Natural History Wanderings | Sandy Steinman's Blog | Page 161

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | May 1, 2022

May is Garden For Wildlife Month

from the National Wildlife Federation

5 Ways to Celebrate Garden for Wildlife Month’s 10th Anniversary

We are celebrating our 10th annual Garden for Wildlife month! Are you ready to celebrate? Whether you’re new to wildlife habitat gardening or have been planting with a purpose to help out the local birds, butterflies and bees for years we have a way for you to celebrate! Join in the celebration!

What is Garden for Wildlife Month?

Garden for Wildlife Month is a month-long celebration of everyone who makes a difference for wildlife and the planet by gardening with native plants outside their homes and in their communities. You can plant for wildlife too! If you live in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, or Midwest get native plants curated for your region. Plants ship right to your door with all the tips you need.

Find out more about Garden for Wildlife Month.

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Posted in Animals, Birds, Environment, Garden | Tags: Garden for Wildlife Month

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | May 1, 2022

Berkeley Library Birds & Bee Programs

BIRDS & BEES

Meet & Learn all about Bees

Saturday, May 14 1:30pm -or- 3pm

Cal Researchers: Keeping Up with the Pereguine Falcons

Thursday, May 19 6:30pm
(recommended for teens & adults)

Cal Falcons Family Program

Saturday, May 21 3:30
(recommended for kids & their families)

Brilliant Birds Talk with Behavioral Neuroscientists

Tuesday, May 24 11am

How do new bird species arise? —A time travel in the Pacific West forest

Tuesday, May 17 5:30pm
(part of Popping the Science Bubble Cal Lecture Series)

A bird’s eye view of behavior and physiology: How zebra finches cope with stress

Tuesday, May 17 5:30pm
(part of Popping the Science Bubble Cal Lecture Series)

REGISTER

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Posted in Birds, Talks | Tags: Bees, Birds

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | May 1, 2022

U.S. trees may provide over $100 billion dollars in savings via environmental benefits

ScienceDaily reports

U.S. trees may provide over $100 billion dollars in savings via environmental benefits — but face growing threats: Study suggests trees are more valuable as climate, air regulators than as consumable products

The concept of ecosystem services allows researchers to quantify the benefits that nature contributes to people into monetary units. A new study suggests that trees provide greater economic value when used to regulate climate and air quality than the value they produce as wood products, food crops, and Christmas trees.

Read more at U.S. trees may provide over $100 billion dollars in savings via environmental benefits — but face growing threats: Study suggests trees are more valuable as climate, air regulators than as consumable products — ScienceDaily

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Posted in Environment

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | April 30, 2022

Calflora Webinar 5/5/22

From San Luis Obispo CNPS Chapter

Cynthia Powell, Executive Director, Calflora
Date: Thursday, May 5, 2022, 7pm via Zoom

Please join us to learn from Calflora’s Executive Director Cynthia Powell about new Calflora tools for native plant professionals, gardeners, and enthusiasts! Calflora aggregates millions of plant observations across the state from dozens of sources and serves them to the public free of charge. These data sources include CCH2 (a worldwide plant information portal from the California Consortium of Herbaria), iNaturalist, and CNPS plant checklists from around the state. How can you better use this incredible resource to learn more about regional plants?

At this presentation, Cynthia will cover Calflora’s planning your garden tool, specimen and other plant observations used in this tool, detailed plant ranges now available on Calflora’s species pages (for example, Grindelia stricta), population monitoring tools, and email alerts. She will also go over the important role CNPS members play in submitting and commenting on Calflora observations and checklists. Also, Bryophytes are now in Calflora, and Calflora needs help from Bryophyte lovers to improve distribution information.

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Posted in Garden, Wildflowers and Other Plants | Tags: Calflora

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | April 30, 2022

Animal crossing: world’s biggest wildlife bridge comes to California highway

The Guardian reports the world’s biggest wildlife bridge

Unprecedented overpass will allow fauna of the Santa Monica mountains to safely cross a dangerous 10-lane stretch

Read story at Animal crossing: world’s biggest wildlife bridge comes to California highway | Wildlife | The Guardian

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Posted in Animals

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | April 30, 2022

Here’s how major league sports can be climate role models: Stick with lockdown-era schedules

Anthropocene Magazine reports

U.S. sports leagues could slash carbon emissions associated with air travel by more than one-fifth simply by making changes like those put in place during the pandemic permanent, a new analysis suggests.

