Photographed in the North Berkeley Flatlands and Albany on August 2, 2020.
This is part of my continuing project, the “Stay at Home Photo Project”. It includes many street photos from Berkeley and Albany as well as photos from the UC Berkeley campus, my yard and neighbors’ yards You can see larger higher quality versions of many of the photos at Flickr in my collection Stay at Home Photo Project which includes the following albums
Posted in Photos (Sandy's) | Tags: Albany Street Photos, Berkeley Street Photos, Flowers
Center for Biological Diversity News Release
The Trump administration issued a new proposal today that will severely limit the government’s ability to protect habitat that imperiled animals and plants will need to survive and recover.
The proposal, the latest in its attempt to weaken the Endangered Species Act, focuses on a crucial aspect of the law that protects “critical habitat” for threatened and endangered species. The new proposal limits protections to habitat that could currently support the species — but not areas that could be restored or safeguarded to provide additional habitat for future recovery. That would preclude protecting habitat that had been historically used by a species as well as habitat that could be important as species move in response to threats such as climate change.
Posted in Environment | Tags: Endangered Species Threats
The Port of San Francisco has just issued this announcement seeking a graduate student (or very capable undergrad) for a paid short-term internship (late summer through fall 2020). Suitable for History, Sociology, or science majors with good research and writing skills and an interest in racial equity. Internship duties will include research on the history of race inequity along the San Francisco waterfront. This important research will help the Port come up with a plan to reverse those inequities. To apply, please click here.
Posted in Uncategorized | Tags: Port of San Francisco Internship
The Brink, a Boston University publication wrote about research that Combating a Pandemic Is 500 Times More Expensive Than Preventing One
For decades, scientists and environmental activists have been trying to draw the world’s attention to the many harms caused by the rapid destruction of tropical forests. One of these harms is the emergence of new diseases that are transmitted between wild animals and humans, either through direct contact or through contact with livestock that is then eaten by humans. The SARS-CoV-2 virus—which has so far infected more than 15 million people worldwide—appears to have been transmitted from bats to humans in China.
They discovered that significantly reducing transmission of new diseases from tropical forests would cost, globally, between $22.2 and $30.7 billion each year. In stark contrast, they found that the COVID-19 pandemic will likely end up costing between $8.1 and $15.8 trillion globally—roughly 500 times as costly as what it would take to invest in proposed preventive measures. To estimate the total financial cost of COVID-19, researchers included both the lost gross domestic product and the economic and workforce cost of hundreds of thousands of deaths worldwide.
Read full article at Why Combating a Pandemic Is 500 Times More Expensive Than Preventing One | The Brink | Boston University
Posted in Environment | Tags: Pandemics
The UC – Berkeley Botanical Garden is now open to the general public. It is open daily from noon to five by reservation. There is an entrance fee and paid parking. For more information and to make reservations go to UC – Botanical Garden.
Here are some photos from my visit
Posted in Garden, Photos (Sandy's) | Tags: UC-Berkeley Botanical Garden
Posted in Uncategorized | Tags: Candlestick Point Job Opportunities
The Sierra Club reports on the history of racism in the National Parks and outdoors.
A recent National Park Service study shows that Black Americans remain far less likely than whites to visit national parks, forests, and wilderness areas;a result of the exclusionary history of parks and public spaces in this country. Prior to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, many national parks in the South and “border” states maintained segregated bathrooms, restaurants, picnic areas, lodgings, and campsites, and restricted access to other “white-only” spaces.
Read article at “That legacy has a long afterlife,” says Our Wild America press secretary Courtney Bourgoin.
Posted in Park | Tags: Racism in the National Parks, Racism in the Outdoors
World Ranger Day is celebrated on 31 July to commemorate Rangers killed or injured in the line of duty and to celebrate the work Rangers do to protect the world’s natural and cultural heritage.
Climate change, poaching and armed conflict are some of the challenges facing World Heritage. The Covid-19 pandemic has amplified these issues affecting sites and the managers who protect them.
Read more, see some ranger stories and learn about activities at: World Ranger Day 2020 – UNESCO World Heritage Centre
Posted in Park | Tags: World Ranger Day
Age is just a number… but for Joshua trees, we don’t know that number!
Determining the age of Joshua trees has been a challenge. Joshua trees are part of the agave family and so they don’t have tree rings. Tree rings are the typical way scientists measure a tree’s age. Since Joshua trees don’t have rings, scientists have instead tried to come up with different cues on its lifespan to determine the age.
For now, we can say Joshua trees are timeless. It’s rude to ask someone or something for their age anyway!
