Posted by: Sandy Steinman | August 30, 2025

A Great Rebound for Great Lakes Piping Plovers

Audubon Magazine reported

After 40 years of dedicated conservation efforts, the growing population of Great Lakes Piping Plovers—a record 88 pairs, up from a low of just 12—is returning to long-abandoned nesting territory. Thanks to a broad coalition of conservation partners, there’s hope yet on the road to delisting the Piping Plover from the Endangered Species list. Keep reading for more on the ongoing recovery efforts to save Great Lakes Piping Plovers.

Update: After this story went to press, conservation team leaders reported that 2025 saw another record breeding season for Great Lakes Piping Plovers with 85 nesting pairs.

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | August 29, 2025

Berkeley’s Official Bird – The Barn Owl

Originally posted December 25, 2013

I recently learned that Berkeley’s official city bird is the Barn Owl. It became official on Tuesday April 25, 2006 and apparently was one of the least controversial decision ever made by the Berkeley City Council. To learn more about the story of how the Barn Owl became Berkeley’s city birds check out these two stories:

I also did a little research (googled official city birds) and came up with the List of official city birds. Official City Birds are found all over the world.  Some other American cities with official birds are San Francisco’s  California Quail, Santa Monica’s Brown Pelican, Madison’s( Wisconsin) “Plastic Pink Flamingo” and Key West’s chicken.

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | August 29, 2025

272 mysterious plains-wanderers found in Australian desert. Here’s why the discovery is so incredible 

Discover Wildlife reported

A population of rare ground-dwelling birds has been discovered in an unexpected corner of South Australia.

Long thought to be entirely dependent on sparse native grasslands, the group of critically endangered plains-wanderers (Pedionomus torquatus) was spotted living in low, open shrubland far from its core range.

Read more at  272 mysterious plains-wanderers found in Australian desert. Here’s why the discovery is so incredible | Discover Wildlife

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | August 28, 2025

Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy Upcoming Events

See all Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy Upcoming Events at see all upcoming events

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | August 28, 2025

Relative of Extinct Xerces Butterfly Helps Restore California Habitat Destroyed in its Demise

The Good News Network reported

The coastal dunes of the San Francisco peninsula serve as the natural backdrop to the dramatic curve of the Golden Gate Bridge, but just recently they also became the test bed for an “amazing” experiment in rewilding.

Can an extinct species, which played a key role in its ecosystem, live on through its close relatives? That’s what ecologist at the California Academy of Sciences are trying to figure out.

Using silvery blue butterflies, the ecologists are attempting to replicate the role and activity of the extinct Xerxes blue butterfly, an important regional pollinator that became the first known invertebrate species to go extinct in North America post-industrialization.

Read more at  Relative of Extinct Xerces Butterfly Helps Restore California Habitat Destroyed in its Demise

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | August 27, 2025

The West’s disappearing glaciers may soon be gone for good

SF Gate reported

Glaciers around the world are vanishing faster than ever before. Last year, all 58 global reference glaciers across five continents tracked by the American Meteorological Society lost mass for the second year in a row — the greatest average ice loss recorded in the report’s 55-year history.

Read more  The West’s disappearing glaciers may soon be gone for good

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | August 27, 2025

Thousands of illegal marijuana plants removed from California national park 

The Guardian reported

Park rangers have removed an illegal marijuana cultivation site in California’s Sequoia national park spanning approximately 13 acres (5 hectares).

In a press release on Thursday, the National Park Service said that it had removed a total of 2,377 full-grown marijuana plants and approximately 2,000lbs of trash and infrastructure last week by hand and helicopter sling-load operations.

Read more Thousands of illegal marijuana plants removed from California national park | California | The Guardian

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | August 27, 2025

East Bay Regional Park District Acquires 82 Acres at Point Molate for Future Regional Park!

from East Bay Regional Parks
82 Acres of Shoreline Protected as Public Parkland and Open Space
Long envisioned as a public park, this milestone ensures the shoreline is protected forever as public parkland and open space — a remarkable achievement for the entire Bay Area.

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | August 27, 2025

Court Orders Less Reliance on Pesticide Spraying on Millions of Acres of Western Rangelands

Xerces Society reported

A federal judge in Oregon has confirmed the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has a legal duty to consider preventative measures — rather than a “spray first, ask questions later” approach — in its program allowing insecticide spraying to kill native grasshoppers and crickets on millions of acres in 17 western states.

