The Washington Post has a new article on where to find the best fall color this year. It emphasizes that this is an atypical fall foliage year and suggests using the USDA fall color map. Read story at Where, when and how to find the best fall colors across the United States – Washington Post
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | October 15, 2019
Where, when and how to find the best fall colors across the United States
Posted in Fall Foliage | Tags: Autumn Color, Autumn Foliage, Autumn leaf color, Fall Color, Fall Foliage
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | October 15, 2019
Legal Victory Puts 15 Species on Path to Protection Nationwide
Center for Biological Diversity News Release
Elfin-woods Warbler, Cape Sable Orchid, Black Pine Snake May Get More Safeguards
WASHINGTON— The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today agreed to decide if the elfin-woods warbler and 14 other imperiled species should get habitat protections or other safeguards under the Endangered Species Act. The agency’s agreement is in response to litigation brought by the Center for Biological Diversity.
Today’s agreement requires the Service to decide whether four plants, four mussels and one crayfish warrant listing as threatened or endangered species. The Service will also consider designating protected critical habitat for four species: one bird, a snake, a tiger beetle, one mussel and two plants.
Posted in Animals, Birds, Wildflowers and Other Plants | Tags: Endangered Species Protection
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | October 14, 2019
Highway 140 to Yosemite Reopened
CAL FIRE Madera-Mariposa-Merced has announced that Highway 140 between Midpines and El Portal will reopen today (October 13) at 6 pm. Please use caution: fire crews are still working in the area and rocks and other debris may roll onto the road.
Meanwhile, air quality in the Yosemite region has generally been good to moderate the last few days. Check out Yosemite Conservancy‘s webcams at https://yosemiteconservancy.org/webcams to check on current conditions.
Posted in Park | Tags: HIghway 140, Yosemite
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | October 14, 2019
Grieving environmental scientists need support
Science reports on the struggles of environmental scientists dealing with grief around environmental destruction
Rates of environmental destruction are greater today than at any previous point in human history (1). This loss of valued species, ecosystems, and landscapes triggers strong grief responses in people with an emotional attachment to nature (2). However, environmental scientists are presented with few opportunities to address this grief professionally.
Read more the grief that environmental scientists experience and how it is difficult but necessary for them to deal with loss at Grieving environmental scientists need support | Science
Posted in Environment | Tags: Environmental Scientists
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | October 13, 2019
Henry Coe Wildflower Update 10/13/19
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.
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | October 13, 2019
California Fall Color Map Up and Running
California Fall Color’s fall color map is operational after being suspended from the recent power outages. Check it out along with lost of reports for fall color including some lesser know areas at California Fall Color
Posted in Fall Foliage | Tags: Autumn Color, Autumn leaf color, California Fall Color, Fall Color, Fall Foliage
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | October 13, 2019
Orionid meteor shower peaks October 21 or 22
The Orionid meteor shower reaches its peak on the morning of October 21 or 22..Read about it at All you need to know: Orionid meteor shower | Astronomy Essentials | EarthSky
Posted in Astronomy | Tags: Orionid Meteor Shower
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | October 12, 2019
Mono County Fall Color 10/10/19
Fall Colors in Mono County – Mono County Tourism
October 10, 2019: Special Update – The winds were not as strong as predicted yesterday and this week’s report will hold true. We drove by Conway Summit last night and will upgrade it to 50-75% Go Now as there were some great sections of yellow and orange. The June Lake Loop was also looking much better than just a few days ago. Happy leaf-peeping!
October 9, 2019: PEAK WEEK ROUND ONE! If you want to see the fall colors in Mono County come within the next two weeks!
Lots of brilliant color to be found all over Mono County this week. Lobdell Lake Road, Sonora Pass Rock Creek Road, McGee Canyon and Uppers Summers Meadow Road will all be at full peak this week! Uppers Summers Meadow Road out of Bridgeport was the best we’ve ever seen it with a nice grove of RED trees.
