Berkeleyside reported
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 by: Sandy Steinman | October 22, 2026
East Bay park district agrees to take on Golden Gate Fields
Posted in Park | Tags: East Bay Regional Parks, Golden Gate Fields
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | October 22, 2026
Apply Xerces Society Research Awards
Now Accepting Applications for Student Research Awards
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
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | October 22, 2026
Bison roughly doubled native plant diversity on a Kansas prairie over 29 years, study finds
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
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | October 21, 2026
Photos from my garden 10/20/26
Posted in Garden, Photos (Sandy's) | Tags: Garden Photos
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | October 21, 2026
Chiricahua just became America’s 64th national park
SF Gate reported
The United States has a new national park. When President Donald Trump signed the Chiricahua National Park Act on Tuesday, the former national monument became the country’s 64th national park and Arizona’s fourth national park.
Read more at Chiricahua just became America’s 64th national park
Posted in Park | Tags: Chiricahua National Park
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | October 21, 2026
‘New reality’: Calif. scientists uncover why rivers are turning orange
SFGate reported
Arctic waterways are becoming more vulnerable to thawing permafrost, which releases toxic elements through acid rock drainage.
Read on www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/california-researchers-orange-rivers-22449221.php
Posted in Environment | Tags: Orange Rivers
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | October 20, 2026
Nevada wildflower moves closer to gaining protections under Endangered Species Act
Fox5Vegas reported
A wildflower that grows in both Nevada and California is growing closer to gaining protections under the Endangered Species Act.
Posted in Wildflowers and Other Plants | Tags: Tecopa Bird’s Beak
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | October 20, 2026
‘Fearless and quietly astonishing’: the dragonfly that migrates further than any other insect
The Guardian reported
Wandering gliders are descended from some of the earliest known insects – and breed as one global population
Posted in Animals | Tags: Dragonfles
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | October 19, 2026
Officers in Santa Cruz chase after world’s second-largest bird
SF Gate reported
California Highway Patrol officers successfully rescued an emu that found its way into Santa Cruz traffic this week.
Read on www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/emu-rescue-santa-cruz-22481094.php
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | October 19, 2026
Prairie Restoration Success
Science Blog reported
Volunteers helped replant a former Illinois corn and soybean field with 82 prairie species, and a 2025 study found an average of 68.8 of them still present per plot six years later, matching the diversity of nearby prairie remnants
Read more Prairie Restoration Success
Posted in Environment | Tags: Prairie Restoration Success
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | October 18, 2026
Yosemite National Park Job Announcements
Yosemite National Park National Park Service is hiring multiple seasonal positions for summer 2027, including various ranger jobs, natural and cultural resource jobs, maintenance jobs (ranging from animal packers to trail workers to gardeners to utility system operators), and more! Spend your days beneath towering waterfalls, ancient giant sequoias, and iconic granite monoliths making memories, stories, and friendships that will last a lifetime.
If you’d like to work in one of the world’s premier national parks, apply now at usajobs.gov. Applications open at 9 pm PDT on Sunday, October 18, and may close as early as Monday at 9 pm, so don’t wait!
Pro tip: There are specific requirements for resumes. Visit http://usajobshelp.opm.gov/…/52839989720851-How-do-I… for detailsPosted in Job Openings, Park | Tags: Yosemite National Park Seasonal Jobs
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | October 18, 2026
How Australia is cracking down on wildlife trafficking
Mong1 Bay reported
- Australian authorities disrupted an alleged wildlife trafficking ring in Sydney, seizing 36 reptiles and about AU$300,000 (more than $215,000) in cash and gold bullion.
- The animals included 28 native Australian reptiles, including shingleback lizards, spiny-tailed skinks and lace monitors.
- This bust was the first major wildlife crime operation conducted by the National Environmental Protection Agency (National EPA), Australia’s new federal environmental regulator.
- The National EPA alleges native reptiles were supplied to foreign nationals for illegal export.
Read more at Reptiles, gold and money: How Australia is cracking down on wildlife trafficking
Posted in Animals | Tags: Wildlife Trafficking
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | October 17, 2026
Podcast: Birds and Window Collissions
from Birds Canada
New Episode of The Warblers Podcast: Window Collisions
From science and building design, to art and community action, there are many ways to reduce bird-window collisions.
This is a significant conservation challenge, but we already have the tools and knowledge to make a difference.
Posted in Birds | Tags: Bird Window Collisions
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | October 17, 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 | October 17, 2026
Tejon Ranch Upcoming Events
See All Upcoming Tejon Ranch Events at Events
Posted in Walks & Hikes | Tags: Tejon Ranch activities
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | October 17, 2026
Is removing all nonnative plants always the answer?