Posted in Park | Tags: Joshua Trees Age
Posted in Uncategorized | Tags: Inclusion, Racism
Pt. Reyes National Seashore reports
Effective immediately, Limantour Road at Point Reyes National Seashore is closed until further notice. Road construction crews this morning encountered highly unstable subsurface soils so the road is closed for safety concerns. For up to date park information, go to our park website https://www.nps.gov/pore/planyourvisit/conditions.htm#coronavirus (fo)
Posted in Park | Tags: Limantour Road Closure, pt reyes national seashore
The Sierra Club reports
Park officials grapple with unmanned aircraft in natural areas
The National Park Service has recorded more than 2,000 illegal drone incidents since 2015—with 40 of them occurring in Yellowstone last year.
Read story at Keeping Drones Out of the Wild | Sierra Club
Posted in Park | Tags: Drones in National Parks
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This documentary chronicles the life of Betty Reid Soskin, a 98-year-old National Park Ranger and great granddaughter of a slave. Learn about her urgent mission to use the final years of her life to tell an authentic story of what it means to be black and a woman in the United States. There is a fee to stream the film and all proceeds from film rentals go to Rosie The Riveter Trust, a non profit organization.
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Posted in Park | Tags: Betty Soskin, Oldest Park Ranger
CNPS Job announcement
The CNPS Natalie Hopkins Conservation Intern is a part-time to full-time non-exempt position directly supervised by the Lead Conservation Scientist. The internship honors Natalie Hopkins, lifelong supporter and mentor of women in plant sciences and the 2nd president of the Santa Clara Valley Chapter of CNPS. As a member of the Conservation team, this position supports on-going initiatives and campaigns. The Hopkins Intern will increase CNPS’s capacity to ensure the conservation of California’s flora and natural communities. A primary goal of this internship is to train early career professionals who are expected to make ongoing contributions toward the conservation of California’s plants and places.
Read more at Natalie Hopkins Conservation Intern California Native Plant Society Job Announcement
Posted in Uncategorized | Tags: CNPS Job Openings
Today I visited the Regional Parks Botanic Garden in Tilden Park in Berkeley. It is a botanic garden of California native plants. The Garden is now open four days a week by reservation. To see how to visit the garden go to Regional Parks Botanic Garden Reopens – reservations required
You also see other photos from the garden on the garden’s Flickr group page Regional Parks Botanic Garden.
Posted in Garden, Photos (Sandy's), Wildflowers | Tags: Regional Parks Botanic Garden, Wildflowers
NPR reports
A pub in the Australian outback has banned an emu named Carol and her brother Kevin for “bad behavior” after they learned to climb the stairs and created havoc inside. Bar staff say the pair have been snatching toast and french fries from customers, stealing from behind the bar and leaving droppings everywhere.
Stuff.co.nz reports
New Zealand’s mountain glaciers are vanishing. They have shrunk by nearly a third since the 1970s and could be gone by the end of the century unless we move quickly towards zero emissions. And, as they retreat, we are losing more than ice.
via New Zealand’s incredible shrinking glaciers | Stuff.co.nz
Posted in Environment | Tags: Climate change, Global warming, New Zealand's Shrinking Glaciers
Photographed in the North Berkeley Flatlands on July 27, 2020.
This is part of my continuing project, the “Stay at Home Photo Project”. It includes many street photos from Berkeley and Albany as well as photos from the UC Berkeley campus, my yard and neighbors’ yards You can see larger higher quality versions of many of the photos at Flickr in my collection Stay at Home Photo Project which includes the following albums
Posted in Photos (Sandy's) | Tags: Berkeley Street Photos, Flowers
Bay Nature has a presentation on tide pools this Thursday Talking about Tidepools
As nature-lovers, we all know that spending a day on the coast checking out anemones, sea stars, and nudibranchs is a great time. But did you know that keeping tabs on what you see during your day at the tidepools can help scientists working to understand and protect these species?
This Thursday, join California Academy of Sciences co-directors of citizen science, Rebecca Johnson and Alison Young, along with Bay Nature digital editor Eric Simons for a deep dive into tidepools. You’ll learn where to go, what you might see, and how you can record your observations and become a citizen scientist.
Register Today! |
We are excited to announce that this year Get Into Your Sanctuary weekend is going virtual! Join us from July 31 to August 2 for a unique opportunity to experience all of NOAA’s National Marine Sanctuary System from wherever you are. From taking an ocean safari to virtually diving through shipwrecks to learning how to cook sustainably from a professional chef, there will be something for everyone to enjoy!
Tune into our LIVE Get Into Your Sanctuary programming July 31 to August 2 by visiting our Facebook page!
