See upcoming events at the Santa Barbara Natural HIstory Museum at https://mailchi.mp/sbnature2.org/general-events-13930336?e=693571bfe8
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 13, 2026
Upcoming Events at the Santa Barbara Natural History Museum
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 13, 2026
Anza-Borrego Foundation Upcoming Events
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
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 13, 2026
Upcoming Events at East Bay Regional Parks Botanic Garden
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
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 13, 2026
Beware the spray: Skunk mating season is underway in the Bay Area
SF Gate reported
Complaints from Bay Area residents about the smell — not to mention about sprayed dogs and skunks in the road — have streamed in.
— Read on www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/skunks-spray-valentine-21350189.php
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 13, 2026
Whales are arriving early in San Francisco Bay. Scientists don’t know why.
SF Gate reported
The first gray whale of the year has arrived “unseasonably early” in San Francisco Bay, experts from the Marine Mammal Center told SFGATE this week, raising questions over the species’ behavior and how it is using the bay to survive. The news follows a troubling year for the species that saw 21 individuals wash up dead in the Bay Area alone — the most in 25 years — and the lowest population estimates since the early 1970s.
Read more Whales are arriving early in San Francisco Bay. Scientists don’t know why.
Posted in Uncategorized | Tags: Gray Whales
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 13, 2026
Baboon Sibling Rivalry Suggests Monkeys Feel Jealousy Like People
The New York Times reported
Ever been jealous of your brother or sister for getting too much attention from your mom or dad? Scientists believe you’re not the only creature in the animal kingdom to feel that way.
A team of Finnish scientists spent the majority of 2021 in Tsaobis Nature Park in Namibia, following chacma baboon families on foot from dusk till dawn. Every day, they would see adolescent baboons trying to steal their mother’s attention while a sibling, often a younger one, was being groomed.
Read more Baboon Sibling Rivalry Suggests Monkeys Feel Jealousy Like People
Posted in Uncategorized | Tags: Baboon Sibling Rivalry
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 12, 2026
Job Opening: Native Plant Nursery Manager
Posted in Job Openings | Tags: Job Opening, Save the Bay
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 12, 2026
Flower Photos from my Garden – 2/10/26
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 12, 2026
Bring Back the Natives Upcoming Events
Bring Back the Natives has a whole lineup of upcoming events. See what’s happening at Native Plant Extravaganzaz 2026
Posted in Garden | Tags: Bring Back the Natives
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 12, 2026
Only 50 of these wild canines are left. California biologists just caught one.
SF Gate reported
The population of an elusive fox species that roams the Sierra Nevada likely only has about 50 individuals left.
Biologists from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife finally captured and attached a GPS collar to one of these rare foxes near Mammoth Lakes in January. They’ve been trying to trap one in the Sierra for years.
Read more Only 50 of these wild canines are left. California biologists just caught one.
Posted in Animals | Tags: Endangerd Species, Sierra Nevada Red Fox
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 12, 2026
Rare sheep are U.S.-Mexico border crossers, but they’re hitting a sharp new obstacle –
Rare sheep are U.S.-Mexico border crossers, but they’re hitting a sharp new obstacle – DNYUZ
— Read on dnyuz.com/2026/02/01/rare-sheep-are-u-s-mexico-border-crossers-but-theyre-hitting-a-sharp-new-obstacle/
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 11, 2026
Hunter gets prison time for smuggling dead endangered animal into SFO
SF Gate reported
The man was aware that the animal’s population was threatened prior to killing it and attempting to smuggle it into San Francisco International Airport.
Read on www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/hunter-endangered-species-21347768.php
Posted in Animals | Tags: Endangered species
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 11, 2026
In polar regions, microbes are influencing climate change as frozen ecosystems thaw
McGill University reported
Microbes across Earth’s coldest regions are becoming more active as glaciers, permafrost and sea ice thaw, accelerating carbon release and potentially amplifying climate change, according to a new international review from McGill University.
Posted in Environment | Tags: Climate change, Global warming
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 11, 2026
Sonoma Land Trust Events
Check out the latest events and news for Sonoma Land Trust at OUTINGS & EVENTS
Posted in Talks, Walks & Hikes
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 11, 2026
Rare Octopus ‘Bloom’ Struck UK Waters in 2025, And Now We Know Why
ScienceAlert reported
Octopus blooms have previously been rare in the UK, but emerging evidence from long-term marine monitoring of the western Channel suggests that these episodes coincide with sustained periods of unusual warmth in both the ocean and atmosphere.
These “marine heatwaves” can stimulate rapid population growth, whether the octopus are locally established or newly arrived from the south. These warm conditions are often accompanied by unusually low salinity in coastal waters, a signal that points to fresher water entering the region. While salinity itself is unlikely to drive the outbreaks, it serves as a valuable tracer of the water’s origin.
Read article at Rare Octopus ‘Bloom’ Struck UK Waters in 2025, And Now We Know Why
Posted in Uncategorized | Tags: Octopus
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 10, 2026
Western Monarch Numbers Remain at Historic Low | Xerces Society
The 29th annual Western Monarch Count revealed a historically low population for the second year in a row. Approximately 12,260 monarchs were recorded overwintering across 249 sites, the third-lowest tally since the count began in 1997.
— Read on xerces.org/press/western-monarch-numbers-remain-at-historic-low
Posted in Butterflies | Tags: Monarch Butterfly Population Loss
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 10, 2026
These beetle larvae lure in bees by mimicking flowers
ScienceNews reported
The rare deception may be the first example of an animal chemically mimicking a plant
Read more These beetle larvae lure in bees by mimicking flowers
Posted in Animals | Tags: Beetle Larve
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 9, 2026
Identifying With Lichen
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 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
Natural History Wanderings 