SF Gate reported
The Timber Fire ignited Sunday evening and has now eclipsed 1,700 acres, with 5% containment, according to Cal Fire.
Read on www.sfgate.com/centralcoast/article/big-sur-wildfire-22381679.
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | August 11, 2026
Luxury hotel, residents evacuated as wildfire scorches Big Sur
Posted in Environment | Tags: Big Sur Fire
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | August 11, 2026
Access finally coming to one of California’s most inaccessible waterfalls
Jefferson City News Tribune reported
But more than 20,000 people each year come anyway, trespassing along oil-slicked active train tracks bordering the west side of the river because there are no formal trails.
Read on www.newstribune.com/news/2026/jun/28/access-finally-coming-to-one-of-californias-most/
Posted in Walks & Hikes, Waterfalls | Tags: Mossbrae Falls
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | August 10, 2026
Photographs from the East Bay Regional Parks Botanic Garden in Tilden Park in Berkeley, CA on August 2, 2026.
Photographed in the East Bay Regional Parks Botanic Garden on August 2, 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.
Click on arrows to right or left of photos to move slide show
White Sage/Salvia apiana 
Naked Buckwheat/Eriogonum nudum 
California Brodiaea/Brodiaea californica var. californica 
Monardella macrantha – “Marian Sampson” 
White Sage/Salvia apiana 
Slender Sunflower/Helianthus gracilentus 
Sacred Datura or Toloache/Datura wrightii 
Naked Buckwheat/Eriogonum nudum 
Slender Sunflower/Helianthus gracilentus 
California Blushing Monkeyflower/Erythranthe erubescens
Posted in Garden, Photos (Sandy's) | Tags: East Bay Regional Parks Botanic Garden, Tilden Botanic Garden
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | August 10, 2026
The first new path in 5 years is being built in the Berkeley Hills
Berkeleyside reported
Volunteers with the Berkeley Path Wanderers Association are constructing a trail near Terrace View Park.
Read more at The first new path in 5 years is being built in the Berkeley Hills
Posted in Walks & Hikes | Tags: New Path in Berkeley HIlls
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | August 10, 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 | August 10, 2026
More trees can mean fewer birds, new study reveals
ScienceDaily reported
Trees planted to protect farmland from wind may not be the biodiversity boost many assume. In Japan’s wetland farming landscapes, shelterbelts benefited some birds but sharply reduced grassland and wetland species that need open space. Researchers found grassland bird abundance dropped by more than 70% near shelterbelts.
Read more More trees can mean fewer birds, new study reveals
Posted in Environment | Tags: More trees can mean fewer birds
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | August 9, 2026
Perseid meteor shower 2026: It’s time to watch
EarthSky reports
Want to get the best view of the Perseid meteors? In 2026, the best time to watch the Perseid meteor shower is midnight through dawn on August 12 and 13. You’ll have moon-free skies. And since the Perseids are often bright, you might see 50-100 meteors per hour. Remember, even one bright meteor can make your night! In this video, EarthSky founder Deborah Byrd shares 9 easy meteor-watching tips that can help you spot many more shooting stars. Whether you’re a first-time skywatcher or a seasoned observer, these simple techniques can make this year’s Perseid meteor shower unforgettable.
Read on earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/everything-you-need-to-know-perseid-meteor-shower/
Posted in Astronomy | Tags: Perseid Meteor Shower
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | August 9, 2026
‘Massive migratory flight of millions’: Rare butterfly swarm visits Tahoe, Lassen
CNN reported
An unusual wave of butterflies delighted residents in the Santa Cruz mountains in May. Now, a second tide of the orange-and-brown insects has emerged hundreds of miles away in the Sierra Nevada and near Lassen Volcanic National Park.
