Natural History Wanderings

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | September 27, 2025

Job Opening:Samuel P. Taylor State Park

from Samuel P. Taylor State Park

Join the Bay Area District Interpretive Team! We are looking for an experienced interpretive professional to research and develop new

interpretive programs, community outreach, volunteer activities,

and exhibits related to the natural and cultural history of the

Sonoma Developmental Center at Jack London State Historic Park

and other watershed interpretation efforts throughout the district.

APPLICATIONS DUE: OCTOBER 5, 2025

For position-specific questions, contact Christen Bechert, State Park Interpreter III, at (415) 686-9173 or christen.bechert@parks.ca.gov

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Posted in Park | Tags: Watershed Interpreter

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | September 27, 2025

Today is National Public Lands Day

It’s #NationalPublicLandsDay, the nation’s largest single-day volunteer effort! It celebrates the connection between people and green space in their community, inspires environmental stewardship, and encourages use of open space for education, recreation, and health benefit.

What are some ways you give back to your public lands?

Find an event near you at: https://www.nps.gov/…/npscelebrates/public-lands-day.htm

#NPSVolunteer #NPLD

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Posted in Park | Tags: National Public Lands Day

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | September 27, 2025

Photos from the Eastern Sierra Nevada

Photos are from the Eastern Sierra Nevada along highway 120 east of Yosemite and Saddlebag Lakes Road on July 6, 2025.

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Posted in Photos (Sandy's), Wildflowers and Other Plants | Tags: Sierra Nevada, Sierra Wildflowers

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | September 27, 2025

New deep-sea coral species discovered in waters off Hawaii named after ‘Star Wars’ character

Hawaii News Now reported

A new species of deep-sea coral was discovered a team of researchers, including an expert from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

Scientists named the species Chewbacca coral, or Iridogorgia chewbacca, after the furry character in the “Star Wars” movies.

It got the name because of its long, flexible branches, which researchers said looked “hairy,” and its upright, standing appearance.

The coral species was first seen in waters off Molokai back in 2006 and again near the Mariana Trench in 2016.

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Posted in Animals | Tags: Chewbacca coral, Iridogorgia chewbacca

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | September 27, 2025

Earth’s underground network of fungi needs urgent protection, say researchers

The Guardian reported

Study finds that only 9.5% of fungal biodiversity hotspots fell within existing protected areas.

The underground network of fungi that underpins the planet’s ecosystems needs urgent conservation action by politicians, a research organisation has said.

Scientists from the Society for the Protection of Underground Networks (Spun) have created the first high-resolution biodiversity maps of Earth’s underground mycorrhizal fungal ecosystems.

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Posted in Environment, Mushrooms | Tags: Underground Fungal Networks

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | September 26, 2025

Theodore Payne Foundation Upcoming Events

Theodore Payne Foundation inspires and educates Southern Californians about the beauty and ecological benefits of California native plant landscapes.We are located on 22 acres of canyon land in the northeast corner of the San Fernando Valley. Our full-service native plant nursery, seed room, book store, art gallery, demonstration gardens, and hiking trails are open to the public year round. We offer garden tours and classes for adults and families, as well as field trips to TPF and in-classroom programs for children. Friendly on-leash dogs are welcome and there is no admission charge!

See upcoming events at Theodore Payne Foundation Events – Upcoming Activities and Tickets | Eventbrite

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Posted in Class/Workshop | Tags: Theodore Payne Foundation Upcoming Events

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | September 26, 2025

A California national park has a serious new theft problem

SF Gate reported

Memorials, sculptures and even shower drains have been stolen from Redwood National and State Parks since January 2025.

