Natural History Wanderings

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | March 24, 2026

California Condors Are Still Dying — Despite a Lead Ammo Ban

KQED reported

Condors are the largest land bird in North America. When their population shrunk to just 23, a substantial conservation campaign in California followed, spanning several decades. Now there are more than 600 alive, but they aren’t doing as well as scientists expected. That’s even after the state banned hunters from using lead bullets, fragments of which the birds swallow when they eat animal carcasses left behind. Scientists believe the reason these birds may be struggling are due to condors changing their behavior to act like more wild birds. The birds are foraging further away from sites where conservationists leave food and finding animals to eat that are sometimes shot with lead.

Read article at California Condors Are Still Dying — Despite a Lead Ammo Ban

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Posted in Birds | Tags: California Condors

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | March 24, 2026

Air Pollution Is Wreaking Havoc on Ants, And The Effects Are Alarming

Science Alert reported

Scent is essential to ant society: every ant within a colony wears the badge of membership in the form of smelly hydrocarbons. Human air pollution, a new study from Max-Planck Institute researchers suggests, is wreaking havoc on ant society by interfering with these characteristic scents.

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Posted in Animals | Tags: ants, Pollution

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | March 23, 2026

Scientists discover a new deep sea animal that glows in the dark

Earth.com reported

Scientists have confirmed a bright yellow deep-sea animal, Corallizoanthus aureus, as a new species of marine coral. It emits green light when disturbed, marking the first known case of bioluminescence documented inside a deep-sea cave.

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Posted in Animals | Tags: Corallizoanthus aureus, Marine Coral, New Species

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | March 22, 2026

Mexico’s monarch butterfly population jumps 64%, offering hope for at-risk species

The Guardian reported

The insects covered its largest area since 2018, despite threats from habitat loss, climate crisis and pesticides

Read on www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/20/mexico-monarch-butterfly-population-increases

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Posted in Butterflies | Tags: Mexican Monarch Butterfly Population

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | March 22, 2026

Regional Parks Botanic Garden Photos 3/19/26

Photographed in the East Bay Regional Parks Botanic Garden in Tilden Park in Berkeley, CA on March 119, 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.

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Posted in Garden, Photos (Sandy's), Wildflowers and Other Plants | Tags: California Wildflowers, Regional Parks Botanic Garden, Tilden Botanic Garden

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | March 22, 2026

In Criminal Cases, Moss Is Often Underfoot and Overlooked

DNYUZ reported

A remote forest in south central Pennsylvania seems to be the perfect place for a body to disappear, shrouded in leaves and covered in moss over time.

For the police who were investigating the skeleton of a woman believed to be in her 20s or 30s, discovered deep in those Pennsylvania woods in the first half of 2025, how long her remains had been there was an important question.

Soil samples and plant material such as roots, seeds and pollen have yielded crime-scene evidence for decades, but moss tends to be overlooked. Yet moss holds clues for investigators who know how to look for them.

read more In Criminal Cases, Moss Is Often Underfoot and OverlookedIn Criminal Cases, Moss Is Often Underfoot and Overlooked

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Posted in Wildflowers and Other Plants | Tags: forensic Botany, Moss

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | March 22, 2026

Hoping for a Lively Spring? Welcome the Woodpeckers

The New York Times reported

The males of the species prepare for mating season by excavating nests for the approval of the females — and even other birds and animals.

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Posted in Birds | Tags: Woodpeckers

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | March 21, 2026

The world’s largest cloned organism is discovered in the Baltic Sea – Earth.com

Earth.com reported

The world’s largest cloned organism, bladderwrack seaweed, has been discovered in the Baltic Sea, a finding that raises concerns.

Read on www.earth.com/news/worlds-largest-cloned-organism-bladderwrack-seaweed-discovered-in-the-baltic-sea/

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Posted in Wildflowers and Other Plants | Tags: bladderwrack seaweed, Largest Clonal Species

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | March 21, 2026

How Canada’s rarest mammal was pulled back from the brink of extinction

Discover Wildlife reports

It was once on the verge of disappearing altogether, but Canada’s most endangered mammal (Vancouver Island Marmot) is making a comeback, thanks to a dedicated team of scientists, researchers and conservationists climbing mountains – quite literally – to save it.

