from the East Bay Regional Park District
For the past seven years, the East Bay Regional Park District has celebrated Green Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, as a healthy outdoor alternative to Black Friday holiday shopping. To encourage time in nature, the Park District is again making Green Friday a FREE Park Day. More Info: www.ebparks.org
Posted in Park | Tags: East Bay Regional Parks
from Defenders of Wildlife
Conservation takes action, and we can all play a critical role. Simple things like switching off your lights when you leave the office and swapping lead for alloys while fishing can go a long way in protecting wildlife. Learn about other easy acts that can make a big difference in helping the wildlife in your community: https://dfnd.us/2YLLDHF
Posted in Animals, Birds, Garden | Tags: things you can do to help wildlife
USA Today reports
A toxic invasive species that can be deadly if eaten is spreading, wrecking havoc across parks, flower beds and backyard gardens.
Poison hemlock, which resembles Queen Anne’s Lace, can be spotted in highway right-of-ways, along fences and on the edges of farm fields. In just the last year, however, the plant that was originally brought to the U.S. from Europe has migrated near more populated areas, which has experts concerned.
Read more at Poison hemlock spreads across US parks, gardens: Beware of toxic plant
Posted in Wildflowers and Other Plants | Tags: Conium maculatum, Poison hemlock
Photos from a visit to the Regional Parks Botanic Garden in Tilden Park in Berkeley on November 21, 2021
The Regional Parks Botanic Garden is a botanic garden of California native plants.
You can see other photos from the Regional Parks Botanic Garden on the garden’s Flickr group page at Regional Parks Botanic Garden.
NPR reports
A beach in Christchurch, New Zealand, had an unexpected visitor this week — a penguin that had traveled 3,100 miles from its native Antarctica.
The bird is known as an Adélie penguin and is the classic black and white tuxedo-looking one. This instance appears to be only the third time that an Adélie penguin has come up to New Zealand’s shores.
Read more at Antarctic penguin ends up on New Zealand shore, 3,100 miles from home : NPR
Posted in Animals | Tags: Adélie penguin
USGS Hiring Botany/Soils Field Research Technicians
Description: The USGS is recruiting plant ecology and soils field techs to assist with conservation research evaluating the effectiveness of restoration techniques used to decommission OHV trails in the deserts of southern California. The field techs will collect data on plant cover, density, and species diversity; soil bulk density and texture; and other measures of restoration success. Work will be based out of the USGS office in Boulder City, NV, with week-long visits to various field sites in CA required (~20 travel days per month). This work will help the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) determine techniques used for future restoration projects. This is a temporary position that will begin in mid-to-late -January 2022 and last for up to 180 working days (approximately 8.5 months). Extensions are possible, contingent on performance and funding availability.
Read more and learn how to apply at USGS Hiring Botany/Soils Field Research Technicians – CNPS Forums
Posted in Job Openings | Tags: USGS Botany/Soils Field Research Technicians
BBC reports
A report by Brazil’s space research agency (Inpe) found that deforestation increased by 22% in a year.
Brazil was among a number of nations who promised to end and reverse deforestation by 2030 during the COP26 climate summit.
Read more at Brazil: Amazon sees worst deforestation levels in 15 years – BBC News
Posted in Environment | Tags: Amazon sees worst deforestation levels in 15 years
from Bay Nature
Monarchs and More!
From Nature in the City | In-person | November 21
Join in for a walk and training that will give participants the tools to become a Monarch Monitor and track the overwintering butterflies in San Francisco. Led by Mia Monroe, founder of the Western Monarch Thanksgiving Count. Learn more here!
Posted in Butterflies, Talks, Walks & Hikes | Tags: Monarch Butterfly Monitors
See late November and December programs for the UC Berkeley Botanical garden at Seasonal Programs & Workshops – UC Botanical Garden
While most of our offerings continue to be virtual, we are beginning to bring back in-person programs!
Please take careful note if your program is online or at the Garden. Email gardenprograms@berkeley.edu with questions or to be added to a program wait list.