— Read on www.sfgate.com/northcoast/article/redwood-national-state-parks-thefts-21067951.php

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Posted in Park | Tags: Theft at Redwood National and State Parks

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | September 26, 2025

The 2025 Audubon Photography Awards: Winners and Honorable Mentions

See he winning images and videos of the 2025 Audubon Photography Awards—and our first-ever Chile and Colombia Grand Prize Winner at See the Winners

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Posted in Photography | Tags: Audubon Photography Awards

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | September 26, 2025

Sonoma Land Trust Events

Check out the latest events and news for Sonoma Land Trust at OUTINGS & EVENTS

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Posted in Talks, Walks & Hikes

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | September 26, 2025

Scientists uncover the secret to orangutan survival in the trees

ScienceDaily reported

Observational social learning of “know-how” and “know-what” in wild orangutans: evidence from nest-building skill acquisition.
Young orangutans master the art of building intricate treetop nests not by instinct alone, but by closely watching their mothers and peers. Researchers tracking wild Sumatran orangutans over 17 years discovered that “peering”—the deliberate act of observing nest construction—is the key to learning.

Read more Scientists uncover the secret to orangutan survival in the trees | ScienceDaily

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Posted in Animals | Tags: Orangutan

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | September 25, 2025

Sequoias of the Sea Film & Panel Discussion 10/8

SANTA BARBARA MARITIME MUSEUM

Sequoias of the Sea Film & Panel Discussion
October 8 | 🕖 7:00–9:00 PM
Doors open at 6:45 PM

Join us for a special screening of Sequoias of the Sea, a moving documentary that explores the vanishing kelp forests of Northern California and the powerful community efforts to restore them.

🎥 Plus: Stay for a live panel discussion
After the screening, join us for a live panel discussion with Sequoias of the Sea co-directors Natasha Benjamin and Ana Blanco, along with Chris Goldblatt, founder of the Fish Reef Project. Together, they’ll explore the urgent issues facing California’s kelp forests, what’s being done to protect them, and how we can all be part of the solution. Bring your questions for an engaging and inspiring conversation.

🎟 Free for Navigators Circle • $10 Members • $20 General • $5 Students & Educators (with ID/email)

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Posted in Environment, Talks, Wildflowers and Other Plants | Tags: Kelp

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | September 25, 2025

Why is Fall the Most Dangerous Season for Migrating Warblers?

From National Audubon

Our recent study found that fall migration, the southbound journey that takes place after the breeding season, is the most perilous for these migrating songbirds. Understanding when migratory birds face their biggest challenges is key to their protection, and we’ve identified some of the major risk factors during their migratory journeys south. Keep reading to learn why fall migration is the most dangerous season for warblers.

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Posted in Birds | Tags: Bird migration

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | September 25, 2025

Free Butterfly Walks for the ASL Community

From the Regional Parks Botanic Garden

Free Butterfly Walks for the ASL Community
Saturday, September 27:1:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m.

The sign language community is invited to join Sarab Seth, the butterfly guy, for a free guided walk around the Botanic Garden in search of butterflies.

At this time of year, it’s normal to see 6 or 8 species during a one-hour walk. Please bring binoculars if you have them (close-focus binoculars work best). The happiest people at the end of the walk are usually the ones with binoculars

NOTE: Space is *very* limited due to the small size of many of the butterflies and Garden paths. Please show up promptly and on time. If your plans change, please cancel your reservation (at least 24 hours in advance).

Please DO NOT sign up for a singular slot and specify a larger party in the comment. We only allow 2 slots per sign up. If there is only 1 slot open, only 1 person can sign up. Thanks!

Sign up here: www.signupgenius.com

for more information about the garden and directios go Regional Park Botanic Garden

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Posted in Butterflies, Garden, Walks & Hikes | Tags: Butterfly Walks for the ASL Community

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | September 25, 2025

Living night lights: Succulents that store sunlight and shine for hours | ScienceDaily

ScienceDaily reported

Scientists have created glow-in-the-dark succulents that can recharge with sunlight and shine for hours, rivaling small night lights. Unlike costly and complex genetic engineering methods, this breakthrough relies on phosphor particles—similar to those in glow-in-the-dark toys—carefully sized to flow through plant tissues. Surprisingly, succulents turned out to be the best glow carriers, with researchers even building a wall of 56 glowing plants bright enough to read by.