Locations that are approaching peak but are still patchy include: The West Walker River, Monitor Pass, Twin Lakes Bridgeport, Tioga Pass, the upper sections of Lundy Canyon, sections of the June Lake Loop, and Convict Lake. These places have great colors with sections of yellow and even orange leaves but are still a week away from full potential.
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | October 12, 2019
New England Fall Color 10/12/19
New England Fall Foliage shows most areas at either peak or moderate color right now Check out map and reports at Live Fall Foliage.
Posted in Fall Foliage | Tags: Autumn Color, Autumn Foliage, Autumn leaf color, Fall Color, Fall Foliage, New England Fall Color
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | October 12, 2019
San Juan National Forest Fall Color 10/11/19
San Juan National Forest reports on Oct. 11 2019
Estimated Percentage of Current Fall Foliage:
-
- Durango to Purgatory: ~60%
- Purgatory to Coal Bank: ~75%
- Coal Bank to Molas Pass: ~90% Peaking
- Molas Pass to Silverton: ~95% Peaking
- Silverton to Red Mtn Pass: ~95% Peaking
- Red Mtn Pass to Ouray: ~95% Post Peak
- Ouray to Telluride (Dallas Divide): ~85%
- Dolores: North of Dolores – 90% Scrub oak and narrow leaf cottonwoods are brilliant!
- Dolores to Rico: ~95%
- Rico to Telluride: ~95%
- Missionary Ridge: ~90%
- Mancos: ~60%
- La Plata Canyon: ~80% (some green, some bare, some golden)
- Pagosa: ~60%
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | October 12, 2019
New York Fall Foliage Report Oct. 9, 2019
New York Fall Foliage Report has the following report for Oct. 9 to 15
In the Adirondacks, Essex County foliage observers are calling for continued peak conditions in Lake Placid this weekend with nearly complete color change and leaves featuring bright shades of red, yellow, gold, and orange. The Whiteface Mountain area in Wilmington will be past peak this weekend with nearly complete color change and bright shades of yellow and orange along with some red. Reports from Schroon Lake project peak foliage for the weekend with nearly complete color transition and brilliant shades of red and yellow. Foliage will be at peak in Ticonderoga, with bright gold and orange leaves highlighted by shades of red. In Crown Point, observers are calling for near-peak foliage with 60-85% change and more fall colors appearing daily, including oranges, yellows, and reds, plus some green along Lake Champlain. Willsboro can expect near-peak foliage with 75% color transition showcasing bright yellow and gold leaves along with some rich shades of red and rust.
In the Adirondacks portion of St. Lawrence County, areas will feature near-peak and peak conditions with varying shades of red, orange, yellow, and purple. In northern Warren County, spotters in North Creek, Hague and Thurman project near-peak foliage with vibrant yellow, orange, and red leaves. The southern portion of the county can expect up to 75% color change with bright yellow, red, and orange leaves. Spotters at Lapland Lake Resort in southern Hamilton County, project 70-80% change and near-peak to peak conditions with yellow and orange leaves, along with some red highlights of average brilliance.
In Franklin County, reports from Tupper Lake anticipate foliage will be just-past-peak this weekend with 90-95% color change and cinnamon, copper, honey, ginger, clementine, saffron, and paprika leaves of above-average brilliance. Malone and the northern portion of the county will be slightly past peak, with nearly complete color transition featuring shades of yellow with some orange. In Saranac Lake, expect foliage to be just-past-peak this weekend with 90% change and a bright and soothing blend of reds, oranges, and yellows of varying brilliance. Foliage will be just-past-peak this weekend in Hamilton County, according to spotters in Lake Pleasant. Look for nearly complete color transition and bright red leaves, along with some shades of yellow and orange. In the Herkimer County hamlet of Old Forge, expect past-peak foliage this weekend with 90% color transition and leaves with average shades of deep red, burnt orange and yellow.