The Revelator reported
s removing all nonnative plants always the answer? Our latest commentary explores how some species we label as “invasive” still serve a purpose by providing food or shelter to native animals.
Read story at Is removing all nonnative plants always the answer?
Posted in Animals, Wildflowers and Other Plants | Tags: Benefits of Invasive Species
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | October 16, 2026
Marin County Parks Upcoming Events
See the calendar of upcoming free events for Marin County Parks Events Calendar – Marin County Parks
Posted in Park
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | October 16, 2026
Almost half of world’s farmers poisoned by pesticides every year,
The Guardian reported
Using publicly available data from 2006-2023, the study, which was commissioned by Pesticide Action Network, found there to be an estimated 402-433m cases of unintentional acute pesticide poisoning of farmers and farm workers every year.
Based on a worldwide farming population of 934 million, this means approximately 46% of farmers are being poisoned every year. The greatest estimated number of poisonings was in southern Asia, followed by south-east Asia and east Africa.
Read more Almost half of world’s farmers poisoned by pesticides every year, experts find
Posted in Environment | Tags: Pesticide Poisoning of Farmers
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | October 15, 2026
Al Gore was right
from the Revelator
Lightbulb moment: When Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth came out 20 years ago, many people felt the movie’s first recommendation on how to fight climate change — replace your lightbulbs — was the equivalent of bringing a squirt gun to a wildfire. But as environmental journalist Jason Dove Mark explains, it turns out that Al Gore was right.
Posted in Environment | Tags: Climate change
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | October 14, 2026
Photos from Regional Parks Botanic Garden October 13, 2026
Photographed in the East Bay Regional Parks Botanic Garden in Tilden Park in Berkeley, CA on Ocotober 13, 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
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | October 14, 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 | October 14, 2026
Hundreds of sea lions are taking over a roadway in Moss Landing
SF Gate reported
A small harbor on Monterey Bay has become a gathering point for hundreds of sea lions since the summer.
Sea photos an read on www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/sea-lions-moss-landing-22475916.php
Posted in Animals | Tags: Sea Lions at Moss Lands
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | October 14, 2026
Costa Rica to require wildlife crossings for roads when they impact fauna
Monga Bay reports
Costa Rican lawmakers unanimously voted to require wildlife crossings for new and existing road infrastructure when evidence shows the infrastructure interrupts natural connectivity and threatens wildlife safety. The measure, approved in August 2026, will help wildlife avoid being struck by cars while crossing roads and connect habitat, the regulation notes.
Read more Costa Rica to require wildlife crossings for roads when they impact fauna
Posted in Uncategorized
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | October 13, 2026
Native Plant Gardening Talks 10/17
from Bring Back the natives there are a series of gardening talks at nurseries this Saturday October 17.
See the schedule at Talks in the Nurseries
Posted in Garden, Talks | Tags: Gardeing with Natives
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | October 13, 2026
Jepson Worshop on Fire & Impact on Flora 10/17/26
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Posted in Environment, Wildflowers and Other Plants | Tags: Fire's Impact on Plants
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | October 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 | October 13, 2026
Narwals -Unicorns of the Sea
The Revelator in their ‘Whale of the Month’ column wrote about Narwals
No, they’re not creatures of myth or cartoons. The “unicorns of the sea” are real — and they’re incredible.
Read article at Whale of the Month: Narwhals
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | October 12, 2026
Rare, critically endangered trees wiped out by fire on Santa Rosa Island
SF Gate reported
A mass die-off is expected for a rare grove of endangered trees found on a windswept stretch of a remote California island, officials with theNational Park Service announced Tuesday.
The Torrey pine is “the rarest native pine in the United States and, possibly, the rarest pine in the world,” according to the Park Service. The tree only grows naturally in two very specific areas: Santa Rosa Islandand Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve in San Diego.
And on Santa Rosa Island, the majority of mature Torrey pines aren’t expected to survive after a large fire spread through the area in May.
Read more at Rare, critically endangered trees wiped out by fire on Santa Rosa Island
Posted in Wildflowers and Other Plants | Tags: Santa Rosa Island, Torrey Pines
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | October 11, 2026
Sturgeon that can live over 400 years
Smithsonian reported
Some Fish in the Great Lakes Might Be More Than 400 Years Old, a Study Suggests, Outliving Around 15 Generations of Humans
Lake sturgeon may be among the longest-living vertebrates, second only to Greenland sharks, according to recent research. However, scientists note that follow-up work is necessary to clarify the species’ lifespan.
Read more at Sturgeon that can live over 400 years
Posted in Animals | Tags: Long-lived Sturgeon
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | October 10, 2026
Photos from Regional Parks Botanic Garden October 10, 2026
Photographed in the East Bay Regional Parks Botanic Garden in Tilden Park in Berkeley, CA on September, 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
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