The Borowitz Report writes political satire as news pieces. Too often they seem too close to reality such as this one “Scientists: Earth Endangered by New Strain of Fact-Resistant Humans”
Scientists have discovered a powerful new strain of fact-resistant humans who are threatening the ability of Earth to sustain life, a sobering new study reports.
Read full satire piece at Scientists: Earth Endangered by New Strain of Fact-Resistant Humans | The New Yorker
Posted in Environment | Tags: Borowitz Report, Fake News
The BBC reports
It’s been a good year for migrant butterflies, moths and dragonflies in the UK, according to a review of 2019 by the National Trust.
The charity says warm and wet weather saw the biggest influx of painted lady butterflies in a decade.
But the impacts of drought and wildfires in some parts mean it’s not been a good year for natterjack toads and water voles.
The fires saw the habitats of mountain hares impacted as well.
Read more at Climate change: Migrant species do well in warm and wet UK in 2019 – BBC News
Posted in Animals, Butterflies, Environment | Tags: Climate Change Impacts in UK
The BBC reports
The earliest fossilised trees, dating back 386 million years, have been found at an abandoned quarry in New York.
Scientists believe the forest they belonged to was so vast it originally stretched beyond Pennsylvania.
This discovery in Cairo, New York, is thought to be two or three million years older than what was previously the world’s oldest forest at Gilboa, also in New York State.
Read more at World’s oldest fossil trees uncovered in New York – BBC News
Posted in Uncategorized | Tags: World's oldest fossil trees
Have you always wanted to spend a summer living and working at Mono Lake? This may be your chance!
We will begin accepting applications for the 2020 seasonal staff positions on January 1, 2020. Photo by Miranda Norlin.
The Mono Lake Committee is looking for passionate individuals to join our team for the busy 2020 summer season. This is your opportunity to share your love for Mono Lake and gain great experience working with a successful environmental non-profit.
Take a look at the seasonal staff job postings, which include positions leading interpretive tours, helping visitors in the Information Center & Bookstore, canoeing on Mono Lake, working with our Outdoor Education Center program, and more.
If you have always wanted to work at Mono Lake, this is your chance! Photo by Ava Stavros.
The Mono Lake Committee values a diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplace where all employees and volunteers feel respected and appreciated. We are committed to a nondiscriminatory approach and provide equal opportunity for employment and advancement in all of our departments.
We will accept applications starting on January 1, 2020 and positions fill quickly. To apply, please send cover letter and resume to the staff member listed on the job description. Please feel free to contact me, Education Director Rose Nelson, with any questions via email.
Posted in Park | Tags: Mono Lake Committee’s summer seasonal job openings
Reuters reports
Energy companies and other businesses that accidentally kill migratory birds will no longer be criminally prosecuted, the Trump administration said Friday in a decision hailed by industry but denounced by environmental groups.
Read more at Accidentally killing migratory birds not a crime, Trump administration says – Reuters
Posted in Birds | Tags: Killing Migratory Birds No Longer A Crime, Migratory Bird Treaty Act
EarthSky reports
2019’s only annular eclipse – the third and final solar eclipse of this year – falls on December 26. It’s visible along a narrow path in the world’s Eastern Hemisphere. Like a total solar eclipse, an annular solar eclipse happens when the new moon moves directly in front of the sun. During a total solar eclipse, the new moon completely covers over the solar disk. During an annular eclipse, the lunar disk is too small to totally cover over the sun, so an annulus – or thin ring of the sun’s surface – surrounds the new moon silhouette.
The narrow annular eclipse path (in red) starts at sunrise at left ,over Saudi Arabia. and ends at sunset at right over the North Pacific ocean. The annular eclipse takes 3 1/3 hours to traverse this 8,000 mile (12,900 km) path. At any one point on the path, however, the maximum duration of the annular eclipse is only 3 2/3 minutes. Visit EclipseWise.com for an extended version of the above map, or see TimeAndDate.com for a detailed map and local eclipse times.