Read more at Massive migratory flight of millions’: Rare butterfly swarm visits Tahoe, Lassen
Posted in Butterflies | Tags: Tortoise Butterfly Swarm
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | August 9, 2026
Xerces Society Upcoming Events
See all Xerces Society upcoming events at Xerces Society Webinars
Posted in Butterflies, Talks | Tags: Xerces Society Webinars
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | August 9, 2026
Trump cancels protections at famous Utah trails, canyons and landmarks
Without the protections of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments, millions of acres of public lands could open to development.
— Read on www.sfgate.com/national-parks/article/utah-national-monument-landmarks-22369277.php
Posted in Park | Tags: Utah. National Monuments
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | August 9, 2026
California’s coastal expansion has come at a tremendous cost
SF Gate reported
California has lost more than half of its coastal sand dunes over the past 165 years, an alarming decline that could have catastrophic effects on the state’s efforts to combat climate change.
A recent study, led by UC Santa Barbara researchers and published in the journal Earth’s Future, is the first comprehensive look at the state’s vital sand dunes. The analysis found that humans are largely to blame for dune habitat loss over the years, as infrastructure replaced entire ecosystems or invasive plants destroyed their ability to thrive. Total dune loss is estimated at around 60% across the state.
Read more California’s coastal expansion has come at a tremendous cost
Posted in Environment | Tags: California Coastal Sand Dune Loss
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | August 8, 2026
An Amazon data center could have the worst polluting power plant in the country | The Verge
The Verge reported
An Amazon-owned site in Pecos County, Texas, received a permit to release up to 33 million tons of CO2 to power its AI data center.
Read on www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/977124/amazon-data-center-worst-polluting-power-plant
Posted in Environment | Tags: Polluting Power Plants
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | August 8, 2026
Bulldozers are destroying Big Bend National Park. People are furious.
SF Gate reported
The work comes ahead of a massive project to improve border security in the region, including vehicle barriers, roads and smart technology.
Read on www.sfgate.com/national-parks/article/big-bend-national-park-border-22378869.php
Posted in Park | Tags: Big Bend National Park
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | August 8, 2026
Record-breaking snowmelt in the Swiss Alps
MSN reported
Matthias Huss is measuring ice melt on the Rhone Glacier. This year, Swiss glaciers will reach “Glacier Loss Day” as early as June 29. Only in the record-breaking year of 2022 did this turning point occur even earlier. “This is a truly alarming situation,” warns glaciologist Huss. The glaciers still have three hot summer months ahead of them — and every day costs them precious ice.
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | August 8, 2026
Dolphins Have Names
Space Daily
Within the first few months of life, every bottlenose dolphin invents a unique whistle that becomes its name for the rest of its life — and other dolphins learn that whistle, remember it, and use it to call out to that specific individual, making bottlenose dolphins the first non-human species ever discovered to use personal names,
Read more Dolphin Names
Posted in Animals | Tags: Dolphin Names
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | August 7, 2026
Job Opening: Nursery Associate
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Posted in Garden, Job Openings | Tags: Job Opening
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | August 7, 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 | August 7, 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 | August 7, 2026
Phoenix Species Project launches global effort to bring 100 of the world’s most threatened species back from the brink
ICUN reported
Read more at Phoenix Species Project launches global effort to bring 100 of the world’s most threatened species back from the brink – News | IUCNLed by Leonardo DiCaprio’s Re:wild and the Bezos Earth Fund, in collaboration with IUCN Species Survival Commission, the project is the largest single philanthropic initiative dedicated exclusively to recovering species classified as Critically Endangered and Extinct in the Wild, on the IUCN Red List of Threatened SpeciesTM across continents.
Posted in Animals | Tags: Phoenix Species Project, Threatened Specires
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | August 7, 2026
Recent discoveries of ‘lost’ Mekong giant salmon carp renews hope for the fish
Monga Bay reported
A large fish once feared extinct in Cambodia has been recorded in the country’s waters for the fourth time since 2020, renewing hope for the species.