Read story at Here’s how major league sports can be climate role models: Stick with lockdown-era schedules

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Posted in Environment | Tags: Air Travel, Carbon Emissions, Major Leagure Sports

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | April 29, 2022

Plant Native Trees for Arbor Day

from Audubon

This Arbor Day, Plant Audubon® Native Trees

Choose trees that are better for birds. Audubon® Native Plants and Trees are grown by our partner, Bower & Branch, and are 100% free of neonicotinoids—that means no dangerous pesticides that can harm birds and other pollinators! Our selections will continue to expand, so check back regularly for more options native to your region.

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Posted in Birds, Environment | Tags: Arbor Day, Audubon, Native Trees

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | April 29, 2022

City Nature Challenge Starts Today

Started in 2016 as a competition between San Francisco and Los Angeles, the City Nature Challenge (CNC) has grown into an international event, motivating people around the world to find and document wildlife in their cities. Run by the Community Science teams at the California Academy of Sciences and the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, the CNC is an annual four-day global bioblitz at the end of April, where cities are in a collaboration-meets-friendly-competition to see not only what can be accomplished when we all work toward a common goal, but also which city can gather the most observations of nature, find the most species, and engage the most people in the event.

The 2022 City Nature Challenge takes place in 2 parts:

April 29 – May 2 Taking pictures of wild plants and animals.

May 3 –May 8 Identifying what was found.

Learn more and find how out how to participate at City Nature Challenge – City Nature Challenge

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Posted in Animals, Birds, Wildflowers and Other Plants | Tags: City Nature Challenge Starts Today

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | April 29, 2022

Virtual Botany Road Trip Starts 4/30/22

from the Milo Baker CNPS

Take a virtual botany road trip! Botanical Storyteller Matt Berger starts the 3-part virtual tour of his epic year looking for unusual plants in unusual places across the U.S. Registration at https://www.cnps.org/event/botany-road-trip/2022-04-30

A 3-part Webinar Series with Matt Berger
6-8pm PT
Saturday, April 30
Saturday, May 7
& Sunday, May 15, 2022

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Posted in Wildflowers and Other Plants | Tags: Virtual Botany Roadtrip

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | April 29, 2022

A partial solar eclipse is happening 4/30/22

NPR reports

If you own a pair of eclipse glasses, you might have a chance to use them on Saturday.

On April 30, a partial solar eclipse will be visible in South America, Antarctica, and the Pacific and Southern oceans, according to NASA.

A solar eclipse happens when the moon passes between the Earth and sun, temporarily blocking the sun’s light. During a partial solar eclipse, the moon is not perfectly aligned with the Earth and the sun, so it will not completely cover the sun. Instead, the sun will appear to have a crescent shape, NASA said.

Here’s how to see the eclipse and what you might glimpse: A partial solar eclipse is happening soon. Here’s who will be able to see it : NPR

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Posted in Astronomy | Tags: Partial Solar Eclipse

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | April 29, 2022

Large mammals can help climate change mitigation and adaptation

ScienceDaily reports

A new study investigates whether protecting and restoring large animal wildlife can help to support climate change goals.

When it comes to helping mitigate the effects of climate change by absorbing carbon, flora rather than fauna usually comes to mind. A new study published in Current Biology now explores the role of large wild animals in restoring ecosystems and battling climate change.

Read more at Large mammals can help climate change mitigation and adaptation — ScienceDaily

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Posted in Animals, Environment

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | April 28, 2022

Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy Job Openings

Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy staff members work with the National Park Service to manage park improvement projects, habitat restoration efforts, and education and interpretive programs.

See job openings at Careers | Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy

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Posted in Astronomy, Job Openings | Tags: Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | April 28, 2022

Is tourism compatible with the decarbonized economy?

