SF Gate reported
Scientists spotted a white abalone near the Channel Islands for the first time in five years. The species’ population has declined by 99%.
— Read on www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/white-abalone-22293372.php
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | June 6, 2026
Scientists spot rare ocean animal for the first time in 5 years
Posted in Animals | Tags: White Abalone
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | June 6, 2026
Instead of Arresting Indigenous Fishermen, Australia Begins to Pay Them to Control Sea Urchin Plague
Good News Network reported
Native coastal Australians are experiencing a dramatic reversal of fortunes—from facing jail time over fishing to being trained to lead a whole new fishing industry.
Documented in a feature piece at Australia’s ABC News, young people from the Walbunja indigenous community are reconnecting to traditional fishing practices in order to suppress a very yummy plague of long-spined sea urchins devasting southern Australia’s reefs, seagrass, and kelp forests.
Read more Instead of Arresting Indigenous Fishermen, Australia Begins to Pay Them to Control Sea Urchin Plague
Posted in Animals, Environment | Tags: Australian Indigenous Fishing Practices
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | June 5, 2026
Bird and Butterfly Festival 6/7/26
COYOTE HILLS REGIONAL PARK –Coyote Hills invites you to its annual pollinator celebration! Enjoy garden tours, family activities, music, and special presentations while learning how we can support healthy pollinator habitats for butterflies, birds, and other native species across the Bay Area. All ages. Parent participation required. Parking fees apply where charged. Wheelchair accessible. Drop-in; no registration required. For information, call 510-544-3220. Jun 7, 2026 Sun10:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Posted in Bird Festivals | Tags: Bird and Butterfly Festival, Coyote Hills Regional Park
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | June 5, 2026
This Fish Hitches Rides in Manta Rays’ ‘Buttholes,’
Smithsonian Magazine reported
Scientists suspect that the behavior could harm the manta rays, suggesting a complex relationship between remoras and their hosts that can sometimes be parasitic
Read more at This Fish Hitches Rides in Manta Rays’ ‘Buttholes,’ According to New Research
Posted in Animals | Tags: Manta Rays, Remoras
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | June 4, 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 | June 4, 2026
Regional Parks Botanic Garden Photos 6/3/26
Photographed in the East Bay Regional Parks Botanic Garden in Tilden Park in Berkeley, CA on June 3, 2026. Although they may look similar there are actually three species of Lily/Lilium. Humboldt’s Lily/Lilium humboldtii ssp. ocellatum, which you can see in the Southern California section of the garden; Leopard Lily/Lilium pardalinum, in the Redwood section; and Columbia Lily/Lilium columbianum, in the Shasta-Klamath section.
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 | June 4, 2026
California Gray Wolf Update: 6 Wolf Packs Statewide, 2 New Packs Named
Environmental Protection Information Center reported
The Golden State now harbors up to six known wolf families! After nearly a century of statewide extinction from 1924 to 2011, gray wolves (Canis lupus) are making a decidedly strong comeback in California — a testament to both the species’ resilience and the efficacy of efforts to increase and protect statewide habitat connectivity.
Read more at California Gray Wolf Update: 6 Wolf Packs Statewide, 2 New Packs Named
Posted in Animals | Tags: Gray Wolves
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | June 3, 2026
Upcoming Sierra Forever Programs
See the upcoming programs for Sierra Forever at https://sierraforever.org/our-programs/
Our Mission is to educate and inspire people about Sierra Nevada and Great Basin public lands through high-quality interpretive programs, products, literature, exhibits, and events.
Posted in Class/Workshop | Tags: Sierra Forever Programs
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | June 3, 2026
Upcoming Events from Eastern Sierra Land Trust
See upcoming events for the Eastern Sierra Land Trust at Eastern Sierra Land Trust Events
Posted in Talks, Walks & Hikes | Tags: Upcoming Events from Eastern Sierra Land Trust Events
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | June 3, 2026
We’re Giving Birds 500,000 Acres of Rancher-Powered Conservation
Audubon reported
The National Audubon Society has been awarded $4 million from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) through the Grassland Resilience and Conservation Initiative to expand bird-friendly ranching practices across the Central Grasslands—one of North America’s most important and most threatened ecosystems for birds. Keep reading.
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | June 2, 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 | June 2, 2026
A Mutation Gave Humans the Gift of Speech. These Mice Have It, Too.