Learn more

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | August 27, 2025

Why Crater Lake’s only lake access trail must shut for years

SF Gate reported

“This project has been needed for a long time. Decades of erosion, rockfall damage, tree fall, and use have damaged the trail to the point where annual maintenance is unsustainable,” Marsha McCabe, the park’s public information officer, told SFGATE. “Retaining and support walls are failing, can no longer be repaired, and must be completely replaced.”

There are stretches where the trail has noticeably deteriorated, creating real safety concerns for visitors who aren’t as sure-footed. In places, gaps in the tree line reveal the scars of rockslides and tree falls, their debris cleared but not forgotten. Even the sections rebuilt by trail crews this summer, sturdy as they are, stand out as bright reminders of just how fragile and precarious this route has become.

Read full article at Why Crater Lake’s only lake access trail must shut for years

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | August 26, 2025

Wildflower Watching as a Source of Solace and Diversion

The Nature Conservancy writes about Wildflower Watching as a Source of Solace

Trout lilies and other wildflowers are blooming. A backcountry expert and author reflects on the solace of the season.

Read on blog.nature.org/2020/04/28/wildflower-watching-as-a-source-of-solace-and-diversion/

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | August 26, 2025

Photos from a Foggy Morning at the Regional Parks Botanic Garden

Photos taken on August 26 on a Foggy Morning  at the East Bay Regional Parks Botanic Garden in Tilden Park in Berkeley, CA

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | August 26, 2025

Crafty curlews: birds eavesdrop on prairie dog calls to evade predators

The Guardian reported

Prairie dogs bark to alert each other to the presence of predators, with different cries depending on whether the threat is airborne or approaching by land.

But their warnings also seem to help a vulnerable grassland bird.

Curlews have figured out that if they eavesdrop on alarms from US prairie dog colonies they may get a jump on predators coming for them, too, according to research published on Thursday in the journal Animal Behavior.

Read more at Crafty curlews: birds eavesdrop on prairie dog calls to evade predators

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | August 25, 2025

Condor Tour at Bitter Creek National Wildlife Refuge Saturday, September 6, 2025

Greetings Fellow Condor Lovers,
We are pleased to be able to offer a tour of Bitter Creek National Wildlife Refuge on September 6, 2025.  This refuge was established in 1985 to protect nesting territory of the critically endangered California condor and is closed to the public.

Tours are limited to a maximum of 24 people, so applicants will be accepted on a first come basis and preference will be given to those persons who have NOT attended a tour in the past 2 years.   Due to the nature of the tour, no children under 10 please.

To apply for a spot, click the button and complete all of the information in the online form.

Yes, I would like to be considered to attend

Read More…

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | August 25, 2025

 Los Padres ForestWatch Upcoming Events

See Upcoming Los Padres ForestWatch Upcoming Events at Home | Los Padres ForestWatch

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | August 24, 2025

Monterey beach closes as sea lion colony takes over the shoreline

SF Gate reported

A beach off Monterey’s Cannery Row is closed indefinitely after a colony of sea lions moved in for its annual summer vacation.

Read on www.sfgate.com/centralcoast/article/cannery-row-beach-closes-sea-lion-20994643.php

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | August 24, 2025

Wily coyotes thrive in Central Park as animals adapt to urban life across US

The Guardian reported

Romeo and Juliet among at least 20 coyotes in New York City as animals gradually expand eastward into cities

Read on www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/aug/24/coyotes-central-park-us-cities

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | August 24, 2025

Seabirds only poop while flying, researchers observe

Phys.org reported

On Japan’s desert islands, researchers uncovered a peculiar bathroom ritual among seabirds. Reporting in Current Biology, the team found that streaked shearwaters (Calonectris leucomelas) poop while flying—not while floating on water—and they do so every 4 to 10 minutes. This habit may help the birds stay clean and fertilize the ocean below.

Read on phys.org/news/2025-08-seabirds-poop-flying.html

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | August 24, 2025

The West’s Megadrought Might Not Let Up for Decades, Study Suggests

The New York Times  reported

A megadrought has sapped water supplies, ravaged farms and ranches, and fueled wildfires across the American Southwest for going on 25 years. Not in 12 centuries has the region been so dry for so long.

Now comes worse news: Relief might still be decades away.

According to new findings published in the journal Nature Geoscience, the dry spell is no mere bout of bad luck, no rough patch that could end anytime soon.

Read more at The West’s Megadrought Might Not Let Up for Decades, Study Suggests

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | August 23, 2025

Study examines impact of logging on wildfire risk

NBC Bay Area  reported

A new study is offering fuel for the increasingly political debate over fire risk and fire prevention.