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Posted in Animals | Tags: Vancouver Island Marmot

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | March 20, 2026

Los Padres ForestWatch Upcoming Events

See Upcoming Los Padres ForestWatch Upcoming Events at Home | Los Padres ForestWatch

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Posted in Birds, Talks | Tags: Los Padres ForestWatch Upcoming Events

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | March 20, 2026

CNPS 2026 plant science workshops

CNPS plant science workshops support conservation by giving you the tools to make a difference for California’s imperiled biodiversity. This year’s workshops include:

🌸 Vernal Pool Plant Taxonomy: coming up soon on April 19-21 in Davis
🌿 Vegetation Rapid Assessment/Relevé: May 19-21 in Monterey County
📍Rare Plant Survey Protocols: July 7-9 in Mammoth Lakes
🌻 Introduction to Plant Identification: August 19-21 in Santa Cruz
🌱 Identification of California Grasses: October 17-18 in San Jose

Learn from our expert instructors and get to know other plant science professionals. Our workshops bring you hands-on learning, small class sizes, and science-backed skills. They are specifically designed to provide botanists, biologists, land managers, ecologists, and enthusiasts with the scientific skills and practical experience necessary to assess, manage, and protect native plants and lands in California and beyond.

A scholarship application is available for students, early career professionals, or anyone who may not otherwise be able to attend.

Register today

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Posted in Class/Workshop, Wildflowers and Other Plants | Tags: CNPS Plant Science Workshops

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | March 20, 2026

Junior Ranger items on Trump’s national parks chopping block

SF Gate reported

Pamphlets, booklets and activities educating children on history and science in national parks have come under review as the Trump administration works to eliminate informative materials that “inappropriately disparage Americans past or living” or fail to “emphasize the beauty, abundance, or grandeur of landscapes and other natural features.”

These “Junior Ranger” materials are among hundreds of items that appear in an internal government database leaked to the public in early March. And while much of the leak’s content has been publicized in news stories, this report is the first to surface how the Trump administration is poised to alter what young people learn in national parks, including everything from Indigenous history to the Civil Rights Movement to light pollution in the night sky.

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Posted in Park | Tags: Junior Ranger Program

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | March 20, 2026

California Botanic Gardens

Here is the combined list of notable botanical gardens in California compiled by Geminia

Garden Name	City/Area	Notable Specialty or Collection
East Bay Regional Park Botanic Garden	Berkeley (Tilden Regional Park)	Largest and most comprehensive collection of California Native Plants.
University of California Botanical Garden	Berkeley	Extensive collection of plants from around the world, especially from Mediterranean climates.
San Francisco Botanical Garden	San Francisco (Golden Gate Park)	Over 8,000 varieties of plants, featuring high-elevation tropical plants and a cloud forest.
Ruth Bancroft Garden	Walnut Creek	Nationally renowned collection of dry-climate, water-conserving plants (succulents, cacti, and arid shrubs).
Filoli	Woodside	Historic estate with 16 acres of exquisite formal English Renaissance-style gardens.
Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens	Fort Bragg	47 acres along the coastline, featuring rhododendrons, heathers, and coastal bluffs.
UC Davis Arboretum	Davis	100-acre public garden along Putah Creek, focused on regional landscaping and sustainable horticulture.
The Arboretum at Fresno State	Fresno	Diverse collection supporting instruction in ornamental horticulture and landscape design.
Huntington Botanical Gardens	San Marino	16 themed gardens, including one of the world’s most impressive desert gardens.
Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden	Arcadia	Historic site with subtropical plants, aquatic gardens, and a famous flock of peafowl.
Descanso Gardens	La Cañada Flintridge	Known for its world-renowned collection of camellias, a rose garden, and native oak forest.
California Botanic Garden	Claremont	Largest botanic garden dedicated exclusively to California native plants (formerly Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden).
Santa Barbara Botanic Garden	Santa Barbara	Focused exclusively on the conservation and display of California native plants.
Lotusland (Ganna Walska)	Montecito	A spectacular estate garden famous for its eccentric and rare plant collections, including cycads and topiary.
South Coast Botanic Garden	Palos Verdes Peninsula	Built on a former sanitary landfill, known for its extensive environmental reclamation and plant diversity.
San Diego Botanic Garden	Encinitas	37 acres with 15 distinct microclimates, from bamboo groves to desert gardens.
Moorten Botanical Garden and Cactarium	Palm Springs	A private garden specializing in over 3,000 varieties of cacti and other desert plants.

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Posted in Garden | Tags: California Botanic Gardens

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | March 19, 2026

Wildflowers of the Bay Area @Central – Berkeley Public Library

Learn what’s about to bloom and where. Event starts at March 21, 2026 12:00 PM PDT
— Read on berkeleypubliclibrary.libnet.info/event/15846847

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Posted in Talks, Wildflowers and Other Plants | Tags: Wildflower Talk

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | March 19, 2026

UC Berkeley Botanical Garden Photos 3/12/26

Photos from the UC- Berkeley Botanical Garden taken on March 12, 2026.