DNYUZ reported
Scientists have long wondered what enables these mice to have such uncannily complex conversations without the help of human brains. But as it turns out, our brains may not be so different.
Read story at A Mutation Gave Humans the Gift of Speech. These Mice Have It, Too.
Posted in Animals | Tags: Speakingn Mice
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | June 1, 2026
Trump rescinds 50-year off-road vehicle rules on public lands
MSN reported
Trump Wipes Two Decades of Off-Road Restrictions off the Federal Books — Here’s What It Means for Public Land Access
Posted in Park | Tags: Off Road Vehicles
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | June 1, 2026
Upcoming CNPS Events
See the calendar of upcoming events of the California Native Plants Society at https://www.cnps.org/events
Posted in Talks | Tags: Upcoming CNPS Events
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | June 1, 2026
Theodore Payne Foundation Upcoming Events
Theodore Payne Foundation inspires and educates Southern Californians about the beauty and ecological benefits of California native plant landscapes.We are located on 22 acres of canyon land in the northeast corner of the San Fernando Valley. Our full-service native plant nursery, seed room, book store, art gallery, demonstration gardens, and hiking trails are open to the public year round. We offer garden tours and classes for adults and families, as well as field trips to TPF and in-classroom programs for children. Friendly on-leash dogs are welcome and there is no admission charge!
See upcoming events at Theodore Payne Foundation Events – Upcoming Activities and Tickets | Eventbrite
Posted in Class/Workshop | Tags: Theodore Payne Foundation Upcoming Events
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | June 1, 2026
In Point Reyes, a National Park Service scientist has made an incredibly rare find
SF Gate reported
A National Park Service scientist has photographed a group of newly hatched California giant salamanders in the wild for the first time. Michael Reichmuth, a fisheries biologist, snapped a photo of the salamander larvae last September, according to an article published by the Park Service. Reichmuth spotted the salamanders while snorkeling in Olema Creek, a stream running through Point Reyes National Seashore.
Read more at In Point Reyes, a National Park Service scientist has made an incredibly rare find
Posted in Animals, Park | Tags: Giant Salamanders, Pt. Reyes
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | May 31, 2026
Plant believed extinct for 60 years suddenly reappears
ScienceDaily reported
- A random photo snapped in the Australian outback has led to the rediscovery of a plant thought extinct for nearly 60 years — proving that ordinary people with smartphones are quietly transforming science. After bird bander Aaron Bean uploaded pictures of a strange shrub to iNaturalist, botanist Anthony Bean immediately recognized it as Ptilotus senarius, a rare species missing since 1967.
Read more at Plant believed extinct for 60 years suddenly reappears
Posted in Wildflowers and Other Plants | Tags: Ptilotus senarius
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | May 30, 2026
Impossibly rare tropical bird swooped over California.
SF Gate reported
A mysterious seabird swooping over the waters off San Clemente in recent weeks has wowed local birders. This species has likely never visited Orange County before.
The California Bird Records Committee, a volunteer group with nine voting experts responsible for rare bird records, is investigating if the traveler is a lesser frigatebird, a tropical species.
Read more at Impossibly rare tropical bird swooped over California. Experts fear a trend.
Posted in Birds | Tags: Lesser Frigatebird
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | May 30, 2026
WHERE TO SPOT SPRING WILDFLOWERS IN CALIFORNIA STATE PARKS
Get a free copy of the Guide to Wildflowers in California from the California State Parks Foundation.
The guide includes:
- TIPS FOR VIEWING SPRING BLOOMS IN CALIFORNIA STATE PARKS
- STATE PARKS TO VISIT IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, CENTRAL CALIFORNIA, AND SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | May 29, 2026
Gray whales are washing up on North America’s Pacific coast in alarming number
LA Times reported
It’s looking like another really bad year for gray whales. Thus far, 23 have stranded or died along the Washington coast — outpacing the strandings recorded during the historic 2019 die-off. The number has been more modest farther south. There have been 20 beachings and deaths in California, down from 30 as of this time last year, but up from 10 in 2024. And there have been eight in Oregon, which according to Michael Milstein, a spokesman for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, is also a record.
Read article at Gray whales are washing up on North America’s Pacific coast in alarming number
Posted in Animals | Tags: Whale Deaths
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | May 29, 2026
What Makes Poison Dart Frogs Poisonous?
