bay reported
Lulingu, a Grauer’s gorilla (Gorilla beringei), was reintroduced to Virunga National Park, in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo in 2024. In May 2026, Lulingu gave birth to a new baby, bringing hope for the species and excitement for the conservationists working there.
Read more at Reintroduced Grauer’s gorilla gives birth in DRC national park, ‘makes us happy’
Posted in Animals | Tags: emocratic Republic of Congo, Gorilla beringei, Grauer’s gorilla, Virunga National Park
SF Gate reported on the sighting of a rare yellow-browed warbler in Moss Beach, California. The bird, which is native to Siberia, was spotted by Marty Freeland, a Stanford University senior who studies ornithology. The sighting attracted hundreds of birders from across the country, who came to see the rare bird in its natural habitat.
Read story and see photo at Hundreds of birders descend on tiny Calif. coastal community for ‘mega rarity’
Posted in Birds | Tags: Rare bird sighting, Yellow-browed warbler
Earth.com reported
Aspen trees respond to past droughts by increasing their chemical defenses against insects, revealing a surprising form of environmental memory.
The leaves a quaking aspen grows the year after a drought carry about a tenth more of the compounds that keep insects from eating them. Those leaves never saw a dry day.
Read more at Aspen trees remember drought and strengthen their defenses a year later
Posted in Uncategorized
ScienceDaily reported
Scientists discovered rare flavoalkaloids in Cannabis leaves for the first time, along with dozens of other phenolic compounds that had never been reported in the plant. The findings suggest that Cannabis leaves, often discarded as waste, may contain a surprisingly rich source of potentially useful chemicals.
— Read on www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/09/260924231711.htm
Posted in Wildflowers and Other Plants | Tags: Cannabis
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
SF Gate reported
Fossils representing at least 4 dinosaur groups were discovered at the Ironstone Bonebed
Earlier this month, paleontologists with the Utah Geological Survey broke ground on a new excavation site in the Utah desert just outside Arches National Park. The land, newly dubbed the Ironstone Bonebed in homage to the rust-red hue of its rocks, sits in an area rife with dinosaur history, and already, it has offered up its first exciting find: a seemingly new species of armored dinosaur.
Read more at Near Arches National Park, a new dinosaur species emerges from the ground
Posted in Animals | Tags: Arches National Park, Dinosaurs, Ironstone Bonebed
SF Gate reported on
River otters, once nearly wiped out by the fur trade, have been spotted at Cloverdale Ranch Open Space Preserve for the first time in over 100 years. Their presence indicates a healthy ecosystem with clean water and abundant food sources, such as coho salmon and steelhead trout. This sighting is a positive sign of the species’ recovery and the preservation of their historic range.
Read more at River otters make comeback at Bay Area ranch for first time in over 100 yea
Posted in Uncategorized | Tags: River Otters
Photographed in the East Bay Regional Parks Botanic Garden in Tilden Park in Berkeley, CA on October 27, 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 in Garden, Photos (Sandy's) | Tags: Regional Park Botanic Garden, Tilden Botanic Garden
See the photos of the winners of the 2026 Natural Landscape Photographer of the Year at https://naturallandscapeawards.com/2026-competition-results-gallery/
Posted in Photography | Tags: Natural Landscape Photographer of the Year
See a list of all active events and virtual events of the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy at Events in the Parks | Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy.
Posted in Park, Talks, Walks & Hikes | Tags: Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy
Anza-Borrego Foundation hosts a variety of events and educational programs, including hikes, botany walks, photography workshops, and more. See the schedule at Events | Anza-Borrego Foundation
Posted in Talks, Walks & Hikes | Tags: Anza-Borrego Foundation Events
from Bay Nature
Pesticides used in common over-the-counter topical tick and flea treatments have been found in Bay Area wastewater effluent at levels that are toxic to aquatic organisms. Free Read »
Posted in Animals | Tags: Pesticides
See upcoming events calendar of hikes and programs at https://www.abdnha.org/calendar1.htm.
See the top 5 Winning Videos of Nikon’s Small Work in Motion competition 2026 on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8rQR5tWlL0
Posted in Animals
East Bay Regional Parks reported
Canada geese collected on Oct. 8 and 12 by Alameda County Vector Control at Crown Memorial State Beach in Alameda have tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), commonly known as bird flu.
Read on www.ebparks.org/about-us/whats-new/news/bird-flu-detected-crown-memorial-state-beach
Posted in Birds, Park | Tags: Bird Flu, Crown Memorial Beach, East Bay Regional Park District
Read about the Great Lake Fish that live the longest.
It lincludes
and more at https://www.worldatlas.com/lakes/the-great-lakes-fish-that-live-longest.html
Posted in Animals | Tags: Great Lake Fish that live the longest
Photographed in the East Bay Regional Parks Botanic Garden in Tilden Park in Berkeley, CA on October 22, 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 in Garden, Photos (Sandy's) | Tags: Regional Park Botanic Garden, Tilden Botanic Garden
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
SF Gate reported
If you visited Yosemite National Park this month, and stayed for at least three days, it is likely that a bear got hit by a motorist during your visit. Since Oct. 1, seven black bears have been struck by vehicles in the park, and four of those collisions were fatal for the animals, National Park Service spokesperson Rebecca Roland told SFGATE by email on Thursday.
Those strikes were on top of 26 that took place from January through September. At 33 bear collisions for 2026 so far, Yosemite has reached a 10-year high, according to National Park Service data, with more than two months left in the year. Conservationists say they are troubled, but not shocked, by the uptick.
Read more at Yosemite National Park’s bears are having a terrible year
Posted in Animals, Park | Tags: Yosemite Bear Collisions
The Guardian reported
The mission of the Flock app is quietly subversive: to encourage users to ditch their screens and explore the wonderful world of birding
Read on www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/08/birds-artist-flock-app-california
Posted in Birds | Tags: Birrd Drawing
The district approved the $175 million deal to turn the racetrack into a park on Wednesday, though several boxes remain to be checked before the sale is final.
Posted in Park | Tags: East Bay Regional Parks, Golden Gate Fields
The Xerces Society is now accepting award applications from students in higher education who are studying invertebrate conservation. More than ever, we need research on declining invertebrate groups that can contribute to their protection. Applications must be submitted by December 1, 2026.
Posted in Butterflies | Tags: Xerces Society
Earth.com reported
Reintroducing bison to Kansas prairies doubled native plant diversity over decades, helping grasslands recover from drought and resist tree growth.
Read more at Bison roughly doubled native plant diversity on a Kansas prairie over 29 years, study finds
Posted in Animals, Environment, Wildflowers and Other Plants | Tags: Bisons Contribution to Diversity
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