Read more details at New York Fall Foliage Report | Experience Peak Fall Colors in NY
Posted in Fall Foliage | Tags: Fall Color, Fall Foliage, New York Fall Color
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | October 12, 2019
Bishop Creek Fall Color 10/6/19
Parcher’s Resort reports on Bishop Creek Fall Color
Bishop Creek Canyon Fall Color Report – Round FOUR!!
Alrighty folks, time for round four! This is definitely the most difficult season I can recall for grading color in this canyon. Not only is the color late, but it’s coming in patches. Some places are going off, while groves just a few hundred yards away are green as can be. Sometimes one tree has orange, red, yellow and green all together. I’ve decided to call these trees mangos…ya know, because it’s like a ripening mango, get it? Anyway, this is making for some awesome shots in my opinion. Having said that, the cold last Sunday night through Wednesday certainly dulled some of the color that had peaked last week. I was very happy to see that we only had a few leaves turn black, really dodged a bullet there. The cold didn’t do much damage to most of the foliage that had yet to turn, so there’s plenty o’ color to be found in yonder hills. In the right light, especially in the afternoon hours, it’s stunning out there. The forecast looks great and if that holds up, we’ve got a few more weeks of fall color fun in the high country.Bishop Creek Canyon Overall Color Above 8500ft Elevation – Peak (75%-100%) Go Now!
Overall Conditions Below 8500ft Elevation – Near Peak (50% – 75%) Go Now!
With the substantial elevation variation of the aspen in this canyon, it’s hard to say “below 8500ft” and be spot on. To narrow this down a little, I’d say the 8000ft to 8500ft range is really starting to pop in places. This is closer to patchy than it is to peak, but it’s coming on beautifully. The aspen down lower was mostly untouched by the cold and the wind so when it goes to peak color, it should look rich and vibrant. Some areas are almost there, while others have a bit to go, but I’m really looking forward to how some of these areas will look next week.Location Reports
Sabrina Campground to Sabrina Dam (9000ft) – Peak (75%-100%) Go Now! The aspen by Sabrina campground are looking surprisingly good considering they were mostly peak last week. The stretch from the campground to the dam is spectacular, but on the low range of peak in my estimation.
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | October 12, 2019
Diversity Increases Ecosystem Stability
ScienceDaily reports
Forestry scientists demonstrate that forests that are more diverse are also more productive and more resilient.
Read article at : Diversity increases ecosystem stability — ScienceDaily
Posted in Environment | Tags: Diversity increases ecosystem stabilit
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | October 11, 2019
A 16-Million-Year-Old Tree Tells a Deep Story of the Passage of Time
Smithsonian reports
To explain the exceedingly long life of the planet, the Smithsonian’s new fossil hall designers began with this arboreal wonder.
Each yearly delineation on the sequoia’s surface is a small part of a far grander story that ties together all of life on Earth. Scientists know this as Deep Time. It’s not just on the scale of centuries, millennia, epochs, or periods, but the ongoing flow that goes back to the origins of our universe, the formation of the Earth, and the evolution of all life, up through this present moment. It’s the backdrop for everything we see around us today, and it can be understood through techniques as different as absolute dating of radioactive minerals and counting the rings of a prehistoric tree. Each part informs the whole.
Posted in Environment | Tags: 16-Million-Year-Old Tree
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | October 11, 2019
Joshua Trees Face Extinction
ScienceDaily reports
They outlived mammoths and saber-toothed tigers. But without dramatic action to reduce climate change, new research shows Joshua trees won’t survive much past this century.
Read full article at Joshua trees facing extinction — ScienceDaily
Posted in Environment | Tags: Joshua Tree Extinction
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | October 10, 2019
Monarch Butterflies Born In Captivity Have Trouble Migrating South
NPR reports a study shows that Monarch butterflies bred in captivity had trouble migrating
the breeder’s butterflies had rounder, smaller top wings – similar to nonmigratory butterflies. When they were put in a flight simulator, they did not orient south, unlike the wild North American butterflies they’d been raised alongside. The captive-bred butterflies, the scientists realized, were unlikely to migrate. Their findings are published this week in the journal PNAS.
