Botanical Wanderings has a post from Dave Self for Clover Springs Preserve with 18 wildflower photos at(2) Botanical Wanderings – California
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | May 11, 2019
Sonoma County Wildflowers Clover Springs Preserve 5/10/19
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | May 11, 2019
Trump Finalizes Plan to Open 725,500 Acres of California’s Central Coast to Drilling, Fracking
Center for Biological Diversity News Release
Trump Finalizes Plan to Open 725,500 Acres of California’s Central Coast to Drilling, Fracking
MARINA, Calif.— The Trump administration today finalized a plan to open 725,500 acres of public lands and mineral estate across California’s Central Coast and the Bay Area to new oil and gas drilling. The U.S. Bureau of Land Management plan is an increase of nearly 327,000 acres from the draft proposal prepared under the Obama administration.
The public lands earmarked for leasing in today’s resource management plan are in the counties of Alameda, Contra Costa, Fresno, Merced, Monterey, San Benito, San Joaquin, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz and Stanislaus.
Posted in Environment | Tags: California Fracking, Fracking, Fracking on Public Lands
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | May 10, 2019
Mt. Rainier Wildflowers 5/10/19
Mt. Rainier National Park reports
Currently Blooming
Last Updated: May 10, 2019
One day, just a mossy forest floor; the next, orchids! Calypso orchids (also known as “fairy slippers”) are tiny but colorful wildflowers found in the low elevation forests of the park. They bloom for just a few weeks in spring.
Please Note: As snow melts away, it may be tempting to skirt remaining patches of snow that are covering trails. However, by going off trail you are walking on and damaging the wildflowers that you may be coming to see! It is better to stay on trail even if that means crossing snow, particularly in the high-visitation meadows around Paradise and Sunrise.
Wildflower Reports
- Nisqually Entrance to Longmire (5/9) -skunk cabbage, coltsfoot, trillium
- Longmire (5/9) – skunk cabbage, coltsfoot, trillium, Calypso orchid, yellow violets, wild strawberry
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | May 10, 2019
Antelope Valley Wildflowers 5/10/19
Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve Bloom update as of May 10, 2019:
Wildflower update:
The poppies and almost all the other wildflowers have faded down to a few tiny patches due to the recent heat. The beavertail cactus is still in full bloom, though. The Jane S. Pinheiro Interpretive Center is open through Mother’s Day, May 12th, and features a few nice exhibits related to the poppies and other wildflowers, a short film covering the same subjects, and art work created by the founder of the Poppy Reserve. It also has poppy related merchandise for sale. The Poppy Reserve is a nice place to hike before the summer heat settles in, with 8 miles of graded trails and a covered picnic area.
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | May 10, 2019
Homestead Valley Land Trust Wildflowers 5/9/19
Homestead Valley has a new wildflower update. See photos Homestead Valley May 9
NEW
– Buckeye trees are starting to bloom with large clusters of white flowers. Lining our roads, they make a beautiful display when fully blooming.
– Common snowberry’s little pink flowers are blooming on this small bush at forest edges.
– Ithuriel spear, open clusters of purple flowers on a tall stalk, are starting to bloom in meadows.
– Stinking iris*, native of Europe, blooms with khaki and purple flowers at a few spots along forest trails.
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | May 10, 2019
Kruse Rhododendron Bloom 5/8/19
See photos of Kruse Rhododendron Preserve bloom at (4) Dorothy King Young Chapter California Native Plant Society – Home
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | May 10, 2019
Global Big Day Birding Totals
Global Big Day 2019: the biggest day in birding
On 4 May, 32,500 people ventured outside in 171 countries, finding 6,816 species: 2/3rds of the world’s bird species in a single day. This is a new world record for the number of people birding on a single day.
Posted in Birds | Tags: Global Big Day Results
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | May 9, 2019
Iron Mt. Wildflowers 5/8/19
Botanical Wanderings – California reports
hiking through the chaparral to the top of Iron Mountain near Poway, California. There was quite a lot in bloom!
See photos at (2) Botanical Wanderings – California
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | May 9, 2019
Help Save Cavity Nesters in Los Padres NF
Read about efforts to help make Los Padres National Forest safer for cavity-nesters and how you can contribute.
Each year thousands of cavity-nesters – animals that prefer dark, narrow spaces for nesting and roosting, such as owls, other birds of prey and small birds – become entrapped in vertical open pipes of the Vault toilets (or commonly called pit toilets) found in most of our public lands across the country, including Los Padres National Forest. These toilets feature 12″ vertical ventilation pipes that mimic the natural cavities preferred by various bird species. Once the bird enters one of these pipes it cannot get out, suffering a terrible death. But installing a durable and affordable steel screen developed by the Teton Raptor Center will put an end to these deaths. They are being installed all over the US, Canada, with over 14,000 screens already distributed!
