The Guardian reported
All five offshore wind projects halted by the Trump administration in December can resume construction after a federal judge’s ruling on Monday that cleared Denmark’s Ørsted to proceed with its Sunrise Wind project off the coast of New York.
Read more US judge allows last of five offshore wind projects halted by Trump to proceed
Posted in Environment | Tags: Wind power
SF Gate reported
The Peninsula Open Space Trust has purchased 2,284 acres of Sargent Ranch near the southern border of Santa Clara County along Highway 101, marking the largest land deal in the 49-year-old nonprofit’s history. The $23 million acquisition is the latest of three properties the trust has secured in its overarching goal to permanently conserve the entire 6,500-acre ranch that was once slated for commercial development as a quarry. It’s also one of the largest pieces of undeveloped private property in the South Bay.
Read more Over 2,000 acres of Bay Area land preserved for $23M
Posted in Park | Tags: Peninsula Open Space Trust land acquisition, Sargent Ranch
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
Bird Guides
Beak shapes in some common urban birds appear to have changed rapidly during the COVID‑19 pandemic, according to a new study.
This suggests that sudden shifts in food availability and human disturbance may have driven short‑term evolutionary responses.
Researchers examined museum specimens and live birds from several city populations in the United States, comparing beak morphology before, during and after the pandemic lockdowns that dramatically altered urban environments.
Read more City bird beaks adapted quickly during COVID-19, research reveals
Posted in Birds | Tags: Short‑term evolutionary responses
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
Photographed in the East Bay Regional Parks Botanic Garden in Tilden Park in Berkeley, CA on January 31, 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.
Magnolia cambelllii
Magnolia cambelllii
Monga Bay reports
Read more at What Craig’s long life reveals about elephant conservation
Posted in Birds | Tags: Craig the Elephant, Super Tusker
LIve Science
Pumas in Patagonia are preying on penguins — and it’s changing how the big cats interact with each other.
The pumas in question reestablished themselves in an Argentinian national park that housed a penguin breeding colony — and the cats promptly began eating the birds. Now, it turns out the normally solitary cats that eat the penguins are tolerating each other more often than expected, new research published Wednesday (Dec. 17) in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B reports.
Read more at Pumas in Patagonia started feasting on penguins — but now they’re behaving strangely, a new study finds
Posted in Animals | Tags: Pumas Prey ON Penguins
Are you looking for seasonal work in the great outdoors?
Sequoia and Kings Canyon are currently hiring for several positions, including maintenance, trails, equipment operator, utilities, and administrative support.
Find available positions, descriptions, and requirements on USAJOBS.gov by using the location filter for Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. Please pay careful attention to the application instructions listed in the description.
NPS photo
Alt text: 1. Clouds roll over the landscape in Sequoia. 2. The river flows through Tokopah Valley. 3. Giant sequoias in winter. 4. Dogwood blooms. 5. The General Grant Tree. 6. The Foothills Visitor Center with lupine in bloom.
Posted in Job Openings, Park
the Press Democrat reported
A San Francisco conservation group has reached an agreement to purchase 200 acres in northwest Sonoma County that will expand its existing old-growth redwood reserve east of Stewarts Point and Salt Point State Park.
Under the agreement, Save the Redwoods League will buy the property for $4 million from the family of the late Harold Richardson. The land will be added to the group’s Harold Richardson Redwoods Reserve, a 730-acre forest that was acquired from the family in 2018, bringing the combined reserve to nearly 1,000 acres.
Posted in Uncategorized
The Guardian reported
Planet’s oldest bee species and primary pollinators were under threat from deforestation and competition from ‘killer bees’
Stingless bees from the Amazon have become the first insects to be granted legal rights anywhere in the world, in a breakthrough supporters hope will be a catalyst for similar moves to protect bees elsewhere.
Read more at Stingless bees from the Amazon granted legal rights in world first
Posted in Uncategorized
Phys.com reported
Large-scale melting of the Greenland Ice Sheet is irreversible and happening at a rapid rate, and now a new international study is the first to understand why. A University of Waterloo scientist and a team of international collaborators found that airborne mineral dust and other aerosols are directly connected to how much algae grows on the ice. The algae interfere with albedo, or the reflection of the sun’s rays, exacerbating melting. The work is published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology.
Read on phys.org/news/2026-01-mineral-greenland-ice-sheet-algae.html
Posted in Environment | Tags: Greenland Glacial Melt
SF Gate reported
A Yellowstone National Park wolf strayed outside the national park. Then hunters illegally shot her.
Read on www.sfgate.com/national-parks/article/poacher-wolf-yellowstone-pack-21316264.php
Posted in Animals, Park | Tags: Wolves, Yellowstone
SF Gate reported
California wildlife officials announced they have dismantled a large underground wildlife trafficking operation in Fresno and Madera counties, after federal agents intercepted a falsely labeled international shipment, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office said Friday.
