Marin Water is recruiting to fill one full-time temporary (up to 2 years) Natural Resources Technician for the vegetation management section of the Watershed Department. Interested persons must submit a completed District application and supplemental questionnaire responses by the filing deadline.
Learn more and find out how to apply at Natural Resources Technician – CNPS Forums
Posted in Job Openings | Tags: Job Opening
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Posted in Talks | Tags: SF Shoreline Plants And Climate Change
YubaNet reports on research from University of Nevada Reno
The Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica is eroding back from the ocean and flowing faster with each year, threatening to retreat and collapse within decades to a few centuries. If it does, it will potentially draw much of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet with it. The region has enough ice to raise the level of the ocean by as much as 10 feet. College of Science professor Scott Tyler, along with his laboratory manager Chris Kratt, are working with an international team of scientists to determine just how soon that could happen.
Read more at West Antarctic’s Thwaites Glacier under threat from warming sea temperatures – YubaNet
Posted in Environment | Tags: Climate change, Global warming, Thwaites Glacier
from Bringing Back the Natives
Fri., Oct. 7, “Bringing nature home to California: saving songbirds” 7:00 – free
Unitarian Church, 1 Lawson Rd., Kensington
Nearly one third of North America’s birds have vanished in the last fifty years. In this engaging presentation, award-winning writer and speaker Kay Charter, of Saving Birds Thru Habitat, will describe what you can do in your garden and home to help reverse the decline of songbirds. Register in advance and bring a printout of your ticket to receive a free gift bag that will inspire and support you in taking action.
I’ll be introducing Kay, and will be on hand to answer questions before and after Kay’s talk—I hope to see you there!
P.S. Can’t make it on Friday? Kay is also speaking in Berkeley, Oakland, Sonoma, and Pt. Reyes; see her schedule here.
Posted in Fall Foliage | Tags: Markleeville Aspen Festival
The BBC reports
Around 48m birds have been culled across the UK and the EU in the last year as a result of the largest outbreak of avian flu on record.
In the UK, 161 cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) were detected in poultry and captive birds, leading to the culling of 3.2m birds.
That compared to the previous record of 26 cases in 2020/21.
Read more at Record avian flu outbreak sees 48m birds culled in UK and EU
Posted in Park | Tags: Joshua Tree
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife reported that two wolf packs in California have had successful litters this year. See report below.
Wolf Management Update
California Department of Fish and Wildlife April – June 2022 Field Work
Lassen pack
The pack included a minimum of 2 adults (breeding wolves LAS09F and LAS16M), five yearlings (2021 litter –
LAS26F, LAS27F, LAS28F, LAS29M, LAS30M), and 5 pups (LAS31F, LAS32F, LAS33M, LAS34M, LAS35M).
The pack has one functioning collar (LAS09F).
The pack is utilizing its summer range differently this year, perhaps due to local deer distributionchanges
resulting from the Dixie Fire.
There were two confirmed depredations. Survey and collaring operations were ongoing.
Posted in Animals | Tags: California Wolves
Posted in Garden, Wildflowers and Other Plants | Tags: Native Plant Sale
from MarinCNPS
Greening our environment with native plants helps fight the effect of urban heat islands and creates a more resilient landscape across our urban and suburban neighborhoods. Native trees are not only beautiful and worthy in their own right, they also provide shade, oxygen, and life for future generations of insects, wildlife, and people. Here is our list of top 10 recommended trees to plant (but keep in mind that some may grow too large for parkways). Check the Calscape.org link to see which ones work in your area.
Posted in Garden | Tags: California Native Trees
Center fir Biological Diversity News Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif.— Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the Safe Roads and Wildlife Protection Act into law today, paving the way for more wildlife crossings and road improvements across the state.
The law, which received bipartisan support in the legislature, will require Caltrans to identify barriers to wildlife movement and prioritize crossing structures when building or improving roadways.
Posted in Animals | Tags: wildlife corridors, Wildlife Movement
The Guardian reports
Bumblebees have become increasingly stressed by changes in climate over the past century, researchers examining museum specimens have found.
