Friends of California Condors Wild and Free Upcoming Events at Events | Friends of California Condors Wild and Free
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 25, 2026
Friends of California Condors Wild and Free Upcoming Events
Posted in Uncategorized
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 25, 2026
Regional Parks Botanic Garden Photos 2/23/26
Photographed in the East Bay Regional Parks Botanic Garden in Tilden Park in Berkeley, CA on February 23, 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 25, 2026
Colorado Begins Planning Return of Wolverine Across its Parks, Absent for More Than 100 Years
Colorado wildlife authorities have introduced a plan to reintroduce the wolverine, one of the largest members of the weasel family, back into the state where it’s been absent for a century.
— Read on www.goodnewsnetwork.org/colorado-begins-planning-return-of-wolverine-across-its-parks-absent-for-more-than-100-years/
Posted in Animals | Tags: Colorado Wolverine Reintroduction
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 24, 2026
Purchase of contentious 153-acre property permanently expands Big Basin Redwoods State Park
SF Gate reported
Big Basin Redwoods State Park in the Santa Cruz Mountains, the oldest state park in California, is now 153 acres larger, thanks to the $2.415 million purchase of a storied nearby property.
NoraBella, or “the Gateway to Big Basin,” was purchased by California State Parks from the conservation nonprofit Sempervirens Fund and permanently added to Big Basin’s now 18,376 acres, California State Parks announced on Thursday. The property borders Saddle Mountain at the park’s eastern entrance, and features creeks, waterfalls, canyons and a diverse forest habitat home to gray foxes and mountain lions.
Read more Purchase of contentious 153-acre property permanently expands Big Basin Redwoods State Park
Posted in Park | Tags: Big Basin State Park, NoraBella
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 24, 2026
Numbers of Rare Butterfly Eggs are Best on Record After Hedges are Allowed to Grow Wild
Numbers of rare butterfly eggs have skyrocketed in Wales after landowners let their hedgerows grow wild to help the Brown Hairstreak survive.
— Read on www.goodnewsnetwork.org/numbers-of-rare-butterfly-eggs-are-best-on-record-after-hedges-allowed-to-grow-wild/
Posted in Butterflies, Wildflowers and Other Plants | Tags: Butterflies and Hedges, Habitat
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 23, 2026
Newly discovered dinosaur species was a fish-eater with a huge horn
NPR reported
A newly discovered species of large dinosaur lived in marshy areas, hunted for fish and had an impressive horn protruding from its skull. It is the first time in over 100 years that scientists have discovered a new species of Spinosaurus dinosaurs, which are large fish-eating predators that first emerged during the Jurassic period more than 140 million years ago.
Read more at New Spinosaurus species had a massive head crest
Posted in Animals | Tags: New Species, Spinosaurus dinosaurs
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 23, 2026
Restoration efforts spark remarkable comeback for coho salmon on Mendocino Coast
The Mendocino Voice reported
After decades of decline, endangered coho salmon have returned to the coast in numbers that more than double the targets set by habitat restoration projects. In 2008, just 5,000 coho were estimated across the entire state, one percent of their historic numbers; over the winter of 2024-25, more than 30,000 were counted in Mendocino County alone, showing that recovery is possible. Conservationists say that while it’s still too early to tell what this season’s numbers might be, it’s looking promising for another good year.
Read more Restoration efforts spark remarkable comeback for coho salmon on Mendocino CoastRestoration efforts spark remarkable comeback for coho salmon on Mendocino Coast
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 22, 2026
Regional Parks Botanic Garden Photos 2/22/26
Photographed in the East Bay Regional Parks Botanic Garden in Tilden Park in Berkeley, CA on February 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 by: Sandy Steinman | February 22, 2026
Upcoming UC Berkeley Botanical Garden Events
See the events calendar for the UC Berkeley Botanical Garden at Garden Events
Posted in Class/Workshop, Garden | Tags: UC Berkeley Botanical Garden Events
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 22, 2026
Sea lions make a home in Sacramento instead of near ocean, here’s why – YouTube
Officials discuss why Sea lions are making a home in Sacramento instead of by the ocean.
Watch on www.youtube.com/watch
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 21, 2026
Unknown Species Discovered In Great Salt Lake
Earth.com reported
A tiny roundworm living in Utah’s Great Salt Lake has now been confirmed as a species never before described by science.
Researchers say its ability to survive in the lake’s extreme salt levels not only expands what scientists know can live there, but also raises new questions about how it arrived and what role it plays in a fragile, bird-supporting ecosystem.