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Posted in Garden, Photos (Sandy's) | Tags: UC Berkeley Botancial Garden

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | March 19, 2026

‘Birdbrain’ benefits: How being an expert birdwatcher may boost cognition

NBC News reported

New research shows that seasoned birders — including older adults — had denser tissue in parts of the brain tied to attention and perception.

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Posted in Uncategorized

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | March 18, 2026

Volunteer opportunity: Garden Greeter in Tilden Regional Parks Botanic Garden

Garden Greeters offer a warm welcome and helpful orientation to Botanic Garden visitors on weekends and holidays. Volunteer greeters hand out maps, offer general information, and provide games for children. The next Garden Greeter training will take place on Saturday, March 28, and Saturday, April 4, from 9 to 11 a.m. Attending both dates is required. To learn more and apply for the training, email greeter_coordinator@nativeplants.org.

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Posted in Garden | Tags: Regional Parks Botanic Garden

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | March 18, 2026

Regional Parks Botanic Garden Photos 3/17/26

Photographed in the East Bay Regional Parks Botanic Garden in Tilden Park in Berkeley, CA on March 17, 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.

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Posted in Garden, Photos (Sandy's), Wildflowers and Other Plants | Tags: California Wildflowers, Regional Parks Botanic Garden, Tilden Botanic Garden

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | March 18, 2026

Upcoming UC Berkeley Botanical Garden Events

See the events calendar for the UC Berkeley Botanical Garden at Garden Events

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Posted in Class/Workshop, Garden | Tags: UC Berkeley Botanical Garden Events

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | March 18, 2026

Free Talks at East Bay Nurseries

from Bring Back the Natives

the times and locations of the free Talks in the Nurseries, which will take place this Saturday, March 21, during the next Native Plant Extravaganza. Shop during this event and a percentage of your sales will go to support the Tour.

Native Plant Extravaganza

Saturday, March 21, 10:00-4:00

Shop in-person on Saturday, March 21, or shop online at participating native plant nurseries on Saturday or Sunday March 21 or 22, and a percentage of your purchases will go to support the Tour.

A link to each nursery’s plant inventory is included. Call ahead if there is a plant you specifically want, as inventories change rapidly.

Free Talks in the Nurseries!

The Watershed Nursery Cooperative, 601 A Canal Blvd. Richmond

11:00 “Best pruning practices for California native plants” by Nicholas Crawford, ISA Board Certified Master Arborist at The Davey Tree Expert Company

Nicholas will discuss native plant care, demonstrate hands-on pruning skills, and provide information on California’s evolving fire clearance requirements.

See the Watershed Nursery Cooperative’s plant inventory here, and their nifty Plant Finder page here.

Giant tortoises return to Galápagos island after nearly 200 years

The BBC reported

Giant tortoises are roaming the Galápagos island of Floreana for the first time in more than 180 years, in what conservationists have called a “hugely significant milestone”.

One hundred and fifty eight captive-bred juvenile tortoises were released on the island as part of the Floreana Ecological Restoration Project led by the Galápagos National Park Directorate.

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Posted in Animals | Tags: Gallapagos, Giant Tortoises

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | March 17, 2026

Drawing and Painting Wildflowers Throughout the West 3/20/25

From the Regional Parks Botanic Garden

MAR

20

Drawing and Painting Wildflowers Throughout the West

7:00 PM 9:00 PM
Google Calendar ICS

Join Linda Ann Vorobik, botanist and botanical artist, for an illustrated talk. There will also be a show of botanical art and hand-painted silks with 25% of sales donated to the Botanic Garden.

For more information and details about event and upcoming 2-Day Botanical Watercolor Workshop

go to View Event →

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Posted in Talks | Tags: Drawing and Painting Wildflowers Throughout the West

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | March 17, 2026

‘Sly stowaway’ UK fox finds new home at Bronx Zoo after illicit transatlantic trip

The Guardian reported

The fox is said to be ‘settling in well’ after mischievous 3,400 mile journey from Southampton to New York

Read on www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/mar/11/stowaway-fox-travels-on-cargo-ship-from-england-to-us

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Posted in Animals | Tags: Fox Stowaway

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | March 17, 2026

27 elephant seals test positive for bird flu in Bay Area outbreak

KRON4 reported

More than two dozen elephant seals have tested positive for avian influenza since the outbreak at Año Nuevo State Park on the San Mateo County coast began in February, according to an update from UC Davis released Monday. One sea otter and two California sea lions have also tested positive after […]

Read on www.kron4.com/news/bay-area/27-elephant-seals-test-positive-for-bird-flu-in-bay-area-outbreak/

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Posted in Animals | Tags: Bird Flu, Ekephant Seals

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | March 17, 2026

Lead Pollution Has Dropped 100-Fold in the U.S. Over the Last Century

Good News Network reported

Lead pollution compared to 100 years ago in the US has dramatically declined by 100-fold. BLL levels of 15 plummeted to just 0.6 in 2020.

