Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 2, 2021

Clean Energy and Social Justice

The Revelator reports on making sure clean energy does not reinforce systems of social injustice

Switching to renewables won’t solve the inequities already baked into our system, says energy and environmental law expert Shalanda Baker. We need a different approach.

…she realized that in the pursuit of clean energy and climate solutions, we were on course to replicate many of the same injustices of the fossil fuel economy.

Read story at  Justice First: How to Make the Clean Energy Transition Equitable • The Revelator

Leave a Comment

Posted in Environment | Tags:

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 1, 2021

Yosemite Road Opening and Closure Updates

from Yosemite National Park

UPDATED to reflect Highway 140 has reopened outside the park.
—
Yosemite National Park will reopen on Monday, February 1, 2021. The only access to the park will be via Highway 140.
Big Oak Flat Road (Highway 120 from the west) is anticipated to remain closed for several days due to hazardous road conditions.
Wawona Road (Highway 41) is closed until further notice. (Visitors will be able to access Yosemite West using Wawona Road from Yosemite Valley, but not from the south; tire chains are required.)
Hetch Hetchy Road will also be open.

Read More…

Leave a Comment

Posted in Drives, Park | Tags:

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 1, 2021

Pt. Reyes Road Opening

An update from Pt. Reyes National Seashore on what is now open and closed.

Now that the road to the Point Reyes Lighthouse is open following a major revamp of Sir Francis Drake Blvd., visitors are now able to walk to the observation deck and view the lighthouse from above. However, visitors should know that the Lighthouse Visitor Center and the narrow 313 stairs that lead down to the lighthouse itself remain closed due to COVID-19 precautions. We ask that visitors keep at least six feet away from other people not in their household while on the narrow pathway to and once on the observation deck. To ensure social distancing, please wait to go onto the small observation deck if it is crowded when you arrive. A hand-sanitizer station is provided at the start of the narrow pathway to the observation deck.

While the observation deck is open every day of the week, those that come on a weekend may encounter traffic metering to the headlands to reduce the number of vehicles in the small parking lots at the Lighthouse and Chimney Rock. Wait times in your car to drive to the Lighthouse and Chimney Rock may be anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour or more, depending on visitation. We always recommend coming on a weekday or early if you’re coming on a weekend. South Beach is currently still closed to the public at this time.

Leave a Comment

Posted in Drives, Park | Tags:

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 1, 2021

Job Opportunity: Native Plant Nursery Manager

Wanted: Native Plant Nursery Manager

Work with Sutro Stewards:

The mission of Sutro Stewards is to build community, connect people with nature, and protect Mount Sutro, one of the city’s wildest and most beautiful green spaces.

The Nursery Program Manager supports stewardship on Mount Sutro by propagating locally native plants. The Nursery Program Manager is part of a collaborative team that leads habitat conservation and restoration projects, volunteer and education programs, and public outreach.

Applicants can send their resume and cover letter to ildiko@sutrostewards.org. The position is 35 hours/week, $24-$30/hour commensurate with experience and works on Mount Sutro at the Sutro Stewards Nursery, with office work done from home. A competitive benefits package is provided. Strong applications will have 1-2 years of experience working in a Native Plant Nursery with experience leading volunteers.

Leave a Comment

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

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 1, 2021

Zoom Talk: Pacifica Habitats And The Stewards Restoring Them 2/4/21

Pacifica Habitats And The Stewards Restoring Them

February 4, THURSDAY @ 7:30 pm

Speaker: Lynn Adams, President, Pacifica Beach Coalition
Zoom registration here Pacifica has long been a mecca for activists protecting the environment.  From the preservation of Mori Point, Sweeney Ridge and Pedro Point Headlands to years of activism to ensure a tunnel was built and Montara Mountain saved, people have fought and given their time and money to protect Pacifica’s precious native habitats.  Pacificans willingly continue to pay for their open space and support restoration and preservation with their hearts and hands.