Read full story at Monarch Butterflies Born In Captivity Have Trouble Migrating South, Study Says : NPR
Posted in Butterflies | Tags: Butterfly Migration, Monarch Buttefly
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | October 9, 2019
Could Monkeyflowers Explain Zebra Stripes?
The Americana Association for the Advancement of Science reports
Meet the monkeyflower, a weed that may hold the key to zebra stripes and other biological mysteries
Because of their diversity and other traits, hardy monkeyflowers have become the hot new plant to study
Read article at Meet the monkeyflower, a weed that may hold the key to zebra stripes and other biological mysteries | Science | AAAS
Posted in Animals, Wildflowers and Other Plants | Tags: Monkeyflowers
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | October 9, 2019
The Stone-eating Mollusk That Turns Stone Into Sand
The New York Times reports on a creature that eats stone and turns it into sand.
Lithoredo abatanica is an organism with an unusual appetite: This creature eats stone. And when it excretes, what comes out is sand, the leftovers of a still-mysterious digestion process.
Read article at This Creature Eats Stone. Sand Comes Out the Other End. – The New York Times
Posted in Animals | Tags: Lithoredo abatanica, Stone-eating Mollusk
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | October 8, 2019
The Flower That Came Back From the Dead
The New York Times reports on an endangered species success story
The Tennessee cConeflower is proof that much of nature might yet recover — if we commit ourselves to change.
Read story at The Flower That Came Back From the Dead – The New York Times
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | October 7, 2019
Roadsides Are Refuges for Declining Pollinators
Sierra Magazine reports
Recent studies have shown that insect numbers across the globe are plummeting. All sorts of pollinators, including bumblebees, hoverflies, beetles, butterflies, and moths are also in decline. There are many steps that need to be taken to save beneficial bugs, but one of the easiest is taking care of the millions of acres of right-of-way that line highways and roads.
Read article at Roadsides Are Refuges for Declining Pollinators | Sierra Club
Posted in Animals, Environment | Tags: pollinators, Roadside Refuges
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | October 7, 2019
Rangers, Who Risk Their Lives To Protect Trees
The New York Times reports on rangers who risk their lives on a daily basis to protect the trees in Thailand.
Deep in a jungle in Thailand, a battle is being waged between poorly armed forest rangers and poachers trying to sate China’s growing appetite for rare and precious rosewood.
Read story at ‘These Forests Are the Lungs of the Country’: Thai Rangers Guard Precious Rosewood – The New York Times
Posted in Park | Tags: Thailand Rosewood
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | October 6, 2019
Did you know there are 4,001 exoplanets and counting
EarthSky reports
The Exoplanet Team, led by the Observatoire de Paris, announced this week that the list of known exoplanets – planets orbiting distant stars – has grown to 4,001!
Exoplanets are planets which orbits a star outside the solar system.
Read story at Woot! 4,001 exoplanets and counting | Space | EarthSky
Posted in Astronomy | Tags: exoplanets
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | October 5, 2019
What Is the Scent of Rain?
Petrichor (/ˈpɛtrᵻkɔər/) is the earthy scent produced when rain falls on dry soil. The word is constructed from Greek petra, meaning “stone”, and ichor, the fluid that flows in the veins of the gods in Greek mythology.
The term was coined in 1964 by two Australian CSIRO researchers, Isabel Joy Bear and Richard G. Thomas, for an article in the journal Nature.[1][2] In the article, the authors describe how the smell derives from an oil exuded by certain plants during dry periods, whereupon it is absorbed by clay-based soils and rocks. During rain, the oil is released into the air along with another compound, geosmin, a metabolic by-product of certain actinobacteria, which is emitted by wet soil, producing the distinctive scent; ozone may also be present if there is lightning.[3] In a follow-up paper, Bear and Thomas (1965) showed that the oil retards seed germination and early plant growth.[4] This would indicate that the plants exude the oil in order to safeguard the seeds from germination under duress.