Read on www.goodnewsnetwork.org/lead-pollution-has-dropped-100-fold-in-the-u-s-over-the-last-century/

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Posted in Environment | Tags: Lead Pollution

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | March 16, 2026

Talk: TALES OF ANIMAL SEX, MURDER AND MAYHEM 3/19/26

From Golden Gate Bird Alliance

Jeff Miller is a naturalist, conservationist, and passionate advocate for wildlife. He has dedicated several decades to championing protection of endangered species and native wildlife habitat in the Bay Area. He’s the founder of the nonprofit Alameda Creek Alliance and a senior conservation advocate with the Center for Biological Diversity, spearheading biodiversity and wildlife protection campaigns throughout the Bay Area and California. The Irreverent Naturalist website.

Date: Thursday, March 19 @ 7pm
Location: Hybrid — Tamalpais Room @ the David Brower Center (2150 Allston Way, Berkeley 94704 and online via Zoom

If you plan to attend in-person, please RSVP at the button below. Otherwise, you can join us via Zoom through the link below. RSVP Here

Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87377145453?pwd=Jt8aYrFqyD9zTBGl09jH58J5s9gbev.1

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Posted in Animals, Birds, Talks | Tags: Bay Area Wildlife

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | March 16, 2026

110 planned homes near Yosemite National Park spark controversy

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Posted in Park | Tags: Controversial New Housing Near Yosemite

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | March 16, 2026

A fish a day: More than 300 freshwater species described in 2025

Monga Bay reported

Taxonomists described 309 new species of freshwater fish in 2025, according to a report released by SHOAL, the IUCN Freshwater Fish Specialist Group (FFSG) and the California Academy of Sciences(CAS). With nearly one new description each day of the year, the tally is the highest since 2017, and the third-highest since 1758, when scientists began keeping records.

The new fish species come from five continents and a diversity of habitats, including limestone caves, peat swamps, wetlands and rivers. Most are endemic and some are already at risk of extinction. Asia topped the list with 165 newly described fish species, followed by South America with 91, Africa with 30, North America with 20, and Europe with three.

Read about one unusual new species at Discover Wildlife :

“Like an ‘aircraft’ hovering in the middle of the water.” Ghostly cavefish found beneath the ground in China https://share.google/MxQIEmk1nPgGjIWLE

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Posted in Animals | Tags: New Fish Species

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | March 16, 2026

After logging bans, Australia turns to “forest thinning”. Does it reduce fire risk?

Monga Bay reported

As native forest logging ends in parts of Australia, governments and industry are turning to large-scale forest thinning as a tool to reduce bushfire risk, prompting a new debate over how best to protect communities in a warming climate.
Research shows thinning can lower fire severity under some conditions, especially when paired with prescribed burning, but its effectiveness often diminishes during extreme fire weather — the very conditions driving the most destructive fires.
Scientists warn that removing trees can alter forest structure, dry fuels, release stored carbon, and eliminate critical wildlife habitat, meaning the ecological and climate costs may be substantial in high-conservation forests.
The controversy reflects deeper tensions over land use, public safety, and economic transition, with critics arguing that large-scale thinning risks becoming logging by another name while supporters see it as a necessary adaptation to escalating fire danger.

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Posted in Environment | Tags: Australian Bush Fires, Forest Thinning

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | March 15, 2026

New Revlator Column new column to help keep environmentalists resilient

from the Revelator

Dr. Green’s emotional rescue: Let’s be honest: Working in conservation and environmental protection can be stressful and lead to burnout, eco-anxiety, depression, and more. Our new mental-health advice column for environmentalists is here to help. Read our inaugural column and submit questions about the emotional challenges of your environmental work or activism. Their resident psychologist answers environmentalists’ questions about staying mentally resilient when eco-challenges get you down. You can find it at Doctor Green’s Emotional Rescue for Environmentalists

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Posted in Environment | Tags: Mental Health Impact of being an Environmentalist

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