Read on www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/08/250828002408.htm

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Posted in Wildflowers and Other Plants | Tags: Succulent Night Lights

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | September 24, 2025

Make Bigberry Manzanita California’s Official State Shrub!

from Los Padres ForestWatch

Read about efforts to make Bigberry Manzanita Arctostaphylos glauca the California State Shrub. There is also an easy to send digial letter you can send to Governor Newson to encourage him to sign the bill that has already passed the legislature.

Make Bigberry Manzanita California’s Official State Shrub! – Los Padres ForestWatch

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Posted in Wildflowers and Other Plants | Tags: Arctostaphylos glauca, Bigberry Manzanita, California’s Official State Shrub

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | September 24, 2025

Regional Parks Botanic Garden Photos 9/23/25

Photographed in the East Bay Regional Parks Botanic Garden in Tilden Park in Berkeley, CA on September 23, 2025.

The Regional Parks Botanic Garden is a California native plant garden. It is located within Tilden Park in the hills above Berkeley, California, It is a 10-acre garden includes many of the state’s rare and endangered plants and a place for visitors to wander among trees, shrubs, flowers, and grasses from plant communities throughout the state. There are free weekend and holiday tours. Admission and parking are free. For more information about the garden visit the Friends of the Regional Parks Botanic Garden.

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Posted in Garden, Photos (Sandy's), Wildflowers and Other Plants | Tags: California Wildflowers, Regional Parks Botanic Garden, Tilden Botanic Garden, Wildflowers and Other Plants

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | September 24, 2025

Marin CNPS Plant Sales

See information for upcoming Marin CNPS plant sales

Online sales open: Thursday Oct 9 at 6 pm
Online sales close: Monday Oct 13 at 10 pm
Pickup for prepaid on-line orders: Saturday October 18 from 10:30 am to 1:30 pm; Bon Air Shopping Center, on Sir Francis Drake Blvd just off 101 in Greenbrae.
Access the Plant Sale Here shop.cnpsmarin.or

In-person plant sale on Saturday October 18 at the same time (10:30 am to 1:30 pm) and location in the Bon Air Center parking lot.

For more information go to Plant Sales and Workshops – CNPS Marin

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Posted in Uncategorized

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | September 24, 2025

Clingy or Celibate, A Tale of Two Walking Sticks

Bay Natue reported on two walking stick insects

In eastern Alameda County lives a small, mottled-gray walking stick with an unusual claim to fame: it hasn’t had sex in about a million years.

Read story at : Clingy or Celibate, A Tale of Two Walking Sticks – Bay Nature Magazine

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Posted in Animals | Tags: Timema californicum, Timema genevievae

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | September 23, 2025

Upcoming Events from Tuleyome

See upcoming events from Tuleyome at Events

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Posted in Talks, Walks & Hikes | Tags: Tuleyome

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | September 23, 2025

Trump Scraps Trail And Bike-Lane Grants Deemed ‘Hostile’ to Cars

MSN reported

President Donald Trump’s DOT just took a red pen to dozens of walk-and-bike projects across the country, and the rationale is as blunt as a bumper sticker: they’re not designed for cars. In a burst of letters sent this month, the department yanked previously awarded grants for trails, bike lanes, and street-safety fixes, arguing the plans would trim vehicle lanes, slow traffic, or “alter auto-centric configurations.”

Read on www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/trump-scraps-trail-and-bike-lane-grants-deemed-hostile-to-cars/ar-AA1N9idP

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Posted in Drives, Walks & Hikes | Tags: DOT scraps walk and bike projects

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | September 23, 2025

Regional Park Botanic Garden Update

Access the garden through the Anza View Road gate.

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Posted in Garden | Tags: Regional Parks Botanic Garden

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | September 23, 2025

Calif. wildfires more severe on private logging land, study finds

SF Gate reported

The Trump administration wants to increase logging in forests to simultaneously boost timber production and reduce wildfire risk. Yet, a new study shows that industrial private land managed by timber companies is nearly 1.5 times more likely to experience high-severity wildfires compared with public land.