President Donald Trump recently called for more logging on federal lands, both to promote timber production and reduce fire risk. But researchers say their research now shows logging is far from the best solution for cutting fire risk.

Read on www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/logging-wildfire-risk-study/3936070/

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | August 23, 2025

The Health Benefits of Gardening

The New York Time reported

Digging holes can be a workout and mood booster all rolled into one.

Shoveling mulch, pulling weeds and lugging around a watering can all qualify as moderate-intensity physical activities. And gardeners tend to report higher levels of physical activity overall, compared with non-gardeners.

Read more at  Why Gardening Is So Good for You

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | August 22, 2025

Grand jury charges Wyoming man in wolf snowmobile animal cruelty case

AP reported

A Wyoming man who allegedly hit a wolf with a snowmobile, taped the wounded animal’s mouth shut and showed it off in a rural bar before killing it has been indicted on an animal cruelty charge by a grand jury nearly a year and a half after the incident.

Read on apnews.com/article/wyoming-wolf-killed-snowmobile-run-over-bar-3b0fbb9c39a5257854e9aa88290666e8

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | August 22, 2025

Scientists reclassify giraffes into four distinct species, up from one

MSN reported

Scientists have reclassified giraffes into four distinct species, up from one. Conservationists say this greater understanding of giraffe taxonomy will allow for targeted conservation efforts, specific to each species’ needs, prioritizing those that are critically endangered.

Read on www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/scientists-reclassify-giraffes-into-four-distinct-species-up-from-one/ar-AA1KXgso

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | August 22, 2025

Scientists Have Figured Out Why Hammerheads Love Eating Other Sharks

Mental Floss reported

The hammerhead shark doesn’t always get the respect it deserves. Thanks to their cartoonishly distanced eyes, they typically have a blind spot in front of their snout where schools of fish can safely congregate. Fin placement often leads to a peculiar tilt to their bodies while swimming. They are, in short, nature’s goofballs.

While they may be funny-looking, hammerheads practice a high-stakes game of hunting other shark species—an urge that hasn’t been well understood by science until now.

Read more  Hammer Time: Scientists Have Figured Out Why Hammerheads Love Eating Other Sharks

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | August 21, 2025

Theodore Payne Foundation closing early

Due to the heatwave, Theodore Payne Foundation will be closing at 1 pm for the remainder of the week 🌡️Hours for today, 8/21 through Saturday 8/23 will be 8:30 AM to 1:00 P

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | August 21, 2025

Conservationist Hail Recovery of 150 Struggling Species Thanks to Projects by Natural England

Good News Network reported

Two years ago, the UK government gave roughly $15 million to its own conservation organ called Natural England for the purpose of preventing species decline.

Now, its report card has arrived, and its A+ work has seen the recovery of 150 struggling or declining species.

Read more Conservationist Hail Recovery of 150 Struggling Species Thanks to Projects by Natural England

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | August 21, 2025

Rescuers Hope To Save Tiny Newts By Moving Them Out Of Crater Lake National Park

National Park Traveler reported

Oregon’s Crater Lake is the only place on Earth where a tiny species of salamanders called Mazama newts are found, but scientists think moving some of the aquatic critters is the only way to save them.

“The Oregon Zoo is taking a group of Mazama newts into human care in the hopes of protecting the species,” zoo spokesperson Kelsey Wallace said in an email Monday.

Read more  Rescuers Hope To Save Tiny Newts By Moving Them Out Of Crater Lake National Park

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | August 21, 2025

Researchers find that Great Tit songbirds get ‘divorced’

NPR reported

A new study from Oxford University finds that a common European songbird sometimes divorces its partner between breeding seasons.

— Read on www.npr.org/2025/07/30/nx-s1-5482865/great-tit-songbirds-sometimes-divorce

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | August 20, 2025

Yosemite Reservations No Longer Needed

Entrance reservations are no longer needed to visit Yosemite for the rest of 2025—except Labor Day weekend (Aug 30–Sept 1, 6am–2pm).

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | August 20, 2025

Another species of the Bent-toed geckos discovered in Vietnam

Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology reported

Scientists from the Vietnam National Museum of Nature have discovered a new species of the Bent-toed geckos in Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park, Quang Binh Province. The new species is named Hang Va Bent-toed gecko, with the scientific name Cyrtodactylus hangvaensis. The new species is closely related to Cyrtodactylus roesleri living in Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park and Cyrtodactylus sommerladi living in the limestone mountains bordering Laos. The new species name “C. hangvaensis” refers to the cave near where the new species was found.

Read more Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology

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