The Mekong giant salmon carp (Aaptosyax grypus), a critically endangered large-sized freshwater fish, was formally described from the Mekong River in 1991. Over the next 14 years, there had been only 20 formal records of the species; none since 2005.
However, Bunyeth Chan, a researcher at Svay Rieng University in Cambodia, and his colleagues confirmed three observations in a 2024 study
Read more Recent discoveries of ‘lost’ Mekong giant salmon carp renews hope for the fish
Posted in Animals
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | August 6, 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 | August 6, 2026
Trump is lifting protections in America’s largest marine protected areas
NPR reported
Read more at Trump is lifting protections in America’s largest marine protected areas : NPRThe largest conservation areas in the U.S. are in the Pacific Ocean. President Trump is rolling back their protections.
Posted in Uncategorized | Tags: Marine Protected Areas Losing Protections
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | August 6, 2026
The rebuild of Tilden Park’s Environmental Education Center is on hold
Berkeleyside reported
Replacing the 1974 visitor center that’s near the Little Farm is paused indefinitely due to lack of funds, according to the EBRPD.
Read more at The rebuild of Tilden Park’s Environmental Education Center is on hold
Posted in Park | Tags: Tilden Park Environmental Education Center Rebuild
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | August 6, 2026
Rare Samar Rafflesia rediscovered in protected forest after 15 years
Inquirer.net reported
One of the country’s rarest flowering plants, the endangered Samar Rafflesia (Rafflesia manillana), has been documented once again inside the protected forests of Samar Island, marking its first confirmed sighting in 15 years and underscoring the island’s status as one of the Philippines’ most important biodiversity hotspots.
The rare parasitic plant was recorded during an exploratory survey conducted by the Samar Island Natural Park (SINP) Protected Area Management Office, which wanted to determine the current distribution and condition of these species within the country’s largest terrestrial protected area.
Read more Rare Samar Rafflesia rediscovered in protected forest after 15 years
Posted in Wildflowers and Other Plants | Tags: Samar Rafflesia
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | August 5, 2026
East Bay Regional Parks Upcoming Events
See the calendar of upcoming events for the East Bay Regional Parks at https://www.ebparks.org/calendar
Posted in Park, Walks & Hikes | Tags: East Bay Regional Parks
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | August 5, 2026
The unexpected animals quietly making California roads safer
SF Gate reported
Scientists found that when mountain lions are nearby, the odds of a vehicle colliding with a deer shrank.
Read on www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/mountain-lion-study-22373526.php
Posted in Animals | Tags: Auto-Deer Accidents, Deer Mountain, Lions
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | August 5, 2026
Job Announcement-UC Botanical Garden-Horticulturist
| Horticulturist, -Arid House/Deserts of the Americas
Are you a horticulturist with a passion for cacti, succulents, and other arid-adapted plants? We are seeking a skilled and enthusiastic horticulturist to lead the care, development, and interpretation of one of North America’s outstanding documented collections of desert plants. The successful candidate will be responsible for the cultivation, documentation, and continued development of the Garden’s Arid House, associated support glasshouses, and the Deserts of the Americas collection. |
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Posted in Garden, Job Openings | Tags: Job Opening
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | August 5, 2026
‘Exceptional’: Monterey Bay captain captures airborne killer whales and dolphins
See a great photo of an airborne Killer Whale and Dolphin at ‘Exceptional’: Monterey Bay captain captures airborne killer whales and dolphins
Posted in Animals, Photography | Tags: dolphins, Killer Whales
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | August 4, 2026
Virtual Plant Illustration Exhibit
Bloom: 2026 Plants Illustrated Virtual Exhibition
The University of California Botanical Garden is pleased to present Bloom:
2026 Plants Illustrated Virtual Exhibition in partnership with Northern California Society of Botanical Artists.
Posted in Wildflower Bloom Reports | Tags: Virtual Plant Illustration Exhibit
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | August 4, 2026
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