Bees develop asymmetrical wings when they experience stress during development, and by examining a series of preserved specimens and their dates, the scientists found bees showed higher levels of wing asymmetry in hotter and wetter years.
Read more at Climate stress can give bumblebees asymmetrical wings, study finds | Bees | The Guardian
Posted in Animals, Environment | Tags: Bees, Changing Climate impact on Bees
from Yosemite National Park
UPDATE: Yosemite National Park’s temporary peak-hours reservation system concludes today at 4 pm. An entry reservation will not be required to enter or drive through the park; entrance fees will still apply.
Posted in Drives, Park | Tags: Yosemite Entrance Reservations
Posted in Bird Festivals, Birds | Tags: Lodi Sandhill Crane Festival
Phy.org reports
A new study has revealed how climate change poses a hidden threat by permanently damaging the development of chicks born during droughts. This could undermine the recovery of the species and is a sobering reminder of the challenges that a warming world will confront species with, even those which seem to be doing well for the time being.
Read story at Red kite chicks born during droughts are scarred for life: The hidden threat of climate change to wildlife conservation
Posted in Birds, Environment | Tags: Impacts of Drought on Birds, Red Kites
Save The Redwoods News Release
As part of a new initiative to protect redwood forests and enhance recreational opportunities at Montgomery Woods State Natural Reserve in Mendocino County, Save the Redwoods League has purchased Atkins Place, a 453-acre coast redwood forest adjacent to the reserve, and partnered with California State Parks on significant improvements to the park.
— Read on mendofever.com/2022/09/28/save-the-redwoods-league-acquires-453-acres-of-forest-adjacent-to-montgomery-woods/
Posted in Park | Tags: Save the Redwoods
NPR reports
Watching thousands of baby puffins being tossed off a cliff is perfectly normal for the people of Iceland’s Westman Islands.
This yearly tradition is what’s known as “puffling season” and the practice is a crucial, life-saving endeavor.
Read story at During puffling season, Icelanders save baby puffins by throwing them off cliffs : NPR
Posted in Birds | Tags: Puffins, save baby puffins by throwing them off cliffs
Posted in Job Openings | Tags: Job Openings
The New York Times reports
Florida’s native wildlife is well adapted to hurricanes, and species have all kinds of strategies for staying safe or rebounding quickly. For example, even though sea turtle nesting season overlaps with hurricane season and some eggs may be destroyed, many of the young have already hatched and crawled out to sea by the time the season really ramps up. Lots of wildlife in the state can even benefit from new habitat created by flooding and downed trees.
But increasingly, that natural resilience is compromised by two human-created problems.
First, many species are suffering declines driven by habitat loss and other factors. These depleted populations may be squeezed into limited parcels of land, making it much more difficult for them to bounce back after a storm.
Second, climate change is supercharging some hurricanes. Scientists are still learning what this means for wildlife. Bigger storms can wipe out important habitat on land and at sea.
Read more at What does Hurricane Ian mean for Florida’s wildlife? – The New York Times
Posted in Environment | Tags: Hurricane Ian Impact on Wildlife
National Geographic reports
Native to southern Ecuador, the newfound serpents belong to a little-studied group of snakes that spend their lives underground. Read story a Three new snake species discovered in graveyards
Read story at Three new snake species discovered in graveyards
Posted in Animals | Tags: Three new snake species discovered in Ecuador
from the Regional Parks Botanic Garden
For the first time in three years, the Botanic Garden is holding an in-person plant sale!
Fall is the best time to plant many California natives. Choose from a huge selection of California native plants at our annual fall sale to benefit the Garden.
9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. Friends of RPBG members only.
Memberships may be purchased starting at 8:30 a.m. at the Botanic Garden on October 1. Credit cards accepted.
10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Open to the public.
Sale held at Regional Parks Botanic Garden, Tilden Regional Park.
Entrance to the sale will be at the Botanic Garden’s west gate on Anza View Drive via Wildcat Canyon Road.
Free parking and no entrance fee
Bring your own small wagon or boxes
Plenty of fun and expert advice!
Credit cards accepted.