Anthropocene magazine reports

What if there was a way to go on vacation while helping fix the carbon emissions problem? According to new research, tacking on an $11 tax to each trip could do just that.

Read article at https://www.anthropocenemagazine.org/…/can-global…/

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Posted in Environment

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | April 27, 2022

Annual Military Pass Provides Free Entrance to National Parks

Did you know the Interagency Annual Military Pass provides free entrance to national parks and other federal recreation areas to current U.S. military members and their dependents, U.S. military veterans, and Gold Star Families? Learn more at: https://www.nps.gov/…/veterans-and-gold-star-families…

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Posted in Park | Tags: Annual Military Pass

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | April 27, 2022

Reservations Required To Enter Yosemite 5/20 to 9/30

A reservation will be required to drive into or through Yosemite between 6 am and 4 pm from May 20 through September 30. (No reservation is required if visiting before May 20.)

Seventy percent of peak-hour reservations became available on March 23, and most of these (51%) are still available: only 18 days have sold out so far. You can make a peak-hours reservation at https://www.recreation.gov/timed-entry/10086745.

The remaining 30% of peak-hour reservations will become available every day, seven days in advance, starting May 13.

You can learn more about what reservations are valid for entry and other details about the peak-hour reservation system at https://go.nps.gov/reserve.

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Posted in Park | Tags: Yosemite Reservation Required

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | April 27, 2022

An Iris Affaire at Dry Creek Garden: April 30

from the East Bay Regional Parks

Join us Saturday, April 30 from 11 am to 1 pm at Dry Creek Pioneer Regional Park for An Iris Affaire, a special viewing of the Iris Garden with American Iris Society Region’s 14 members, and enjoy listening to live music between 11 am and 1 pm amongst the multitude of varieties of irises. Can’t make the event? The Iris Garden is open to the public April 1 through May 31, Thursdays through Sundays from 10am to 4pm. Map to Dry Creek Staging Area.

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Posted in Park, Wildflowers and Other Plants | Tags: Dry Creek Pioneer Regional Park, East Bay Regional Parks, Iris

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | April 27, 2022

Drought and Native Trees

from Marin CNPS

Drought and Native Trees By: Drew Zwart, PhD Bartlett Tree Research Labs

Whether it’s referred to as prolonged drought or the effects of climate change, or both, there’s no doubt that Marin County is getting dryer and the native trees are suffering from it. In both tree pathology and entomology, a common general statement is that native trees aren’t susceptible to native disease pathogens or insect pests because they’ve evolved various defense mechanisms. However, when physiological stressors like drought are involved, this generalization starts to fall apart.

Read more about specific tree stresses and solutions. .

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Posted in Environment | Tags: Drought and Native Trees

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | April 26, 2022

Webinar: Soil Health and Beneficial Insects: Beyond Bees and Butterflies 4/27/22

On April 27, join Stephanie Frischie, Agronomist and Native Plant Materials Specialist with the Xerces Society, for a webinar on Soil Health and Beneficial Insects: Beyond Bees and Butterflies. Stephanie will discuss the diversity of soil invertebrates, their role in soil health, and gardening and farming practices that support soil life.

Register and view more upcoming events on the Xerces events page. Learn More

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Posted in Animals, Butterflies, Environment | Tags: Beneficial Insects, Soil Health

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | April 26, 2022

Job Openings

Sierra Institute is hiring a Wildlife Biological Technician at Lassen Volcanic National Park from June to October 2022. See job details and how to apply at Biological Technician (Wildlife)

San Clemente Island is hiring two Restoration Technicians. See job details and how to apply at Hiring Two (2) Restoration Technicians for San Clemente Island

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Posted in Job Openings | Tags: Biological Technician, Job Opening

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | April 26, 2022

Shining a Light on Firefly Conservation

from the Xerces Society

Hear the word firefly or lightning bug, and what comes to mind? Warm summer nights? Flickering lights in the encroaching dark? Maybe soft grass underfoot, with childre

Learn about firefly conservation from the Xerces Society at Shining a Light on Firefly Conservation

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Posted in Animals | Tags: Firefly Conservation, Xerces Society

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | April 25, 2022

How to Stop Wildlife Trafficking in Its Tracks

The Revelator reports of what needs to happen to stop wildlife trafficking

The rich countries that fuel demand for wildlife products must step up to fulfill their enforcement responsibilities and support developing countries and vulnerable communities.