Read More…

Leave a Comment

Posted in Environment | Tags:

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 1, 2021

Sea lions are dying from a mysterious cancer

LA Times reports on Sea lions are dying from a mysterious cancer

Now, after two decades of study, an all-star team of marine mammal pathologists, virology experts, chemists and geneticists say they’ve connected two surprising culprits: Herpes and toxic chemicals, like DDT and PCBs, that poisoned the California coast decades ago.

Read story at: Sea lions are dying from a mysterious cancer. – Los Angeles Times

2 Comments

Posted in Animals | Tags:

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | January 31, 2021

Berkeley Street Photos January 30, 2021

Photographed in the North Berkeley Flatlands on January 30, 2021.

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 .

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Leave a Comment

Posted in Photos (Sandy's) | Tags: ,

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | January 31, 2021

Salton Sea Restoration Project

from Audubon

State Habitat Restoration Project Breaks Ground at Southern End of Salton Sea

Coalition of conservation and community groups says groundbreaking is positive step towards ending years of inaction at California’s largest lake.

(Westmorland, Calif., January 13, 2021) – The California Salton Sea Management Program began construction this week on a project to restore bird and fish habitat at the southern end of the Salton Sea. The Species Conservation Habitat Project (SCH) will reduce wind-borne dust pollution on nearly 4,000 acres to the east and west of the New River delta, lessening dangerous dust pollution affecting nearby communities, while also creating habitat for birds and serving as a water-management pond for future projects in the area.

Read More…

1 Comment

Posted in Uncategorized

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | January 31, 2021

Feb. Virtual Native Plant Events and Webinars

from California Native Plants Society

February 1, 1 pm Practicing Biocultural Restoration, keynote Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer -River Restoration Northwest
February 2, 9 am Navigating Race & Inclusivity in Community Gardens with Sama Mirghavami – New Directions in the American Landscape
February 3, 7:30 pm Gardening for Biodiversity with Native Plants, a talk by Shelkie Tao – Santa Clara Valley Chapter
February 3, 7 pm The Flora Effect of Fires by Pete Warner of Milo Baker – Mt. Lassen Chapter
February 4, 5:30 pm Naturehood Gardening: Seasonal Aesthetics for the Native Garden – CNPS
February 4, 7:30 pm Pacifica Habitats and the Stewards Restoring Them – Yerba Buena Chapter

February 8, 7:30 pm Wildfire in California Landscapes with Jim Bishop – Marin Chapter

February 9, 7 pm Geology of Santa Monica Mountains – LA/SMM Chapter
February 15 Winter plant sale online order begins – San Diego Chapter
February 16, 9 am Fire and the Landscape: Safety, Ecology, and Cultural Practice with Eric Knapp and Margo Robbins – New Directions in the American Landscape. Paid course, register in advance

February 17, 7:30 pm The Natural History of San Bruno Mountain, a talk by David Nelson and Doug Allshouse- Santa Clara Valley Chapter
February 24, 7:30 pm Taking Close Up Plant ID pictures with a Camera Phone, a talk by Dee Himes– Santa Clara Valley Chapter

Leave a Comment

Posted in Talks | Tags:

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | January 31, 2021

New Plant Checklist for Pt. Reyes Now Available

The Marin Chapter has published an updated Plant Checklist for Point Reyes National Seashore. The 44-page booklet includes an introduction, a description and map of seven different plant communities, lists of common native species to be found in each of those plant communities, and the complete list of native and nonnative species organized by family—more than 900 plants.  Purchase one from the chapter website here. 

Leave a Comment

Posted in Wildflowers and Other Plants | Tags:

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | January 30, 2021

Yosemite Mariposa Grove Update 1/30/21

from Yosemite National Park 1/30/21
A significant Mono wind event occurred in Yosemite National Park on January 19, 2021. The winds caused damage to facilities throughout the park, but especially in the southern area of the park. In the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias, at least 15 mature giant sequoias fell, although it’s believed none of the 15 named sequoias fell. Falling trees caused significant damage to the restroom and to the boardwalk.
As heartbreaking as this is for all of us, it is a reminder of the dramatic lives these quiet giants can live. Sometimes standing for 3,000 years or more they are witness to the full range of events that nature has to offer. With a variety of pest-resistant adaptations and resistance to fire, a mature sequoia tree almost always dies from toppling and this rot-resistant wood may lie quietly with us for centuries more.
There is currently no timeline for when the grove will reopen.

