NPR reports
As Emory oak trees in parts of Arizona disappear, members of several Apache tribes are working on a collaborative plan with the U.S. Forest Service and researchers to preserve them.
Read or listen to story at Encore: Apache tribes in Arizona are leading the way in saving Emory oak trees : NPR
Posted in Environment
Photos taken along “17 Mile Drive” on the Monterey Peninsula.
Posted in Birds, Photos (Sandy's) | Tags: 17 mile drive, Monterey Peninsula
National Public Lands Day is organized annually and led by the National Environmental Education Foundation, in partnership with the National Park Service and other federal agencies. Hundreds of thousands of volunteers roll up their sleeves to help restore and preserve public lands of all types and sizes—from iconic national parks and rivers to local urban green spaces and everything in between. National Public Lands Day is special because it provides all lovers of the environment—old and new—an opportunity to show our appreciation for these unique places.
There are many ways to participate in National Public Lands Day. Whatever you choose to do, be sure to #RecreateResponsibly!
Posted in Park | Tags: National Public Lands Day
Berkeleyside reports
A first-of-its-kind analysis looked at the health of East Bay wildlife, from bats to bobcats and salamanders to steelhead. Two major mapping projects will dive deep into vegetation and wildfire hazard.
Three major East Bay land studies are underway or recently completed under collaborations of public land managers including EBRPD, EBMUD, Alameda and Contra Costa counties and Berkeley and other local cities.
They include:
A wildlife survey, already completed, covering lands of EBRPD and EBMUD.
A fine-scale vegetation map, showing 3-D images covering all of Alameda and Contra Costa counties. Completion is likely in a few years.
A related wildfire risk map, based on vegetation, and topography, also covering all of Alameda and Contra Costa counties. Completion is likely in mid 2023.
Read article at 3 big studies on East Bay’s creatures, plants and wildfire risk
Posted in Animals, Environment, Park | Tags: 3 big studies on East Bay’s creatures
Grassroots Ecology is hiring a full-time Project Lead to engage local community members in public land stewardship projects in Redwood City. We are looking for someone who is excited to connect with volunteers in an outdoor setting. To apply, please send a resume and cover letter as a PDF attachment to jobs@grassrootsecology.org.
Applications are due by October 28, 2022. See full job description at https://www.grassrootsecology.org/career-opportunities.
Grassroots Ecology values the participation of people from all identities and backgrounds. We recognize that there have historically been many barriers keeping certain communities from participating in environmental activities and programs. We strongly encourage people who identify as BIPOC, LGBTIQ+, first-generation college students, and other groups underrepresented in the conservation field to apply
Posted in Job Openings | Tags: Job Opening
Posted in Park | Tags: Betty Reid Soskin, Oldest Ranger
CNN reported
A new estimate for the total number of ants burrowing and buzzing on Earth comes to a whopping total of nearly 20 quadrillion individuals.
That staggering sum — 20,000,000,000,000,000, or 20,000 trillion — reveals ants’ astonishing ubiquity even as scientists grow concerned a possible mass die off of insects could upend ecosystems.
The estimated abundance of ants exceeds the combined biomass — that is, the total mass — of wild birds and mammals and is equivalent to about 20% of human biomass, according to the study.
Read full article at Scientists have estimated how many ants there are on Earth. Clue: It’s a lot
Posted in Animals | Tags: How Many Ants Are There On Earth?
NBC–Bay Area reports
A day after 230 whales were found stranded on the wild and remote west coast of Australia’s island state of Tasmania, only 35 were still alive despite rescue efforts that were to continue Thursday.
Half the pod of pilot whales stranded in Macquarie Harbour were presumed to still be alive on Wednesday, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania said.
But pounding surf took a toll overnight, Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service manager Brendon Clark said.
Read more at Pounding Surf Kills Nearly 200 Whales Left Stranded on Australian Coast – NBC Bay Area
Posted in Animals | Tags: Stranded Whales Die off Australian Coast
Photographed at Garrapata State Park along the Big Sur Coast on September 14, 2022.