Read on www.sfgate.com/california-wildfires/article/calif-wildfires-high-severity-private-timber-land-21018295.php

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Posted in Environment | Tags: Wildfire

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | September 22, 2025

Photos from the Mono Basin and Lundy Canyon 7/5/25

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Posted in Animals, Butterflies, Photos (Sandy's), Wildflowers and Other Plants | Tags: Butterflies, Lundy Canyon, Mono Basin, wildflowers

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | September 22, 2025

New giant-eyed octopus discovered in Australian waters

Earth.com reported

A new species of deep-sea octopus with enormous eyes. Opisthoteuthis carnarvonensis, the Carnarvon flapjack octopus, was found in Australia.

Read on www.earth.com/news/new-giant-eyed-octopus-discovered-opisthoteuthis-carnarvonensis/

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Posted in Animals | Tags: Carnarvon flapjack octopus, Opisthoteuthis carnarvonensis

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | September 22, 2025

New giant-eyed octopus discovered in Australian waters – Earth.com

Earth.com reported

A new species of deep-sea octopus with enormous eyes. Opisthoteuthis carnarvonensis, the Carnarvon flapjack octopus, was found in Australia.

Read on www.earth.com/news/new-giant-eyed-octopus-discovered-opisthoteuthis-carnarvonensis/

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Posted in Animals | Tags: Carnarvon flapjack octopus, Opisthoteuthis carnarvonensis

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | September 22, 2025

Alert in Florida—authorities request urgent help to find the mysterious rainbow snake, missing since 2020 and on the brink of extinction

La Grada Online reported

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has raised alarms and has requested citizen collaboration to find specimens of one of the most colorful snake species, the Farancia erytrogramma, more commonly known as the rainbow snake. We must go back to 2020 to talk about the last revival, so the authorities are asking for collaboration to find and preserve this endangered species. It is a non-venomous species that used to inhabit the Panhandle and the northern part of the Florida peninsula.

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Posted in Animals | Tags: Farancia erytrogramma, Rainbow Snake

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | September 21, 2025

Photos from Yosemite High Country

Photos are from July 3, 4 and 12 taken along highway 120 through Yosemite and east to Lee Vining. Also includes Ellery Lake are and Nunatuk Nature Trail.

You can see larger, high quality versions of the photos on Flickr at Yosemite Area Photos

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | September 21, 2025

Fall is Planting Season in California

Fall is here 🍂 and in California, that means planting season! Now is the time to visit your CNPS Chapter Fall Plant Sale for local native plants that are best suited to your region. Some are online, some are in person, some are both! Visit cnps.org/events and search by “plant sale” to find them. We’ll keep adding events as chapters make them available.🌱

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Posted in Garden | Tags: California Native Plant Sales

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | September 21, 2025

New species of mouse opossum has a tail longer than its body

Earth.com reported

A peer-reviewed report has documented a new animal species – a small marsupial, found at 8,740 feet (2,660 meters) in the eastern Andes of Peru. Turns out this is not just a variant of something already known, but a new species in its own right.

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Posted in Animals | Tags: Marmosa chachapoya, mouse opossum, Río Abiseo National Park

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | September 21, 2025

These Ant Queens Seem to Defy Biology: They Lay Eggs That Hatch Into Another Species

Smithsonian Magazine reported

Iberian harvester ant queens produce offspring of their own species and of the builder harvester ant, seemingly by cloning males

Read on at These Ant Queens Seem to Defy Biology: They Lay Eggs That Hatch Into Another Species

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Posted in Animals | Tags: Iberian harvester ant queens

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From the Regional Parks Botanic Garden

Free Butterfly Walks for the ASL Community Saturday, September 27:1:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m.

Sign up here: www.signupgenius.com

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Bay Natue reported on two walking stick insects

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