Read more and if you wish to contribute to the efforts to help fund ventilation pipe screens in Los Padres National Forest go to Fundraiser by Jeri Edwards : Help Save Cavity Nesters in Los Padres NF
Posted in Birds, Park | Tags: Cavity Nesters, Los Padres National Forest
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | May 8, 2019
California Winning Almost All Environmental Lawsuits Against Trump Adminstration
The LA Times reports
More than two years into the Trump presidency, California has embraced its role as chief antagonist — already suing the administration more times than Texas took President Obama to court during eight years in office.
It’s having an effect.
California’s lawsuits have targeted the administration’s policies on immigration, healthcare and education. But nowhere has the legal battle had a greater impact than on Trump’s agenda of dismantling Obama-era environmental and public health regulations.
Read full story at In Trump vs. California, the state is winning nearly all its environmental cases – Los Angeles Times
Posted in Environment | Tags: California Lawsuits agains Trump Administration
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | May 8, 2019
Sonoma County Wildflowers: Cloverdale River Park 5/7/19
See nine wildflower photos for Cloverdale River Park in Cloverdale, CA in northern Sonoma County at (9) Botanical Wanderings – California
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | May 8, 2019
Pt. Reyes Wildflowers 5/7/19
See eighteen wildflower photos from Pt. Reyes at (9) Dorothy King Young Chapter California Native Plant Society – Home
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | May 8, 2019
Oregon Wildflowers 5/5/19
Oregon Wildflowers has a new report
Hamilton Mt. 5/5/19 dozens of wildflower varieties are blooming, especially fairy bells, Fringecup, Oregon Grape, and bleeding Hearts.
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | May 8, 2019
Mt. Tamalpais Wildflowers 5/5/19
The Marin CNPS Facebook page has a posting with 27 photos on Mt. Tam at (9) Marin Native Plants
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | May 7, 2019
Will Roger State Park Wildflowers 5/5/19
See a collage of 24 wildflower photos from Will Rogers State Park, Santa Monica, California at (7) California Wildflower Tipline
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | May 7, 2019
Sonoma County Wildflowers: Healdsburg Ridge 5/6/19
See photos of what is blooming at the Healdsburg Ridge Preserve in northern Sonoma County at (7) Botanical Wanderings – California
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | May 7, 2019
Pinnacles Wildflowers 5/6/19
See nineteen photos for what is blooming in Pinnacles atb(7) California Wildflower Tipline
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | May 7, 2019
Henry Coe Wildflower Update 5/7/19
Henry Coe State Park has updated its wildflower bloom report at the Pine Ridge Association website with photos and a list of flowers now in bloom at: Henry W. Coe – Wildflower Guide.
New Website Link: Henry Coe has updated its website and changed the wildflower link. The new link is https://coepark.net/blooming
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | May 7, 2019
Oregon Wildflowers 5/5/19
Oregon Wildflowers has two new recent reports
Tom McCall 5/4/19 Balsam Root & Lupine at peak with all blooms & petals looking fresh.
Cove Palisades State Park 5/5/19 Tama-a-lau trail is beautiful right now, with hillsides carpeted in balsamroot and many other flowers blooming as well.
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | May 7, 2019
U.N. Report Says 1 Million Animal And Plant Species Are At Risk Of Extinction
NPR reports
Up to 1 million of the estimated 8 million plant and animal species on Earth are at risk of extinction — many of them within decades — according to scientists and researchers who produced a sweeping U.N. report on how humanity’s burgeoning growth is putting the world’s biodiversity at perilous risk.
Read story at 1 Million Animal And Plant Species Are At Risk Of Extinction, U.N. Report Says : NPR
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | May 6, 2019
The Threat of Rising Groundwater
Bay Nature reports
As sea level rises due to a changing climate, groundwater will rise too—a Bay Area-wide problem that planners haven’t even begun to tackle.
But this pioneering research into “groundwater rise” is the first step to addressing it.
Read story at Bay Nature Magazine: The Sea Beneath Us
Posted in Environment | Tags: Rising Groundwater
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | May 5, 2019
Great Smokies Photos: Wildflowers & More
I spent April 16 to 22 in Great Smoky National Park. It was a good time to see early season wildflowers. Highlights were the many Trilliums, Lady Slipper Orchids, Showy Orchis, White-fringed Phacelias, Black Bears and gushing rivers and streams due to a flash flood that occurred while we were there.