Posted in Animals | Tags: Diplolaimelloides woaabi, New Speciers
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 21, 2026
Pesticides may drastically shorten fish lifespans, study finds
The Guardian reported
The lifespan of fish appears to be drastically reduced by pesticides, a study has found.
Even low levels of common agricultural pesticides can stunt the long-term lifespan of fish, according to research led by Jason Rohr, a biologist at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana.
Read more at Pesticides may drastically shorten fish lifespans, study finds
Posted in Animals, Environment | Tags: Impact Pesticides on Fish
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 20, 2026
Superintendent closes Yosemite National Park for safety reasons
SF Gate reported
Yosemite National Park has closed to visitors due to the impacts of a powerful winter storm, which has dumped copious amounts of snow over the park and caused trees to topple around Yosemite Valley and over park roads.
Superintendent Raymond McPadden officially closed the park Thursday afternoon, citing “high snow loading, multiple road closures into and within the park due to heavy snowfall, on-going tree and limb failures, and potential avalanche conditions” in a safety closure notice reviewed by SFGATE. “The closed area includes the entire park,” the notice reads.
Read more Superintendent closes Yosemite National Park for safety reasons
Posted in Park | Tags: Yosemite Closure
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 20, 2026
Tejon Conservancy Events
See the calendar of events for theTejon Conservancy at www.tejonconservancy.org/calendar
Posted in Walks & Hikes | Tags: Tejon Ranch Event
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 20, 2026
San Francisco coyote swims to Alcatraz for first time ever
SF Gate reported
It was a late Sunday afternoon like any other on San Francisco’s Alcatraz Island. The day was winding down, and Aidan Moore, a guest relations employee for Alcatraz City Cruises, was at the dock of the tourist attraction helping visitors disembark. Suddenly, one of the tourists approached him, wide-eyed: They had just seen a coyote swimming to shore, something that has never been recorded before.
Read more at San Francisco coyote swims to Alcatraz for first time ever
Posted in Uncategorized
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 19, 2026
National parks remove reservation systems despite crowds
SF Gate reported
In 2026, busy national parks, including Arches, Glacier and Yosemite, will be doing away with reservation systems that for years have helped control crowds, the National Park Service announced on Wednesday.
Read more National parks remove reservation systems despite crowds
National Park News Release National Park Service Expands Access for Summer 2026 While Maintaining Safety at High-Visitation Parks
Posted in Uncategorized | Tags: National Park Reservations
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 19, 2026
Severe wildfires threaten 30% of bird diversity hotspots in the West
Earth.com reported
A new study warns that some of the richest bird areas in the western United States could be hit hard by future high-severity wildfires, the kind that kill most trees and can permanently change forests.
Researchers estimate that roughly a quarter to nearly a third of bird diversity hotspots in the region fall in areas expected to burn at high severity in the future, putting important habitats and the species that depend on them at risk.
Read more Severe wildfires threaten 30% of bird diversity hotspots in the West – Earth.com
Posted in Birds, Environment
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 19, 2026
Surprising discovery made about the nectar of carnivorous pitcher plants
Earth.com reported
New analyses show that Nepenthes khasiana, a carnivorous pitcher plant from northeast India, loads its nectar with a nerve-disabling chemical that quickly incapacitates ants and other insect pollinators.
Read more at Surprising discovery made about the nectar of carnivorous pitcher plants
Posted in Wildflowers and Other Plants | Tags: Nepenthes khasiana
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 18, 2026
Yellowstone’s apex predator seen emerging from hibernation incredibly early
SF Gate reported
Visitors spotted a grizzly bear that was awake earlier than usual in Yellowstone.
Posted in Park | Tags: Yellowstone Grizzly Bears
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 18, 2026
Plant species that was presumed to be extinct reappears after nearly six decades
The Independent reported
Small Australian shrub with delicate pink and purple flowers was found thanks to a popular plant ID ap
A plant thought to be extinct has been rediscovered in northern Queensland after 58 years, with the help of a community-driven species identification smartphone app.
Ptilotus senarius, which belongs to a family of flowering plants called Amaranthaceae, is a small, slender shrub endemic to the dry regions of Western Australia.
It was last recorded to have been seen in 1967.