Leave a Comment

Posted in Park | Tags: ,

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | January 30, 2021

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park Road Conditions

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park reports
The Generals Highway will open between Hospital Rock and the Giant Forest at 11 a.m. Tire chains or cables are required! The road between the parks remains closed.
Road conditions may change multiple times throughout the day. Call 559 565 3341 (dial 1, 1) for up-to-date information.

Leave a Comment

Posted in Drives | Tags:

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | January 30, 2021

2021 Audubon Photography Awards Contest

Are you wild about birds and your camera? Now combine your passions by entering the 2021 Audubon Photography Awards, featuring two new categories this year: a video category and a female bird category. You could win a cash prize and winning photos will be published in the Audubon magazine.

Leave a Comment

Posted in Photography | Tags:

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | January 30, 2021

Thoughts on Sustainability

Leave a Comment

Posted in Environment | Tags:

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | January 30, 2021

Western Monarch Population Closer to Extinction as the Wait Continues for Monarchs’ Protection Under the Endangered Species Act 

Xerces Society News Release

During the 24th Western Monarch Thanksgiving Count, nearly 100 volunteers donned their masks and practiced social distancing to carefully survey groves of trees on the California and Northern Baja coast for monarch butterflies. Despite the challenges of conducting field work during a pandemic, volunteers surveyed 246 sites, three more sites than last year. Unfortunately, to the surprise and dismay of many, only 1,914 monarchs were counted at all the sites. This is a shocking 99.9% decline since the 1980s.

Read more at Western Monarch Population Closer to Extinction as the Wait Continues for Monarchs’ Protection Under the Endangered Species Act | Xerces Society

1 Comment

Posted in Butterflies | Tags:

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | January 29, 2021

Stop Illegal Poaching of Dudleya: Support AB 223

Stop Illegal Poaching of Dudleya: Support AB 223

State and federal wildlife agents have identified a surge in Dudleya (also known as “liveforevers”) poaching along California coastlines. Poachers were caught stealing thousands of plants, shipping them internationally, and selling them as trendy houseplants for top dollar. Investigators now estimate that poachers have stolen several hundreds of thousands of Dudleya from California worth tens of millions of dollars. Asm. Member Christopher Ward of San Diego has introduced AB 223 that makes Dudleya poaching illegal.

Read More…

Leave a Comment

Posted in Wildflowers and Other Plants | Tags:

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | January 29, 2021

Snowy Owl in Central Park, for First Time in 130 Years

Snowy Owl Is Spotted in Central Park, for First Time in 130 Years The hordes came running and the snow-white raptor became the latest celebrity bird of Manhattan.

Read more Snowy Owl Is Spotted in Central Park, for First Time in 130 Years – The New York Times

1 Comment

Posted in Birds

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | January 29, 2021

2 Job Opportunities: Botanist and Vegetation Management

Click on links below for information

  Summer Vegetation Monitoring Whiskeytown National Recreation Area

  Full-time permanent Botanist position – Ukiah, CA

Leave a Comment

Posted in Uncategorized | Tags:

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | January 29, 2021

Yosemite Closed until 2/1/21; then Reservations Required

  • When the park reopens, El Portal Rd (Hwy 140), Big Oak Flat Rd (Hwy 120 from the west), and Hetch Hetchy Rd will be open. Areas south of Yosemite Valley (including Badger Pass, Wawona, Mariposa Grove, South Entrance, and Wawona Rd will remain closed.

  • We are working to increase access to the park in a phased approach. Yosemite National Park is open, with reservations required starting February 8, 2021. Some services and facilities are limited, and shuttles are not operating.