Posted in Park, Photos (Sandy's) | Tags: Garrapata State Park
Visit a national park for free.
Take part in a volunteer work project. Certain in-park projects may provide a fee-free day coupon to be used on a future date.
See the list of National Public Lands Day volunteer events at national parks at: https://www.neefusa.org/npld-event-search
Have fun and enjoy the health benefits of being outdoors!
Share your favorite outdoor activity on social media channels with the hashtag #NPLD and #NPSVolunteer!Posted in Park | Tags: National Public Lands Day
The New York Times reports
The findings represent the first time a highly pathogenic form of the virus, which has devastated bird populations this year, has been detected in cetaceans.
Read more at Bird Flu Found in Dolphin in Florida and Porpoise in Sweden – The New York Times
from Defenders of Wildlife
Posted in Animals | Tags: Sea Otter Awareness Week
Calflora’s Great Places has detailed in formation about many places to see California native plants in the wild. It is useful for finding and planning your wildflower outings including detailed plant lists with photos.
Photos of whales are from a whale watching trip on Monterey Bay and the California Sea Lions are from the Fisherman’s Wharf area of Monterey. Also a video of the Sea Lions
Posted in Animals, Photos (Sandy's) | Tags: California sea lions, Humpback Whales
PLUMAS NATIONAL FOREST is hiring seasonal technicians for the 2023 Field Season!
Biological Science Technician (Plants) and Botanists – Help protect and conserve trees, forbs, grasses and other plants by conducting surveys, inventorying threatened, endangered and sensitive plant species, and collecting and planting seeds. Work also entails inventory of invasive plant species and may include invasive treatment.
Biological Science Technician (Wildlife) – Help protect and conserve wildlife by assessing animal populations, restoring and monitoring habitat, and evaluating projects for their effect on native species. Survey for and work with species such as California Spotted Owl, Northern Goshawk, Sierra Nevada Yellow-legged Frog, California Red-legged Frog, Foothill Yellow-legged Frog, Peregrine Falcon, Osprey, Bald Eagle, Forest Carnivores, and more.
Positions will be filled at the following duty locations: Quincy, CA; Blairsden, CA; and Oroville, CA.
Barrack housing may be available at certain duty locations.
HOW TO APPLY:
Announcements will be open to accept applications on USAJOBS.gov from Sept 29 through October 6.
Posted in Job Openings | Tags: Plumas National Forest
from Audubon
|
|
|
Posted in Birds | Tags: Bird Migration Explorer
Photographed in the Australian and Succulent sections of the UC-Santa Cruz Arboretum on September 12, 2022.
Posted in Garden, Photos (Sandy's) | Tags: UC-Santa Cruz Arboretum
Posted in Job Openings, Park | Tags: Kings Canyon and Sequoia N.P. Job Opportunities
The New York Times reports
As global warming passes certain limits, dire changes will probably become irreversible, the researchers said, including the loss of polar ice sheets and the death of coral reefs.
Read more at Failure to Slow Warming Will Set Off Climate ‘Tipping Points,’ Scientists Say- The New York Times
Posted in Environment | Tags: Climate change, Glocal Warming Tipping Point
NASA Rover Delivers Most Detailed View of Mars Surface EverPerseverance eyeballed a sumptuous 2.5 billion pixels of Martian goodness.
NASA’s new Perseverance rover Mars panorama is a beast. An absolute unit. Totally bonkers. It’s 2.5 billion pixels of rocks, sand, sky and rover parts. On Wednesday, the space agency delivered the most detailed view of the Martian surface ever captured. It’s epic.
See video and read more at NASA Rover Delivers Most Detailed View of Mars Surface Ever – CNET
Posted in Uncategorized | Tags: Detailed Movies of Mars
The 2022 Dark Sky Festival is scheduled to take place at various locations across Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks on Saturday, September 24, 2022. Please follow us on social media and join the Dark Sky Festival Facebook Group to keep up to date on everything Dark Sky!