Read more Plant species that was presumed to be extinct reappears after nearly six decades
Posted in Wildflowers and Other Plants | Tags: iNaturalist, Ptilotus senarius
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 17, 2026
Storm Updates
Several Storm Updates from SF Gate:
Sierra storm drops 28 inches in a day, shuts down I-80
Interstate 80 through the Sierra Nevada was shut down Tuesday morning as intense snowfall, high winds and near-zero visibility made travel dangerous along the mountain corridor.
“Travel impacts are expected to be severe…” Read more »
Caltrans closes portion of Highway 1 ‘until further notice’ after rockslides
The closure is due to rockslides and debris in the roadway. Read more »
Bay Area gets first winter weather advisory in 3 years
A series of cold fronts are expected to bring heavy snow to parts of the Bay Area. Read more »
Posted in Environment | Tags: Winter Storm Impacts
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 17, 2026
Upcoming Bay Nature Events
See the schedule of upcoming Bay Nature Events mailchi.mp/baynature/march-11
Posted in Talks, Walks & Hikes | Tags: Bay Nature Events
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 17, 2026
Three new mushroom species discovered that smell like shellfish
Earth.com reported
Mushrooms that long looked the same across forests in Europe and North America turn out not to be the same at all. DNA and molecular analysis shows they are three different species.
By separating the three, quietly distinct fungi that had been bundled together for decades, researchers correct records that shape how biodiversity is counted and protected.
Read more at Three new mushroom species discovered that smell like shellfish
Posted in Mushrooms | Tags: New Mushroom Species
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 16, 2026
Gray wolf roams into north Los Angeles County from Plumas County for the first time in more than a century – ABC7 Los Angeles
ABC Los Angeles reported
For the first time in over a century, a gray wolf has ventured into Los Angeles County. A 3-year-old female ventured near Pyramid Lake on Saturday.
Read on abc7.com/post/gray-wolf-roams-north-los-angeles-county-plumas-first-time-more-century/18571055/
Posted in Animals | Tags: Wolf in L. A..
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 16, 2026
Plant found that appears to have stolen genes from another species
Earth.com reported
On sheer rock walls in West Africa, a small, unassuming plant carries a genetic trait that does not belong in its family, disobeying the usual rules of inheritance.
This discovery challenges long-held assumptions about how plants change, adapt, and pass traits forward across generations.
The plant, Virectaria stellata, was identified at three sandstone sites in Guinea after botanists noticed its unusual star-shaped hairs and traced their origin to possible gene transfer rather than ordinary mutation.
Read more at Plant found that appears to have stolen genes from another species
Posted in Wildflowers and Other Plants | Tags: plant gene transfer, Virectaria stellata
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 15, 2026
More Photos From My Garden
Posted in Garden, Photos (Sandy's) | Tags: Garden Photos
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 15, 2026
Tropical Spiders Make Fearsome ‘Puppets’ of Themselves For Protection
Science Alert reported
Some spiders build delicate little nets, others colossal web megacities, and now some in Peru and the Philippines have been found sculpting giant doppelgängers out of silk, prey carcasses, and debris.
This remarkable behavior has just been formally documented for the first time, based on a handful of discoveries dating back to 2012.
“They don’t just decorate their webs – they meticulously arrange detritus, prey carcasses, and silk into a structure that’s not only larger than their own body, but clearly resembles the silhouette of a bigger, menacing spider,”
Read more Tropical Spiders Make Fearsome ‘Puppets’ of Themselves For Protection
Posted in Animals | Tags: Animal Defenses, Spiders
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 14, 2026
Calif. mountain lions gain landmark protections weeks after SF sighting
SF Gate reported
California mountain lions from the Bay Area to the Mexican border are now officially protected under the state’s endangered species act after a yearslong push by activists.
The California Fish and Game Commission approved the protections on Thursday six years after wildlife advocates initially petitioned for the safeguards in 2019.
Read more Calif. mountain lions gain landmark protections weeks after SF sighting
Posted in Animals | Tags: California Mountain Lions
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 14, 2026
Rare 9ft-tall ‘camel birds’ released into Saudi Arabian desert
Discover Wildlife reported
Five red-necked ostriches or ‘camel birds’ have been released into a Saudi Arabian nature reserve as part of a large rewilding project.
The critically endangered flightless birds, also known as North African or Barbary ostriches, were introduced into the Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve, in the country’s northwest.
REad moe at Rare 9ft-tall ‘camel birds’ released into Saudi Arabian desert
Posted in Birds | Tags: Camel Birds.Flightless Birds
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 13, 2026
Natural History Wanderings 