I have put together a photo album from the trip on Flickr. The link to the album: https://www.flickr.com/photos/sandysteinman/albums/72157708249052575
The best way to watch them might be as as a slide show by clicking the third icon from the right in the second row at the top right of the page (the one that looks like a computer screen with an arrow on it)
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | May 5, 2019
Large Sharks Spotted off California Coast After 30-year Absence
The San Francisco Chronicle reports
A species of enormous sharks, some as long as small yachts, have been frequently spotted off the coast of Southern California after all but vanishing decades ago.
But need not fear, basking sharks are often called “gentle giants” as they aren’t aggressive and don’t bite. Swimming with their mouths wide open and often near the surface, they are filter feeders, consuming tiny food such as plankton.
Read full story with photos at Sharks as big as small yachts spotted off California coast after 30-year absence – SFGate
Posted in Animals | Tags: basking sharks
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | May 5, 2019
Best Spots To See Sonoma County Wildflowers Right Now
The Press Democrat reports on the best places to see wildflowers now in Sonoma County including
- Pepperwood
- Sonoma Valley Regional Park
- Shiloh Ranch Regional Park
Read article at Best spots to (still) see wildflowers in Sonoma County
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | May 5, 2019
Figueroa Late Season Wildflower Tour May 11
May 11 is a late season wildflower tour at Figueroa from 9 am to 2pm. For more information go to Figueroa Late Season Wildflower Tour
Posted in Wildflowers and Other Plants | Tags: Figueroa Late Season Wildflower Tour
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | May 4, 2019
Oregon Wildflowers 5/4/19
Oregon Wildflowers has two new recent reports
Columbia Hills/The Dalles Mountain Ranch 5/4/19 – I suggest heading up to Stacker Butte Road rather than the lower Crawford Oaks loop. The lower elevation balsamroot is profuse but well past peak. Also blooming along Stacker Butte Road: paintbrush, bighead clover, phlox, daggerpod, milk-vetch, and lots of Lomatium.
Hamilton Mountain 5/2/19 the following wildflowers are blooming: Rockslide Larkspur (Delphinium glareosum), Spreading Phlox (Phlox diffusa), Gold Stars (Crocidium multicaule), Saxifrage, Field Chickweed (Cerastium arvense), Harsh Paintbrush (Castilleja hispida), Violet (Viola sp.), and Fairy slipper (Calypso bulbosa).
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | May 4, 2019
Mt. Burdell Wildflowers 5/4/19
The Marin CNPS Facebook page has a new post with photos for the Mt. Burdell Trail from Olompali at 6) Marin Native Plants
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | May 4, 2019
Henry Coe Wildflower Update 5/4/19
Henry Coe State Park has updated its wildflower bloom report at the Pine Ridge Association website with photos and a list of flowers now in bloom at: Henry W. Coe – Wildflower Guide.
New Website Link: Henry Coe has updated its website and changed the wildflower link. The new link is https://coepark.net/blooming
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | May 4, 2019
U.S. to Consider Listing Giraffes as Endangered Species
The New York Times reports
Federal wildlife officials said Thursday that they would officially consider listing the giraffe as an endangered species, a move long sought by conservationists alarmed by the African mammal’s precipitous decline and a growing domestic market for giraffe products.
Read story at U.S. to Consider Listing Giraffes as Endangered Species
Posted in Animals | Tags: Giraffes as Endangered Species
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | May 3, 2019
Figueroa Mountain Wildflowers 5/3/19
submitted by Helen Tarbet Recreation Technician Los Padres National Forest
Figueroa Mountain Wildflower Update May 3, 2019
Some of the early and mid-season wildflowers on Figueroa Mountain are getting tired and going to seed, but the late seasonvarieties are just getting started, such as the lovely fairy lantern’s pictured above.
Let’s see what we can find, shall we?
Beginning at the first cattle guard and continuing to the canopy area, Chinese houses and hummingbird sage is still in bloom and looking lovely. Beautiful wine cup clarkia and golden yarrow are starting to bloom along this stretch. However, buttercups, lupine and blue dicks are quickly saying goodbye for this year, while the fiesta flowers have already gone. Along the canopy area, Chinese houses, hummingbird sage and buttercups can still be seen, along with, what appears to be Italian thistle getting ready to bloom. As you continue to climb the mountain, stunning orange California poppies are still in bloom along the road and rocky hillsides. The sweet white cream cups, before the rusty gate, are done for the year.
Other wildflowers to look for as you continue your uphill drive include, Mexican elderberry, California poppies, Chinese houses, wild red onion, prickly phlox, buttercups, yarrow, buckwheat, morning glories, wallflowers, blue-eyed grass, butter lupine and blow wives. Look for beautiful dudleya (wild hen and chicks succulents) along the rocky areas and gorgeous Catalina mariposa lilies in the grassy fields. Some sky lupine can still be seen along this portion of the road, but they are rapidly seeding.
Natural History Wanderings 