See more details about the event at www.sequoiaparksconservancy.org/darkskyfestival.html
Posted in Astronomy | Tags: Dark Sky Festival
The New York TImes reports
Researchers looked at thousands of spider news stories to study how sensationalized information spreads. Their findings could be broadly applicable.
It turns out that these fears and misunderstandings of our eight-legged friends are reflected in the news. Recently, more than 60 researchers from around the world, including Dr. Scott, collected 5,348 news stories about spider bites, published online from 2010 through 2020 from 81 countries in 40 languages. They read through each story, noting whether any had factual errors or emotionally fraught language. The percentage of articles they rated sensationalistic: 43 percent. The percentage of articles that had factual errors: 47 percent.
Read more at Spiders Are Caught in a Global Web of Misinformation – The New York Times
Posted in Animals | Tags: Spider Misinformation
|
|
Posted in Bird Festivals, Birds | Tags: Lodi Sandhill Crane Festival
The Soil Ecology and Restoration Group (https://serg2.sdsu.edu/) is looking for a part-time (with possibility of full-time starting in January 2023) habitat restoration technician. The main task of this position is the propagation and care of an endangered species, Lithophragma maximum. Please see attachment Habitat Restoration Technician_LITMAX 2022 10 01.docx for details on the position. Please send your cover letter, résumé, and contact information in one pdf to Julie Lambert and Jocelyn Diego Hernandez at jlambert@sdsu.edu and jdiegohernandez@sdsu.edu
Posted in Job Openings
ScienceDaily reports
Fleas are only a few millimeters in size. But they do have a whole arsenal of defenses — even against aggressive plants.
Read more This is how water fleas defend themselves against carnivorous plants — ScienceDaily
Posted in Animals, Wildflowers and Other Plants | Tags: Carnivorous Plants, Water Fleas
We’re looking for qualified candidates to join the eBird, Merlin, Birds of the World, and Macaulay Library team. Be a part of a passionate group dedicated to building tools for birders, researchers, and conservationists worldwide.
Current staff openings at eBird and job opportunities at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Posted in Birds, Job Openings | Tags: Cornell Lab of Ornithology, EBird, Job Openings
Spring 2023 Wildlife and Plants Temporary Job Opportunities
The positions listed below, including wildlife and plants Biological Science Technician positions starting Spring 2023, will be open for applications through USAJobs.gov September 29 through October 6, 2022.
Opportunities are on most forests in Region 5 (California), and other FS Regions as well.
Visit the Temporary Jobs page to find out which job is right for you.
Posted in Job Openings | Tags: Job Openings
Anthropocene reports
The war against invasive species is often fought on islands. In a surprising number of cases, humans are winning.
From continent-sized Australia to tiny Pacific atolls, these places are wellsprings of unique plants and animals produced by evolutionary detours not available to their mainland brethren.
But that distinctiveness can also leave them defenseless against imported animals that munch on vegetation, prey on eggs and young, and generally upend millennia of isolation. While islands account for just 5% of the Earth’s land mass, they hold around 40% of threatened vertebrates and account for nearly two-thirds of all extinctionssince the 1500s.
Read more at The war on island invaders is more successful than you think
Posted in Animals, Environment | Tags: Invasive species, Island Invaders
The west entrance to Death Valley National Park is closed due to extensive damage to California Highway 190 (CA-190) west of the Park’s boundary. Caltrans has not yet released an estimated timeline for reopening. Most paved roads into the Park are closed. The only route into the Park is from the east, via Death Valley Junction and CA-190.Posted in Desert, Drives, Park | Tags: Death Valley Road Closures
from East Bay Municipal Water District
Posted in Environment | Tags: Coastal Cleanup Day
Natural History Wanderings 