Click read more to see details of programs
Posted in Park | Tags: Channel Islands Marine Sanctuary, marine sanctuaries
Photographed in my yard on July 26, 2020.
This is part of my continuing project, the “Stay at Home Photo Project”. It includes many street photos from Berkeley and Albany as well as photos from the UC Berkeley campus, my yard and neighbors’ yards You can see larger higher quality versions of many of the photos at Flickr in my collection Stay at Home Photo Project which includes the following albums
Posted in Garden, Photos (Sandy's), Wildflowers | Tags: Berkeley Street Photos, Flowers
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Posted in Birds, Photos (Sandy's), Talks | Tags: Audubon Photo Awards, David Sibley
Berkeley News reports
The intricate spotted patterns dappling the bright blooms of the monkeyflower plant may be a delight to humans, but they also serve a key function for the plant. These patterns act as “bee landing pads,” attracting nearby pollinators to the flower and signaling the best approach to access the sweet nectar inside.
Read full article at How the monkeyflower gets its spots | Berkeley News
Posted in Wildflowers | Tags: Monkeyflowers
Photographed in the North Berkeley Flatlands on July 24, 2020.
This is part of my continuing project, the “Stay at Home Photo Project”. It includes many street photos from Berkeley and Albany as well as photos from the UC Berkeley campus, my yard and neighbors’ yards You can see larger higher quality versions of many of the photos at Flickr in my collection Stay at Home Photo Project which includes the following albums
Posted in Photos (Sandy's) | Tags: Berkeley Street Photos, Flowers
Posted in Park | Tags: Lava Beds National Monument Fire
The UC Berkeley Parks Stewardship Forum has an editorial “Connecting the dots: Why does what and who came before us matter?” on how people of color have contributed to conservation and outdoor recreation but have often not been recognized
A “Coloring Outside the Lines” editorial column. A review of organizations who pioneered the involvement of persons of color in park stewardship, outdoor recreation, historic preservation, and other forms of place-based conservation.
In many ways, there is a lack of knowledge and honoring of our past, especially as it relates to people of color, including our own involvement in preservation and conservation.
Read article at Connecting the dots: Why does what and who came before us matter?
Posted in Park | Tags: People of Color in Conservation and Outdoor Recreation
I returned to Abbotts Lagoon Monday. We arrived early and it was overcast the whole time we were there. It was good timing for seeing birds, rabbits and photographing wildflowers. We covered the trail and the sandy area that is just before the dunes. Weekday mornings it is quiet and there are only a few people on the trail. Keep a watch for Poison Oak. See yesterday’s post of photos at Pt. Reyes Abbotts Lagoon: Wildflowers, Birds, Rabbits and Photos 7/20/20 – Part 1 More photos below
Posted in Animals, Birds, Photos (Sandy's), Wildflowers | Tags: Birds, California Wildflowers, Pt. Reyes Abbotts Lagoon, Rabbits, Wildflowers
EarthSky reports
Late July 2020 – around July 28 – presents the nominal peak of the Delta Aquariid meteor shower. But don’t let that date thwart you, if you have a chance to be in a dark place for meteor-watching, anytime before, while the moon is still a waxing crescent and setting in the evening hours. The shower offers more meteors after midnight and is best viewed during the predawn hours.
The long and rambling Delta Aquariid shower is officially active from about July 12 to August 23 each year. The first quarter moon on July 27, 2020, gives us moon-free viewing from midnight till dawn. After that, a wider waxing gibbous moon will fill up more hours of the night.
The Delta Aquariid shower favors the Southern Hemisphere, though is still visible from mid-northern latitudes. In years when the moon is out of the way, the broad maximum of this shower can be expected to produce 10 to 20 meteors per hour.
Read more at: Delta Aquariids 2020: All you need to know | Astronomy Essentials | EarthSky
Posted in Astronomy | Tags: Delta Aquariids Meteor Shower, Meteor Showers
Golden Gate Audubon Society reports
The Emeryville City Council and Mayor evaluated, and by a 5-0 vote, unanimously approved, Bird-Safe Building Standards. These standards will become effective in August 2020. The standards will greatly reduce bird deaths and injuries resulting from collisions with buildings in the city. Bird building strikes are one of the main causes of bird mortality in the U.S. Reasonable, affordable measures can prevent these bird deaths. The City of Emeryville has taken positive action by adopting the Bird-Safe Building Standards to protect birds into the future.
Read full story at Passage of Emeryville Bird-Safe Building Standards – Golden Gate Audubon Society
Posted in Birds | Tags: Bird-Safe Building Standards, Emeryville California