Posted in Class/Workshop, Garden, Talks | Tags: UC Botanical Garden Programs
Posted in Job Openings | Tags: Assistant State Archeologist Exam i
AP reports
A ranch in remote Northern California once owned by the late financier Dean Witter has been sold to a nature conservancy that plans to convert into a park, providing public access to a wild and scenic stretch of the Eel River for the first time.
The nonprofit Wildlands Conservancy announced Wednesday it closed escrow on the nearly 30,000-acre (12,140-hectare), $25 million property and will rename it Eel River Canyon Preserve, after the 196-mile (315-kilometer) river that runs from the Mendocino National Forest to the Humboldt County coast.
Read more at Financier’s Northern California ranch to become public park
Posted in Park | Tags: Eel River Canyon Preserve, Wildlands Conservancy
See in person and virtual events for Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy at Events in the Parks | Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy
Posted in Park, Talks, Walks & Hikes
See the schedule of ABDNHA Anza Borrego nature programs and activities – calendar for hikes, walks, desert flowers, tours, lectures, in Anza-Borrego and Borrego Springs at Borrego Springs Anza Borrego Desert Activities, Hikes, tours, classes, lectures
Posted in Park | Tags: Lassen National Park
Posted in Park | Tags: Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Park
Anthropocene magazine reports to new studies reporting on the complexity of the disappearance of insects. Here are a few excerpts
New work suggests that the countryside can support a lot of insects, but a small variety. Meanwhile, cities have less vegetation, but a bigger variety of habitats.
In recent years, scientists have reported alarming declines of insect populations. It is a crash of both sheer volume and the number of species. In Germany, scientists four years ago reported the amount of insects in wildlife preserves fell by more than 70% over a 27-year time span. Two years later, scientists warned that nearly half of the world’s insect species could disappear in the “next few decades.”
The news isn’t all bad. Some types of insects in some parts of the world are faring better. For instance, aquatic insect numbers appear to be on the increase. But even scientists who saw this uptick found that land-based insects are in decline.
What’s less clear is the causes of this disappearance.
Read article at The insect apocalypse is more nuanced than it first appears
Posted in Animals, Environment | Tags: Disappearance of Insects
Abalone: the remarkable history and uncertain future of California’s iconic shellfish
Our guest speaker is Ann Vileisis, award-winning author who will discuss her latest work on abalone in California.
Space reports
The Beaver Moon partial lunar eclipse on Nov. 19 will be the longest of the century.
Its peak will last 3 hours, 28 minutes and 23 seconds.
Depending on your time zone, it starts early Nov. 19 or late Nov. 18.
U.S. timetable for the partial lunar eclipse on Nov. 19, 2021 Event EST CST MST PST Moon enters penumbra 1:02 a.m. 12:02 a.m. 11:02 p.m. 10:02 p.m. Moon enters umbra 2:18 a.m. 1:18 a.m. 12:18 a.m. 11:18 p.m. Maximum eclipse 4:02 a.m. 3:02 a.m. 2:02 a.m. 1:02 a.m. Moon leaves umbra 5:47 a.m. 4:47 a.m. 3:47 a.m. 2:47 a.m. Moon leaves penumbra 7:03 a.m. 6:03 a.m. 5:03 a.m. 4:03 a.m.
Read more and see video at The Beaver Moon lunar eclipse on Nov. 19 will be the longest of the century. Here are its stages explained. | Space
Posted in Astronomy | Tags: Beaver Moon, Longest Eclipse of Century
SF Gate reports
Three of Yosemite’s campgrounds — Tuolumne Meadows, Bridalveil Creek and Crane Flat — will be closed as they undergo extensive renovations.
There will be no camping available at all three sites during the closures.
Tuolumne Meadows will see the longest closure, as the National Park Service says that it will be shuttered until 2024, or even 2025, for rehabilitation.