Posted in Garden | Tags: Native Plant Sale
Posted in Talks | Tags: “Saging the World”
Connected Communities – Sierra Buttes Trail Steward is about a project to connect 15 mountain towns in Northern California by multi-use trails.
The Connected Communities Project is a visionary effort led in partnership with the US Forest Service, SBTS, and community partners to connect 15 mountain towns for economic prosperity through outdoor recreation – an $887 billion industry. It will create a vision for a recreation-focused lifestyle through community investment, shared stewardship, economic opportunity, and important new local jobs, all benefiting economically disadvantaged communities in California’s Plumas, Sierra, Butte, Lassen, and Nevada Counties as well as Washoe County, Nevada. Our work will include planning, environmental review, trail creation, and maintenance of trails. It is the intent of this project to diversify recreation throughout the region, provide economic stability as well as support fire recovery and prevention efforts. This project will create a learning landscape for outdoor and environmental education programs that include youth employment and volunteer participation. The end goal is to build the proposed Lost Sierra Route, paying homage to the region and the historic Gold Rush-era mail delivery route.
Read more at Connected Communities – Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship
Photographed at Moss Landing on September 16, 2022.
Brown Pelicans are especially abundant on the California Coast this year due to a large herring population, which resulted in a very successful breeding season. Video of Brown Pelicans.
Posted in Birds, Photos (Sandy's) | Tags: Brown Pelicans, California Sea Lion, Heerman's Gull, Moss Landing
Siskiyou Land Trust is Hiring! And we’re looking for more! Are you an energetic, detail-oriented project manager who is passionate about land conservation in far northern California? Siskiyou Land Trust is a successful, growing land conservation organization seeking a motivated and dynamic Conservation and Projects Manager to join our team. We’ve protected over 30,000 acres of forest lands, woodlands, agricultural lands, meadows, and open space since in Siskiyou County 1994. READ THE JOB DESCRIPTION HERE…
Posted in Job Openings | Tags: Job Opening, Siskiyou Land Trust
The New York Times reports
They underestimated the impact of global warming, and their preferred policy solution floundered in the United States.
Read story at Pace of Climate Change Sends Economists Back to Drawing Board
Posted in Environment
from the Sierra Nevada Conservancy
In the past two years, nearly 20 percent of all giant sequoias, the largest trees in the world that only grow naturally on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada, have been killed. Among those killed were many of the largest trees in each grove, called monarchs, that mostly died in the 2020 Castle Fire and the 2021 KNP Complex and Windy fires.
In an effort to help protect these iconic trees from future wildfire, the federal government recently initiated emergency fuel-reduction treatments on 13,000-plus acres of U.S. Forest Service land in and around 12 different giant sequoia groves. Scheduled to begin this summer and end in 2024, these emergency-response treatments will complement the Sierra Nevada Conservancy (SNC)-funded Grant Grove Big Stump Ecological Restoration Project, which will wrap up in early 2023.
Read more at: State-funded giant sequoia projects | Sierra Nevada Conservancy
Posted in Environment, Park
Photos from Pt. Lobos State Natural Reserve taken on September 15, 2022. Photos are from the Cypress Trail, BIrd Island Trail and Part of South Shore Trail. There were hundreds possibly thousands of Brown Pelicans which a docent told us was highly unusual for Pt. Lobos in September.
For information on visiting Pt. Reyes check my posting Pt. Lobos-a “must do”, but avoid the crowds
See large high quality versions of the photos at Pt. Lobos 9/15/22
Posted in Birds, Park | Tags: Brown Pelicans, Pt. Lobos
The Sierra Club celebrates with the White House the signing of the “United States Government Interagency Memorandum of Understanding on Promoting Equitable Access to Nature in Nature-Deprived Communities” by 10 Federal departments and agencies. It’s an important acknowledgement of the need to prioritize communities that have long been locked out of the benefits that nature can provide to us.
— Read on www.sierraclub.org/press-releases/2022/09/sierra-club-celebrates-new-federal-committee-promoting-equity-nature
Posted in Uncategorized | Tags: equity in nature
Posted in Park | Tags: Joshua Tree National Park
Natural History Wanderings 