Read more at Annular solar eclipse on December 26 | Tonight | EarthSky
Posted in Astronomy | Tags: Annular Solar Eclipse
ScienceDaily reports Scientists at the California Academy of Sciences describe 71 new species in 2019
From geckos to goblin spiders, flowering plants, and Mediterranean ants — spanning five continents and three oceans — these 71 new species described by Academy scientists grow Earth’s tree of life.
Read full article Scientists at the California Academy of Sciences describe 71 new species in 2019 — ScienceDaily
NPR reports
Yellowstone National Park’s Steamboat Geyser has been on a real eruption streak lately. The geyser can shoot water more than 300 feet into the air, and this year it has erupted more than 45 times. Scientists are trying to understand what triggered this unusual streak of activity. (Listening time, 4:36)
Posted in Park | Tags: Steamboat Geyser, Yellowstone National Park
It’s winter and that means northern elephant seals and gray whales at Point Reyes National Seashore! That also means a lot of visitors and in order to reduce traffic congestion, shuttle buses will be in operation.
$7 shuttle bus tickets are available at the Kenneth C. Patrick Visitor Center at Drakes Beach from 9:30 am to ~3 pm. Shuttles buses will run on weekends and federal holiday Mondays from Saturday Dec 28 until late March or mid-April 2020.
Please note that Sir Francis Drake Blvd will be closed at the South Beach junction from 9 am until ~5:45 pm while the shuttle buses are in operation.
Here’s to a fun and enjoyable sealson of whale watching and seal seeing! Look for Winter Wildlife volunteer docents in red vests to learn more about these magnificent marine mammals!
For more details and information, please check the park website: https://www.nps.gov/pore/planyourvisit/shuttle.htm
Posted in Park | Tags: Pt. Reyes Winter Shuttle Bus Schedule
National Parks Conservation Association reports on home the Trump administration has been destructive to U.S. National Parks
It’s been a tough year for national parks. The Trump administration has undermined, degraded, and outright attacked the laws and agencies that protect our public lands. These are the “lowlights.”See the full list at www.npca.org/TrumpPolicy
Posted in Park | Tags: National Park Destruction
Eastern Sierra Land Trust announced
We have some great news to share today: Mormon Meadows in the Bodie Hills is protected forever, thanks to our friends at The Wilderness Land Trust!👏👏
We’ll be working alongside them to restore and care for the wildlife habitat here, which hosts Bi-State sage-grouse, pronghorn, black bear, and so much more. The land will eventually be transferred to public ownership, under the Bureau of Land Management.
Thank you to every single member of the Eastern Sierra land conservation community who makes this important work possible 🙌.
Posted in Park | Tags: Bodie Hills, Mormon Meadows
California Native Plant Society has an opening for a Vegetation Intern to work on the coast in Mendocino/Northern Sonoma Counties. The Intern will work with CNPS vegetation and rare plant scientists to explore and understand California’s plants and plant communities primarily in Mendocino and Sonoma counties. This is a part‐time to full-time Vegetation Science position directly supervised by both the Vegetation Program staff and the Dorothy King Young Chapter vegetation chairs. The position includes at least 6 months of work, beginning mid to late February 2020, and the position may be extended beyond summer depending on funding.
https://www.cnps.org/…/…/12/job-rice_veg_intern-20191220.pdf
Posted in Wildflowers and Other Plants | Tags: Vegetation Science position
The New York Times reports
Hundreds of gallons of diesel fuel sank into the waters off the Galápagos Islands on Sunday after a crane toppled onto a barge and caused it to overturn, the authorities in Ecuador said, prompting an emergency cleanup in one of the world’s most revered natural destinations.
The authorities said that 600 gallons were on the barge when it sank off San Cristóbal Island, threatening the nearby environment. They declared an emergency and said they had ordered an investigation.
read more at Barge With 600 Gallons of Diesel Sinks Off Galápagos Islands – The New York Times
Posted in Environment | Tags: Gallapagos
The Town’s Conservation Committee recently reviewed and updated the Native Plant List and Discouraged Plant List for Portola Valley, and they will soon be incorporated into the Town’s Design Guidelines. Landscape design in Portola Valley should seek to preserve the qualities of the natural environment through the use of native plant materials and landscaping plans that provide a blended transition to adjacent open areas.