  • To better manage heavy visitation in Yosemite National Park while California continues to experience the COVID-19 pandemic, reservations will be temporarily required to enter Yosemite every day beginning Monday, February 8, 2021. Reservations will be required until local public health conditions improve.
  • read  more

Leave a Comment

Posted in Park | Tags:

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | January 29, 2021

A large number of gray whales are starving and dying in the eastern North Pacific 

ScienceDaily reports

It is now the third year that gray whales have been found in very poor condition or dead in large numbers along the west coast of Mexico, USA and Canada, and scientist have raised their concerns. An international study suggests that starvation is contributing to these mortalities.

Read more at  A large number of gray whales are starving and dying in the eastern North Pacific — ScienceDaily

1 Comment

Posted in Animals | Tags:

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | January 28, 2021

Black History Month: Stories and Resources

from Golden Gate National Conservancy

Connect with the history of this International Site of Conscience. The stories of Robert Lipscomb, John Harris, and the Buffalo Soldiers reflect current social-justice movements, and we’ve updated our antiracism and social justice resources for parkgoers.

Leave a Comment

Posted in Park | Tags: ,

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | January 28, 2021

Job Opening: Herbarium & Adjunct Assistant Professor at UCLA

Herbarium Curator and Adjunct Assistant Professor at UCLA

The UCLA Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Garden and Herbarium and the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (EEB) invite applications for a plant systematics position with title of Herbarium Curator and Adjunct Assistant Professor. The UCLA Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Garden (http://www.botgard.ucla.edu/ is a seven-acre garden on the UCLA campus and the Herbarium is located in the adjacent La Kretz Botany Building. The UCLA Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (https://www.eeb.ucla.edu) is a top-20 program with ~25 ladder faculty members conducting research that spans ecology and evolution, including specializations such as plant ecology, plant evolution, conservation genomics, marine biology, mathematical ecology, and population genetics (http://www.eeb.ucla.edu). Related campus resources include: the Donald Dickey Bird and Mammal Collection, La Kretz Center for California Conservation Science, and ready access to the reserves of the UC Natural Reserve System including the nearby Stunt Ranch Santa Monica Mountains Reserve.

Read More…

Leave a Comment

Posted in Uncategorized

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | January 28, 2021

Biden Executive Order Pushes for Protection of 30% of America’s Land, Oceans

Center for Biological Research News Release

WASHINGTON— President Joe Biden will issue an executive order today directing federal officials to protect 30% of the country’s lands and ocean waters by 2030, part of an effort to slow the wildlife extinction crisis and curb global warming.

“This is a crucial step to stopping the wildlife extinction crisis, which threatens the future of all life on our planet,” said Kierán Suckling, executive director at the Center for Biological Diversity. “We’ve got to preserve the most biologically rich ecosystems to have any hope of bringing nature back from the brink. Human activity got us to this heartbreaking point, and we’re grateful the Biden administration will address this global crisis by working to protect 30% of the nation’s lands and oceans by 2030.”

Read More…

1 Comment

Posted in Environment, Park | Tags: ,

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | January 27, 2021

Job Opportunity: UC-Davis Forestry and Botany Field Crews

Seasonal Forest Ecology and Botany Field Crew Leaders and Members

Employer:University of California, Davis

Location:Multiple duty stations in the Sierra Nevada and northern California mountains. See below for more details.

Read more at UC-Davis_Forestry-and-Botany-Field-Crews_2021.pdf | Powered by Box

Leave a Comment

Posted in Uncategorized | Tags:

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | January 27, 2021

National Parks Will Benefit from Biden Administration’s Public Lands Oil and Gas Moratorium 

National Parks Conservation Association News Release

Executive order will stop the reckless four-year fire sale of public lands to polluters that damage parks and drive climate change

Source: National Parks Will Benefit from Biden Administration’s Public Lands Oil and Gas Moratorium · National Parks Conservation Association

Leave a Comment

Posted in Environment, Park

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | January 27, 2021

East Bay Park Closures 1/27 to 1/29

Projected heavy rainfall and high winds have prompted East Bay Regional Park District to close several local parks for the safety of community members. The following parks will be closed from 8 a.m. on Jan. 27 until 8 a.m. on Jan. 29:

  • Anthony Chabot (Redwood Canyon Golf Course may remain open)
  • Claremont Canyon Regional Preserve
  • Huckleberry Regional Preserve
  • Kennedy Grove Regional Recreation Area
  • Lake Chabot Regional park
  • Leona Canyon Open Space Regional Preserve
  • Reinhart Redwood Regional Park
  • Roberts Recreation Area
  • Sibley Regional Preserve
  • Tilden Regional Park (including Tilden Golf course)
  • Wildcat Canyon Regional Park / Alvarado Park

1 Comment

Posted in Park | Tags:

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | January 27, 2021

UC – Berkeley Botanical Garden Photos from 1/25/21

Photos from a visit to the UC-Berkeley Botanical Garden on January 25, 2021.

The garden is currently open daily to the public from eleven to five by reservation .  Garden members can enter at ten. There is an entrance fee (free for garden members) and paid parking.  For more information and to make reservations  go to UC-Botanical Garden.

This is part of my continuing pandemic 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, local botanic gardens, 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.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Leave a Comment

Posted in Garden, Photos (Sandy's) | Tags:

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | January 27, 2021

The World’s Rarest Turtle Has a Shot at Escaping Extinction 

In 2019, the world’s rarest turtle suffered a staggering loss. The last known female of the species, Swinhoe’s softshell turtle, died after an artificial insemination procedure at the Chinese zoo where she and her mate lived. This left the confirmed tally for the species at just two individuals: the male in China, plus one individual of unknown sex in a lake in Vietnam.

There may still be hope for the species. Conservationists and veterinarians recently announced that the Vietnamese turtle is a female. At the same time, exhaustive hunts for other surviving Swinhoe’s softshell turtles in Vietnam have verified at least two other promising leads.

Read more at The World’s Rarest Turtle Has a Shot at Escaping Extinction – The New York Times

Leave a Comment

Posted in Animals | Tags: ,

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | January 26, 2021

Zoom Presentation: Who’s Who Among the Oaks? 1/27/21

Who’s Who Among the Oaks?  January 27, 2021 at 7:30 pm

Speaker: Kate Marianchild
Register to attend (registration is required to receive instructions for joining the meeting)

Have you ever wondered what kinds of oaks dot California’s hills and line our fertile valleys, providing our state’s most wildlife-rich habitats? Well, help is at hand. In a talk filled with humor and fun memory aids, author and naturalist Kate Marianchild will teach us to identify northern California’s oaks by their acorns, caps, leaves, and galls. With acorns in hand, you will learn how to distinguish a valley oak from an Oregon oak and a canyon live oak from a coast live oak. Kate will also share cool facts about oaks, including their co-evolutionary relationships with California scrub-jays and caterpillars. This one-hour talk will be followed by time for questions and answers.

Leave a Comment

Posted in Talks | Tags:

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | January 26, 2021

Homestead Valley Land Trust Wildflowers January 25, 2021

Homestead Valley has a new wildflower update. See photos and maps at January 25, 2021 NEW – Bay laurel, one of the most common trees on Homestead’s north facing slopes, is blooming now with small yellow clusters that smell sweetly of vanilla. – Fetid adder’s tongue, a lily, is blooming with small brownish flowers on the uphill slope beside the Homestead Trail between 14 and 13. Its leaves are still clustered around the blooms making them harder to spot. If you do see one, look around for more as they grow in colonies. – Indian warrior is blooming with maroon flowers above and below the Homestead Trail at 15. – Scotch broom*, native of Europe, is one of our most aggressive invasive plants. Occupying what would otherwise be meadows, it grows in dense thickets and is blooming now with yellow pea flowers. – Trilium with its white flower floating in the center of three leaves is blooming in the ravine at 6e. *Non-native

Leave a Comment

Posted in Wildflower Bloom Reports, Wildflowers and Other Plants | Tags: , ,

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »

Categories