Read more at Yosemite’s largest campground, Tuolumne Meadows, shutters for years-long rehabilitation work
Posted in Park | Tags: Tuolumne Meadows Campground, Yosemite National Park
from Bay Nature: Living on Public Lands
Thursday, November 18th, 4pm
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Posted in Park, Talks | Tags: Living on Public Lands
from Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks
Highway 180 into Cedar Grove is closed for the season.
Posted in Drives, Park | Tags: Cedar Grove, King's Canyon and Sequoia National Parks
Nevada Public Radio has a report on why birding in the Amazon may be shrinking. Listen at Birds in the Amazon have been shrinking. Here’s why scientists think it’s happening | Nevada Public Radio
Posted in Birds | Tags: Amazon Birds Shrinking
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Posted in Bird Festivals | Tags: Central Valley Birding Symposium
from Golden Gate Audubon
Thursday, November 18 7 p.m. via Zoom Free
Presented by Mike Lynes
North America’s bird populations have declined by approximately 3 billion birds since 1970 and two-thirds of North America’s bird species are at even greater risk of extinction due to climate change.
ZOOM LINK
HTTPS://US06WEB.ZOOM.US/J/81846694373?PWD=N3KXDZVICU1TK01TMG5FTFB1Y3N3DZ09
Passcode: 943750
This presentation will be recorded.
Posted in Birds, Environment, Talks | Tags: Climate and Birds in California
NPR reported
A wayward roadrunner is on the mend in Maine after traveling across the country in a moving van.
The greater roadrunner, a species native to Southwestern states, hitched a ride in the storage area of a moving van from Las Vegas to Westbrook, Maine. Volunteers took the bird to Avian Haven, a bird rehabilitation facility in Maine.
Read more at A roadrunner stowed away in a moving van from Las Vegas to Maine : NPR
Posted in Birds | Tags: Roadrunner
A partial lunar eclipse will darken the moon for much of the globe on November 19, 2021 (overnight on November 18 for North America). Most locations will see up to 97% of the moon slip into Earth’s shadow. North America has the best location to see the entirety of the eclipse.
EarthSky | Partial lunar eclipse November 18-19: Great for North America
Posted in Astronomy | Tags: Partial Lunar Eclipse
Photos my yard except the Christmas Cactus which is an indoor plant.
While the Christmas cactus may be known under various names (like Thanksgiving cactus or Easter cactus), the scientific name for Christmas cactus, Schlumbergera bridgessii, remains the same – while other plan.
However, this year’s bloom should make a Veteran’s Day Cactus.
Posted in Fall Foliage, Photos (Sandy's) | Tags: Fall Leaves, Yard Photos
The San Francisco Chronicle reports
The migratory western monarchs that were largely absent from the groves of coastal California in 2020 are returning to their overwintering sites this year. The black and orange clumps of congregating butterflies that hang from trees October through March are forming again, drawing tourists and photographers.
The Pacific Grove Monarch Sanctuary, one of the largest monarch sites in the United States, didn’t see a single butterfly last year. On Saturday, 13,708 butterflies were counted, up 4,164 from a week ago. The peak of the season, which usually hits between late November and early December, is still weeks away.
Read more at After seeing no butterflies in 2020, thousands descend on a NorCal sanctuary
Posted in Butterflies | Tags: Monarch Butterflies
from Western Environmental Law Center
Location: Seattle, Washington.
Timeline: Review of applications will begin on December 9, 2021 but the position will remain open until filled.
The Diehl Fellow is an exempt, full-time, two-year position. The Fellow is responsible for the following areas of focus:
Learn more and find out how to apply at Career Opportunity: University of Washington Diehl Fellow – Western Environmental Law Center
Posted in Job Openings
AP reports
A federal agency announced Tuesday that it is taking a step toward designating a new national marine sanctuary off the central California coast that would be named for the region’s Indigenous people.
The proposed Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary would span 7,000 square miles (18,130 square kilometers) off San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said.
Read more at Proposed national marine sanctuary off California advances
Posted in Park | Tags: Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary
Natural History Wanderings 