Read more Calif. investigation uncovers underground market for endangered wildlife parts
Posted in Animals | Tags: Illegal sale endangered animal parats
Posted in Garden, Wildflowers and Other Plants | Tags: Garden Flowers
Earth.com reported
An octopus rides on the back of a fast mako shark off the coast of New Zealand; a scientific video reveals an unusual interaction.
Read on www.earth.com/news/octopus-caught-riding-on-the-back-of-the-worlds-fastest-shark-in-the-open-ocean/
Posted in Animals | Tags: Octopus riding shark
SF Gate reported
The National Park Service is ramping up its efforts to locate the driver of a California vehicle that illegally went off road in Death Valley National Park.
Read on www.sfgate.com/national-parks/article/death-valley-dunes-destruction-21320484.php
Posted in Desert, Park | Tags: Death Valley, Habitat destruction
Friends of California Condors Wild and Free Upcoming Events at Events | Friends of California Condors Wild and Free
Posted in Uncategorized
10 Species Across U.S. Move Closer to Lifesaving Protections
Extinction Crisis Threatens Olympic Marmots, Mount Pinos Sooty Grouse, Many Other Species
PORTLAND, Ore.— In response to petitions from the Center for Biological Diversity and other groups, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today announced that 10 species across the country warrant consideration for protection under the Endangered Species Act.
— Read on biologicaldiversity.org/w/news/press-releases/10-species-across-us-move-closer-to-lifesaving-protections-2026-01-23/
Posted in Animals | Tags: Endangered species
SF Gate reported
There’s been a sharp rise in crow numbers across the San Francisco Bay Area’s nine counties over the past five years.
Read on www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/crow-populations-san-francisco-21316117.php
Posted in Birds | Tags: Doubling San Francisco Crow Population
The Guardian reported
Wildlife officials in San Francisco captured a young mountain lion that was spotted roaming the streets of the city.
Authorities issued a warning to residents late on Monday, saying a mountain lion had been seen walking the streets in the Pacific Heights neighborhood and advised people to slowly back away from the animal if they encountered it.
They said on Tuesday morning the wild feline had been located, and later managed to capture the animal. The San Francisco Chronicle reported the mountain lion had been tranquilized and will be released into the wild.
Read more at Mountain lion roaming San Francisco’s streets captured by wildlife officials
Posted in Animals | Tags: Mountain Lion in San Francisco
CBC Radio reported
Bird experts agree Creamsicle is rare — and potentially even unique — in its colouring. But they disagree about what’s behind the orange feathers. It could be a genetic mutation, an unfortunate accident, or the work of “nefarious miscreants.”
Read on www.cbc.ca/radio/asithappens/orange-snowy-owl-1.7486027
Posted in Birds | Tags: Unusual colored Snowy Owl
Photographed in the East Bay Regional Parks Botanic Garden in Tilden Park in Berkeley, CA on January 24, 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.
Joshua trees normally start flowering in February. This year, the bloom started in late October.
— Read on www.sfgate.com/news/article/joshua-trees-early-bloom-21307157.php
Posted in Environment, Park, Wildflowers and Other Plants | Tags: Early Joshua Tree Bloom
The Independent reported
Return of key species after more than 500 years could control damaging surge in deer numbers and boost tourism
The reintroduction of lynx , a species which has been extinct in Britain for at least 500 years, to northern Scotland is one step closer as a major consultation with local people is launched to seek their views on the potential return of the animals to the wild.
Read more Scotland takes next step towards lynx reintroduction
Garden Greeters offer a warm welcome and helpful orientation for our visitors on weekends and holidays. They ensure our visitors have the best possible experience by handing out maps, and offering general information as well as games for children to help them get to know the Garden. These positions are open to all interested volunteers and the training is free.
Our next Garden Greeter training will take place on Saturday, March 28 and Saturday, April 4, both from 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM and both dates are required. To learn more and to apply for the training, send an email to greeter_coordinator@nativeplants.org.
Posted in Garden | Tags: East Bay Regional Parks Botanic Garden
See Channel Island Restoration webinars at https://cirweb.org/webinars
We Channel Island restoration trips at https://cirweb.org/education-trips
Posted in Environment, Talks, Walks & Hikes | Tags: Channel Island Restoration
The Guardian reported
Pacific Grove is known as ‘Butterfly Town USA’ for its role as an overwintering spot. As the insect’s population plummets, residents are coming to its rescue.
Read on www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/05/monarch-butterfly-california-conservation
Posted in Butterflies | Tags: Efforts to save Monarchs
SF Gate reported
A fence was installed on Thornton State Beach in Daly City by a private landowner, preventing people from accessing its trails.
Read on www.sfgate.com/local/article/bay-area-beach-blocked-21314669.php
Posted in Park | Tags: public access, Thornton State Beach
Natural History Wanderings 