Read article at How to Stop Wildlife Trafficking in Its Tracks • The Revelator

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Posted in Animals | Tags: Wildlife Trafficking

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | April 24, 2022

Drakes Beach, Pt. Reyes Photos 4/19/22

Photographed at Drake Beach, Drakes Beach Rd. and Drakes Estero at Pt. Reyes on April 19, 2022.

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Posted in Animals, Park, Photos (Sandy's), Wildflowers and Other Plants | Tags: Drakes Beach, Drakes Estero, Elephant Seals, Pt. Reyes, Tule elk

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | April 24, 2022

Animals in the soil make noises. Biologists are listening.

Knowable Magazine reports

A handful of scientists have started to train their ears to the worms, grubs and roots underground. They were not prepared for what they heard.

Read what they found at Animals in the soil make noises. Biologists are listening.

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Posted in Animals, Environment | Tags: Soil, Talking Soil

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | April 23, 2022

Today Is National Junior Ranger Day

from the National Park Service

The Junior Ranger Program is a great way to explore national parks. You can learn about nature sounds, night skies, or even the Transcontinental Railroad! You’ll also learn why national parks matter and how you can be a part of the team that helps keep parks healthy.

This year’s National Junior Ranger Day is on Saturday, April 23! We don’t care what age you are—just “explore, learn, and protect” your national parks online and become an official Junior Ranger. Look for the virtual badges you can print out and post on your refrigerator.

Read more at National Junior Ranger Day – NPS Celebrates! (U.S. National Park Service)

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Posted in Park

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | April 23, 2022

Kehoe Beach, Pt. Reyes Photos 4/18/22

Photographed at Kehoe Beach area at Pt. Reyes on April 18, 2022. Kehoe Beach has some nice hillsides with large displays of California Native Plants at the end of the trail just before you get to the Beach. However, you must first walk through fields of alien mustard and Wild Radish.

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Posted in Park, Photos (Sandy's), Wildflowers and Other Plants | Tags: Kehoe Beach, Pt. Reyes

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | April 23, 2022

Black Like Plastic – Ventura 4/28

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | April 23, 2022

Job Opening: Land Conservation Program Director

from Eastern Sierra Land Trust

Happy Earth Week! Do you want to work to protect the land, water, and wildlife that make the Eastern Sierra so special? Apply to join our team as Land Conservation Program Director. Please share with someone who might be interested!

Visit ESLT.org/employment

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Posted in Job Openings | Tags: Eastern Sierra Land Trust, Job Opening

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | April 23, 2022

Air pollution significantly reduces pollination by confusing butterflies and bees

ScienceDaily reports

A new study finds pollination reduced by almost a third when diesel fumes and ozone were present – the negative impact of these common air pollutants on pollination were observed in the natural environment.

Read story at Air pollution significantly reduces pollination by confusing butterflies and bees — ScienceDaily

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Posted in Butterflies, Environment | Tags: Bees, Butterflies, Pollution

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | April 22, 2022

International Dark Sky Week April 22 to April 30

Learn more about International Dark Sky Week and activities at Home – International Dark Sky Week

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Posted in Astronomy | Tags: Dark Sky Week

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | April 22, 2022

National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Grants.

The National Park Service announces the availability of $150,000 in National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Grants. This grant program, funded by the 400 Years of African American History Commission, in collaboration with the Association for the Study of African American Life and History and National Park Service, is open for application through May 13, 2022. These grants will support community work to document, preserve, and interpret Underground Railroad history. Learn more and apply at: https://www.nps.gov/orgs/1207/ntf-grants-2022.htm

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Posted in Park | Tags: National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Grants.

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