Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 20, 2026

Superintendent closes Yosemite National Park for safety reasons

SF Gate reported

Yosemite National Park has closed to visitors due to the impacts of a powerful winter storm, which has dumped copious amounts of snow over the park and caused trees to topple around Yosemite Valley and over park roads.

Superintendent Raymond McPadden officially closed the park Thursday afternoon, citing “high snow loading, multiple road closures into and within the park due to heavy snowfall, on-going tree and limb failures, and potential avalanche conditions” in a safety closure notice reviewed by SFGATE. “The closed area includes the entire park,” the notice reads.

Read more Superintendent closes Yosemite National Park for safety reasons

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 20, 2026

Tejon Conservancy Events

See the calendar of events for theTejon Conservancy at www.tejonconservancy.org/calendar

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 20, 2026

San Francisco coyote swims to Alcatraz for first time ever

SF Gate reported

It was a late Sunday afternoon like any other on San Francisco’s Alcatraz Island. The day was winding down, and Aidan Moore, a guest relations employee for Alcatraz City Cruises, was at the dock of the tourist attraction helping visitors disembark. Suddenly, one of the tourists approached him, wide-eyed: They had just seen a coyote swimming to shore, something that has never been recorded before.

Read more at San Francisco coyote swims to Alcatraz for first time ever

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 19, 2026

National parks remove reservation systems despite crowds

SF Gate reported

In 2026, busy national parks, including Arches, Glacier and Yosemite, will be doing away with reservation systems that for years have helped control crowds, the National Park Service announced on Wednesday.

Read more  National parks remove reservation systems despite crowds

National Park News Release National Park Service Expands Access for Summer 2026 While Maintaining Safety at High-Visitation Parks

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 19, 2026

Severe wildfires threaten 30% of bird diversity hotspots in the West

Earth.com reported

A new study warns that some of the richest bird areas in the western United States could be hit hard by future high-severity wildfires, the kind that kill most trees and can permanently change forests. 

Researchers estimate that roughly a quarter to nearly a third of bird diversity hotspots in the region fall in areas expected to burn at high severity in the future, putting important habitats and the species that depend on them at risk.

Read more Severe wildfires threaten 30% of bird diversity hotspots in the West – Earth.com

https://www.earth.com/news/severe-wildfires-threaten-30-of-bird-diversity-hotspots-in-the-west/

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 19, 2026

Surprising discovery made about the nectar of carnivorous pitcher plants

Earth.com reported

New analyses show that Nepenthes khasiana, a carnivorous pitcher plant from northeast India, loads its nectar with a nerve-disabling chemical that quickly incapacitates ants and other insect pollinators.

Read more at Surprising discovery made about the nectar of carnivorous pitcher plants

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 18, 2026

Yellowstone’s apex predator seen emerging from hibernation incredibly early

SF Gate reported

Visitors spotted a grizzly bear that was awake earlier than usual in Yellowstone.

Read more »

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 18, 2026

Plant species that was presumed to be extinct reappears after nearly six decades

The Independent reported

Small Australian shrub with delicate pink and purple flowers was found thanks to a popular plant ID ap

A plant thought to be extinct has been rediscovered in northern Queensland after 58 years, with the help of a community-driven species identification smartphone app.

Ptilotus senarius, which belongs to a family of flowering plants called Amaranthaceae, is a small, slender shrub endemic to the dry regions of Western Australia.

It was last recorded to have been seen in 1967.

Read more Plant species that was presumed to be extinct reappears after nearly six decades

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 17, 2026

Storm Updates

Several Storm Updates from SF Gate:

Sierra storm drops 28 inches in a day, shuts down I-80

Interstate 80 through the Sierra Nevada was shut down Tuesday morning as intense snowfall, high winds and near-zero visibility made travel dangerous along the mountain corridor.