Read more at Native Plants and Landscaping | Portola Valley, CA
Posted in Environment | Tags: Native Plants and Landscaping
EarthSky reports
You might think of the solstice as a day, but it’s really a moment. The December solstice happens at 4:19 UTC on December 22, 2019. That time – the moment of solstice – marks the sun’s southernmost point in our sky for this year.
Read more at Solstice sun at southernmost point | Tonight | EarthSky
Posted in Astronomy | Tags: Winter Solstice
NPR reports
A large portion of Australia is on fire after weeks of extreme heat, strong winds and drought that have created ideal conditions for hundreds of bushfires to thrive across the country. Several fires have been burning since November, particularly in the eastern state of New South Wales.
Read more ‘Catastrophic’ Wildfires Continue To Rage Across Australia | Nevada Public Radio
Posted in Environment | Tags: Australian Wildfires
The New York Times reports
The Supreme Court of the Netherlands on Friday ordered the government to cut the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent from 1990 levels by the end of 2020. It was the first time a nation has been required by its courts to take action against climate change.
Read more at In ‘Strongest’ Climate Ruling Yet, Dutch Court Orders Leaders to Take Action – The New York Times
Posted in Environment | Tags: Climate Change Court Case
Cornell Lab of Ornithology has the following article for winter bird feeding
Feeding Birds This Winter? We’ve Got You CoveredWith the right feeder setup, winter can be one of the best—and coziest—seasons for bird watching. Here’s a starter pack of our most popular articles on the how, why, and what to do:
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Posted in Birds | Tags: Winter Bird Feeding
Henry Coe State Park still has wildflowers in bloom. See what is currently flowering at the Pine Ridge Association website with photos and a list of flowers now in bloom at: Henry W. Coe – Wildflower Guide.
The S. F. Chronicle reports
There’s hope for the endangered southern sea otter population, according to a study out of Sonoma State University that predicts the population could more than triple from about 3,000 to 10,000 if the animals were to repopulate the San Francisco Bay.
But there’s one big — and honestly pretty terrifying — obstacle for the fuzzy otters to contend with: great white sharks near the Golden Gate Bridge.
Read full story at The sea otter population in the SF Bay could skyrocket. If they can get past ‘the gauntlet,’ that is – SFGate
Posted in Animals | Tags: Great White Sharks, Southern Sea Otters
Here is a preliminary report for the annual Oakland Christmas Bird Count. The group for the area had a record high (since 1974) 184 species, seven more than our recent 20-year average. We had over 250 people out counting.
Posted in Birding Reports, Birds | Tags: Oakland Christmas Bird Count
Calling all botanists in search of work next summer! Do you have solid knowledge of Pacific Northwest plant families? Can you use a dichotomous key for plant identification?
If so, apply now for vegetation monitoring field crew positions at the GS-5 bio-tech, GS-6 assistant crew lead, and GS-7 crew lead levels with the NPS Klamath Inventory and Monitoring Network. These jobs are based in Ashland, Oregon.
Positions are only open until December 20 or until 150 people apply, whichever comes first, so don’t delay. We’re looking for folks who don’t mind lots of travel, enjoy camping, and are available from May to Sept 2020.
The field crew works 8 (consecutive) days on and 6 days off, collecting data at long-term monitoring plots in two beautiful places: Lava Beds National Monument and Redwood National Park. This team does NOT do invasive plant control (using herbicides). #findyourpark
Please contact Sean Smith with any questions: sean_b_smith@nps.gov. To learn more or apply, go to https://www.usajobs.gov/ search for “552493200”.
Posted in Uncategorized
EarthJustice News Release
More than 400,000 people and dozens of local tribal, government, business, and national recreation groups have flooded the U.S. Forest Service with comments opposing its plan to undo safeguards that prevent clearcutting and road building in Alaska’s Tongass National Forest. The comment period ends Tuesday.