Earth.com reported
Poison Dart Frogs are a brightly colored family of frogs measuring 1.5” long as adults, but are likely the most poisonous animals on earth.
Read on www.earth.com/earthpedia-articles/what-makes-poison-dart-frogs-poisonous/
Posted in Animals | Tags: Poison Dart Frogs
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | May 28, 2026
Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy Events
See a list of all active events and virtual events of the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy at Events in the Parks | Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy.
Posted in Park, Talks, Walks & Hikes | Tags: Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | May 28, 2026
People are putting stickers all over Yosemite National Park’s most popular trail
SF Gate reported
As Yosemite National Park swells with visitors ahead of a reservation-free summer season, vandalism has started to become a problem along one of the park’s most popular hiking trails.
…stickers plastered over previously untouched interpretive signs, locks attached to metal railings and even names and initials etched into rocks and trees.
Read more at People are putting stickers all over Yosemite National Park’s most popular trail
Posted in Park | Tags: Vandalism at Yosemite, Vandalism in National Parks
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | May 27, 2026
National Park Entrance Fees Are Funding Trump’s D.C. Projects
The New York Times reported
The administration is spending at least $67 million worth of fees paid by visitors to national parks on fixing D.C. fountains and the Reflecting Pool.
— Read on www.nytimes.com/2026/05/27/climate/park-service-fees-washington-trump.html
Posted in Park | Tags: National Park Spending
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | May 27, 2026
Regional Parks Botanic Garden Photos 5/25 & 5/26/26
Photographed in the East Bay Regional Parks Botanic Garden in Tilden Park in Berkeley, CA on May 25 and 26, 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 | May 27, 2026
Yellowstone National Park wolf pups face ‘particularly lethal’ virus
SF Gate reported
Yellowstone National Park’s famous wolf packs are facing an invisible threat that’s bringing the number of surviving pups to historic lows: a contagious viral disease called canine distemper.
At the end of 2025, Yellowstone National Park had 84 wolves dispersed among seven packs, according to spokesperson Linda Veress. This amounts to an approximately 16% decrease from the average end-of-year population over the past 15 years. Veress told SFGATE that the number of Yellowstone wolves fluctuates and that the park still supports a “healthy population,” but also acknowledged that the virus is likely taking a toll.
Read more https://www.sfgate.com/national-parks/article/virus-yellowstone-wolves-22277543.php
Posted in Animals, Park | Tags: Yellowstone wolves
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | May 27, 2026
Oak trees are delaying spring to starve caterpillars
ScienceDaily reported
Oak trees have a surprising trick to fight back against hungry caterpillars: they simply wait. When trees are heavily attacked one year, they delay leaf growth by just three days the next spring—long enough to leave newly hatched caterpillars with nothing to eat. This small shift slashes insect survival and reduces leaf damage by more than half, proving even more efficient than costly chemical defenses.
Read on www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/05/260504154019.htm
Posted in Animals, Environment, Wildflowers and Other Plants | Tags: Adaptation to Climate Change, Oak Trees
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | May 26, 2026
Locals are pushing back on a logging proposal on the edge of Yellowstone National Park
SF Gate reported
Last summer, residents of Gardiner and Jardine, Montana, heard through the grapevine that a large-scale logging project might be coming to their doorstep on the northern edge of Yellowstone National Park. What’s since been proposed, though, is larger than they ever could have imagined.
It would entail 4,401 acres of logging and thinning, including 2,126 acres of commercial logging — with 824 acres of that clear-cut — as well as prescribed fire operations in the Custer Gallatin National Forest. The project would span four creek drainages and authorize the construction of 7 miles of new roads.
Read more Locals are pushing back on a logging proposal on the edge of Yellowstone National Park
Posted in Park | Tags: Yellowstone
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | May 25, 2026
Photos From My Garden 5/24/26
Posted in Garden, Photos (Sandy's), Wildflowers and Other Plants | Tags: Garden Photos
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | May 25, 2026
Regional Parks Botanic Garden Native Fern SALE!
Regional Parks Botanic Garden Native Fern SALE!Three Days Only:
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Announcing our inventory reduction sale of California Native Ferns. Quantities and prices below (all are in 3” pots unless otherwise noted). When these quantities are gone, that’s it for this sale.
Additional California Native Plants will be sold at our normal/regular prices. More info: nativeplants.org |
Posted in Garden | Tags: Native Fern Sale
Natural History Wanderings 