Read full article at Petrichor – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Posted in Environment | Tags: Scent of Rain
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | October 5, 2019
What if 1 in 4 sunlike stars has an Earth?
EarthSky reports
How many Earth-sized planets – orbiting in their star’s habitable zone, where liquid water could exist – are out there in our Milky Way galaxy? Scientists have been discovering exoplanets by the thousands in recent years, and now they have a better idea of what the answer to that question is. According to a new study from Penn State University based on data from the Kepler Space Telescope, it turns out that one in four sunlike stars should have at least one planet similar in size to Earth and orbiting in its star’s habitable zone.
Read full article at Wow! What if 1 in 4 sunlike stars has an Earth? | Space | EarthSky
Posted in Astronomy | Tags: earth-like planets
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | October 4, 2019
How Plants Cope With Stress
ScienceDaily reports
With climate change comes drought, and with drought comes higher salt concentrations in the soil. Scientists have identified a mechanism by which plants respond to salt stress, a pathway that could be targeted to engineer more adaptable crops.
Read full article at How plants cope with stress — ScienceDaily
Posted in Wildflowers and Other Plants | Tags: Plants Coping w/Stress
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | October 3, 2019
Global Wealth Gap Would Be Smaller Today Without Climate Change, Study Finds
The New York Times reported
Climate change creates winners and losers. Norway is among the winners; Nigeria among the losers.
Those are the stark findings of a peer-reviewed paper by two Stanford University professors who have tried to quantify the impact of rising greenhouse gas emissions on global inequality. It was published Monday in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Read full story at Global Wealth Gap Would Be Smaller Today Without Climate Change, Study Finds – The New York Times
Posted in Environment | Tags: Climate change
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | October 3, 2019
Almost all kangaroos are left-handed
Mother Nature Network reports
A new study has challenged the belief that only humans and primates are left- or right-handed. Researchers have discovered that kangaroos are primarily left-handed, using their left hands to take care of basic tasks like grooming and feeding.
In a joint study conducted by the University of Tasmania and the University of New South Wales, and with the help of scientists from Saint Petersburg State University who conducted the on-the-ground research, the study authors discovered that kangaroos favored their left hand 95 percent of the time.
Read full story at Almost all kangaroos are left-handed | MNN – Mother Nature Network
Posted in Animals | Tags: Most kangaroos are left-handed
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | October 2, 2019
Fly with the world’s fastest bird
EarthSky reports
So far, no bird known can match the flying speed of a Peregrine falcon in its hunting dive. The Peregrine falcon is the fastest bird – and in fact the fastest animal on Earth – when in a dive. As it executes this dive, the Peregrine falcon soars to a great height, then dives steeply at speeds of over 200 miles (320 km) per hour. The video above gives you an idea of how fast this is, as seen from the falcon’s point of view.
See video and read full story at Fly with the world’s fastest bird | Earth | EarthSky
Posted in Birds | Tags: Peregrine Falcon, World's Fastest Bird
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | October 1, 2019
Milo Baker CNPS Plant Sale 10/12/19
California Native Plant Society Milo Baker Chapter 48th Annual California Native Plant Sale
Saturday October 12, 2019 10:00a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Laguna Foundation 900 Sanford Road (off Occidental Road)
Trees, Shrubs, Perennials, Bulbs and Seeds Expert Gardeners to answer questions Native Plant Books, Posters, T-shirts and Talks on gardening with California natives
Posted in Garden, Wildflowers and Other Plants | Tags: Native Plant Sale
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | October 1, 2019
Which Birds Dominate at Feeders?
IAccording to a new study, bird feeders trigger the formation of interspecies hierarchies. These localized hierarchies, the new research confirmed, are dominated by the biggest birds.
The presence of a consistent, concentrated source of food, like a bird feeder, naturally attracts a range of species — species that may not ordinarily compete for the same resources.
via Bird feeders create a hierarchy, with larger species at the top
Posted in Birds | Tags: Bird Feeder Dominance
Natural History Wanderings 