Posted in Environment | Tags: Old Growth Forest Destruction
Center for Biological Diversity News Release
The California Fish and Game Commission today approved California Endangered Species Act protections for five of six populations of the foothill yellow-legged frog, a species that has disappeared from more than 50% of its historic habitat in the state. The decision responds to a 2016 petition by the Center for Biological Diversity.
Posted in Animals | Tags: yellow-legged frogs, Yellow-legged Frogs Protections
The New York Times has an opinion piece on the impact of the border wall on national parks and wildlife
President Trump’s barrier is threatening species and reshaping entire fragile ecosystems.
The 30-foot walls that are taking their place are easily scalable by humans but completely impenetrable by most wild animals. The new construction also poses grave flooding hazards and requires the draining of precious desert groundwater, threatening to permanently reshape entire ecosystems.
Red full article at Opinion | The Border Wall Is Rising Up Across Our National Parks – The New York Times
Posted in Animals, Park | Tags: Border Wall Threat to Wildlife
Red-Shouldered Hawk
Today I spent the day doing the Oakland Christmas Bird Count. I mainly worked on the Berkeley waterfront (six eBird Hotspots) and also a neighborhood walk. To get an idea of what I saw today you can see my eBird lists.
Black-crowned Night-heron
Sea Breeze Market Cove https://ebird.org/checklist/S62354512
Berkeley Beach-Brickyard to Pt. Emery https://ebird.org/checklist/S62354521
Frontage Rd., Berkeley https://ebird.org/checklist/S62354530
McLaughlin Eastshore State Park, Berkeley https://ebird.org/checklist/S62356597
Berkeley Pier https://ebird.org/checklist/S62354536
Berkeley Marina https://ebird.org/checklist/S62354542
Cedar-Rose Park https://ebird.org/checklist/S62347940
Mallard
Posted in Birding Reports, Birds | Tags: Christmas Bird Count
Honolulu Civil Beat reports
Scientists are racing to eradicate disease-carrying mosquitoes from forests, but to some a solution still feels like forever away.
Only 17 forest bird species are left in the islands, down from more than 50 that evolved here over thousands of years, according to the Audubon Society. And nearly all of those that persist appear poised for extinction in this century as threats to their survival intensify with the onset of climate change.
Over time, Hawaii’s mountaintop forests have become the birds’ last refuge. That’s because this high-elevation habitat has historically been too cool to host the birds’ most severe threat: mosquitoes carrying avian malaria.
Read full story at Deadly Mosquitoes Are Killing Off Hawaii’s Rare Forest Birds
Posted in Birds | Tags: Mosquitoes Killing Birds
The BBC reports
Invasive animal species represent a crisis for United States national parks, experts have said, in a call for widespread, systemic action.More than half of national parks are threatened by invasive animal species, but the threat has gone unaddressed, according to a new paper.
Read story at US national parks face ‘crisis’ over invasive animal species – BBC News
Posted in Animals, Park | Tags: Invasive species, US National Parks
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Posted in Birding Reports, Birds | Tags: Christmas Bird Count
The annual Geminid meteor shower is expected to reach its peak this weekend – though under the glaring light of the almost-full waning gibbous moon. The peak morning is likely to be Saturday, December 14, 2019 – or, possibly, Sunday, December 15, 2019. But the morning of December 13 might offer some meteors, too. These colorful meteors tend to be bright, so you might see as many as 20 or so Geminids per hour, despite the moonlight. On a dark night, free of moonlight, you can easily spot 50 or more meteors per hour. On an optimum night for the Geminids, it’s possible to see 150 meteors per hour … but that won’t happen this year, under the moonlight.
Also know that – although this is one shower you can successfully watch in the (late) evening – the best viewing is typically around 2 a.m., no matter where you are on Earth.
Posted in Astronomy | Tags: Geminids Meteor Shower, Meteor Showers
Natural History Wanderings 