“Travel impacts are expected to be severe…” Read more »

Caltrans closes portion of Highway 1 ‘until further notice’ after rockslides

The closure is due to rockslides and debris in the roadway. Read more »

Bay Area gets first winter weather advisory in 3 years

A series of cold fronts are expected to bring heavy snow to parts of the Bay Area. Read more »

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 17, 2026

Upcoming Bay Nature Events

See the schedule of upcoming Bay Nature Events mailchi.mp/baynature/march-11

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 17, 2026

Three new mushroom species discovered that smell like shellfish

Earth.com reported

Mushrooms that long looked the same across forests in Europe and North America turn out not to be the same at all. DNA and molecular analysis shows they are three different species.

By separating the three, quietly distinct fungi that had been bundled together for decades, researchers correct records that shape how biodiversity is counted and protected.

Read more at Three new mushroom species discovered that smell like shellfish

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 16, 2026

Gray wolf roams into north Los Angeles County from Plumas County for the first time in more than a century – ABC7 Los Angeles

ABC Los Angeles reported

For the first time in over a century, a gray wolf has ventured into Los Angeles County. A 3-year-old female ventured near Pyramid Lake on Saturday.

Read on abc7.com/post/gray-wolf-roams-north-los-angeles-county-plumas-first-time-more-century/18571055/

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 16, 2026

Plant found that appears to have stolen genes from another species

Earth.com reported

On sheer rock walls in West Africa, a small, unassuming plant carries a genetic trait that does not belong in its family, disobeying the usual rules of inheritance.

This discovery challenges long-held assumptions about how plants change, adapt, and pass traits forward across generations.

The plant, Virectaria stellata, was identified at three sandstone sites in Guinea after botanists noticed its unusual star-shaped hairs and traced their origin to possible gene transfer rather than ordinary mutation.

Read more at Plant found that appears to have stolen genes from another species

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 15, 2026

More Photos From My Garden

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 15, 2026

Tropical Spiders Make Fearsome ‘Puppets’ of Themselves For Protection

Science Alert reported

Some spiders build delicate little nets, others colossal web megacities, and now some in Peru and the Philippines have been found sculpting giant doppelgängers out of silk, prey carcasses, and debris.

This remarkable behavior has just been formally documented for the first time, based on a handful of discoveries dating back to 2012.

“They don’t just decorate their webs – they meticulously arrange detritus, prey carcasses, and silk into a structure that’s not only larger than their own body, but clearly resembles the silhouette of a bigger, menacing spider,”

Read more Tropical Spiders Make Fearsome ‘Puppets’ of Themselves For Protection

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 14, 2026

Calif. mountain lions gain landmark protections weeks after SF sighting

SF Gate reported

California mountain lions from the Bay Area to the Mexican border are now officially protected under the state’s endangered species act after a yearslong push by activists.

The California Fish and Game Commission approved the protections on Thursday six years after wildlife advocates initially petitioned for the safeguards in 2019.

Read more Calif. mountain lions gain landmark protections weeks after SF sighting

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 14, 2026

Rare 9ft-tall ‘camel birds’ released into Saudi Arabian desert

Discover Wildlife reported

Five red-necked ostriches or ‘camel birds’ have been released into a Saudi Arabian nature reserve as part of a large rewilding project.

The critically endangered flightless birds, also known as North African or Barbary ostriches, were introduced into the Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve, in the country’s northwest.

REad moe at Rare 9ft-tall ‘camel birds’ released into Saudi Arabian desert

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 13, 2026

Upcoming Events at the Santa Barbara Natural History Museum

See upcoming events at the Santa Barbara Natural HIstory Museum at https://mailchi.mp/sbnature2.org/general-events-13930336?e=693571bfe8

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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

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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.

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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

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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.

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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

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 12, 2026

Job Opening: Native Plant Nursery Manager

Save The Bay is hiring a Native Plant Nursery Manager. See job description and how to apply at https://forum.cnps.org/forum/cnps-public-forums/botany-and-wildlife-job-announcements/15796-native-plant-nursery-manager-save-the-bay

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 12, 2026

Flower Photos from my Garden – 2/10/26

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Posted in Photos (Sandy's), Wildflowers and Other Plants

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

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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.

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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/

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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

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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.

Read more In polar regions, microbes are influencing climate change as frozen ecosystems thaw, McGill review finds 

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Posted in Environment | Tags: ,

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