ScienceDaily reported
Photosynthesis — mainly carried out by plants — is based on a remarkably efficient energy conversion process. To generate chemical energy, sunlight must first be captured and transported further. This happens practically loss-free and extremely quickly. A new study shows that quantum mechanical effects play a key role in this process.
Read more at Why do plants transport energy so efficiently and quickly? | ScienceDaily
Posted in Wildflowers and Other Plants | Tags: Photosynthesis
NBC News reported
A Florida man who shot dolphins attracted to baited fishing lines cast from boats he operated was sentenced to 30 days in prison and one year of supervised release.
Read more at Florida man who shot and poisoned dolphins sentenced to 1 month
Posted in Animals | Tags: Dolphin Shooting
SF Gate reports
Tioga Road, the popular and scenic section of Highway 120 that allows access to the eastern side of Yosemite National Park, will open on Memorial Day, the National Park Service announced on its website Thursday.
Read more at Tioga Road into Yosemite Park to reopen on Memorial Day
Posted in Drives, Park | Tags: Tioga Pass Road, Yosemite National Park
from Inyo National Forest
Posted in Environment | Tags: Inn Fire
Mono county Tourism reports US 395 is open
Posted in Drives | Tags: US 395 is open
East County Magazine reported
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park has been named the best California state park for wildflower viewing in a new “Best of California State Parks(link is external)” poll released by the California State Parks Foundation.
Red more ANZA-BORREGO NAMED BEST STATE PARK FOR WILDFLOWERS | East County Magazine
Posted in Park | Tags: Anza-Borrego Desert State Park
The San Francisco Standard reported
The state flower’s beauty lies not in its ability to grow in vast quantities, but to pop up where it has no business blooming.
Read more: The case for stealing California poppies
Posted in Wildflowers and Other Plants | Tags: California Poppies
SF Gate reported
A study of the movement of 20 coyotes in Los Angeles County turned up some unexpected findings.
Read on www.sfgate.com/la/article/los-angeles-coyotes-behavior-20250965.php
Posted in Animals | Tags: Coyote Behavior
Photos taken in the Regional Park Botanic Garden in Tilden Park in Berkeley, CA on May 25, 2025.
The Regional Parks Botanic Garden is a botanic garden of California native plants. The Garden is open Monday through Sunday from 8:30 AM to 5 PM. It is located within Tilden Park in the hills above Berkeley, California. It is a 10-acre garden for 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. To learn more about the garden visit the website at www.nativeplants.org .
From East Bay Regional Parks
Black Birders week began in 2020 to highlight the historic discrimination in nature-based outdoor recreation activities, like birding. Join us in celebrating Black Birders Week from Sunday, May 25 to Saturday, May 31 with a week-long series of activities aimed at uplifting Black birders and topics of cultural inclusivity in the outdoors. Park District Naturalist staff share the joys of birding as a lifelong learning journey and invite everyone to get outside, spend time with community, and learn about the birds of the East Bay in our Regional parks.
See programs and activities at Black Birders Week | East Bay Parks
Posted in Park | Tags: Black Birders Week, East Bay Regional Parks
From Mono County Tourism
US 395 between Lee Vining and Mono City remains closed due to the #innfire and is expected to stay closed through tonight, possibly into the weekend.
➡️ Detour Info:
Southbound: Use SR 167 or NV 208 via Holbrook Junction
Northbound: Use US 6 from Bishop. Or take Benton Crossing Road to/from Mammoth Lakes area or US 120 E Mono Mills Road to/from Lee Vining area to US 6.
These routes will take you through Nevada — plan ahead with fuel and supplies.
🧡 Our businesses and communities remain open and welcome your visit and support. Smoke impacts are minimal to none outside of the isolated fire area. Please travel safely and check conditions before heading out.
🙏 A heartfelt thank you to all the first responders.
For fire and road updates:
Posted in Drives | Tags: Highway 395 Closure
Smithsonian Magazine reported
Scientists studying Eurasian coots in Amsterdam found layers of decades-old garbage in their urban nests
Read more at These Bird Nests Are Full of Trash, Including Some That’s 30 Years Old
Posted in Birds
The Miami Herald reported
In a national park of southern Canada, some “cryptic” creatures perched on the plants and enjoyed the sunlight. Something about the relatively “drab”-looking animals caught the attention of visiting scientists — and for good reason. They turned out to be a new species.
See photos and read article at New species of butterfly discovered in Canada park: photos | Miami Herald
Posted in Butterflies | Tags: Curiously Isolated Hairstreak, New Butterfly Species, Satyrium curiosolus
Earth.org reported
411 of the 1,300 fungi species assessed worldwide are at risk of extinction, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Read article at Nearly 1 in 3 Studied Fungi Threatened With Extinction | Earth.Org
Posted in Environment, Mushrooms | Tags: Fungi Extinction Risk
SF Gate reported
An effort to stop a Republican push to sell off hundreds of thousands of acres of public land in Nevada and Utah succeeded at the last moment.
Read on www.sfgate.com/national-parks/article/outcry-stops-public-lands-sale-nevada-utah-zion-20340854.php
Posted in Park | Tags: Public Land Sales
KRON4 reported
A second gray whale that died this year from a suspected vessel strike was found in the San Francisco Bay, according to The Marine Mammal Center (TMMC). It is the ninth…
Read more Ninth whale dies in Bay Area this year as sightings spike | KRON4
Posted in Animals | Tags: Bay Area Whale Deaths
Berkeleyside reported
California has no health standards for these chemicals in fish, so activists are urging action. Found in people and animals worldwide, they are linked to cancer and other health effects.
Read on www.berkeleyside.org/2025/05/21/forever-chemicals-san-francisco-bay-fish
Posted in Animals, Environment | Tags: Contaminated Waters harm to fish
NPR reported
Scientists have found a way to sample DNA out of the air on a large scale — making it possible to one day track the health and well being of all kinds of species around the world.
Read more Environmental DNA: Using eDNA to track world’s biodiversity : NPR
Posted in Animals, Environment, Wildflowers and Other Plants | Tags: Sampling DNA out of the air
KTLA reported
If you’ve ever wondered why trees will often be standing even after a wildfire has destroyed nearby homes, fire officials are offering an explanation.
“The answer lies in the difference between wildfires and conflagrations,” Cal Fire stated in a video uploaded Monday on Instagram.
“Wildfires often occur where the wildland meets human development,” a Cal Fire spokesperson said. Flames from wildfires often move as a front, consuming vegetation but not always spreading to everything in their path.
Read more This is why trees are often left standing when wildfires destroy homes | KTLA
Posted in Environment | Tags: Tree Survival in Fire
BordLife reported
With over 560 bird species, including nearly 250 migratory ones, Senegal is a critical haven for avian biodiversity.
Posted in Birds, Environment | Tags: Economic benefits of habitat protection
ScienceDaily reported
Forests play a crucial role in promoting health and wellbeing, but not all forests provide the same benefits. A large-scale study demonstrates how specific forest characteristics — such as canopy density and tree species diversity — can affect various health outcomes.
Read on www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250520122024.htm
ScienceDaily reported
Monitoring urban plant health traditionally requires extensive manual labor and botanical expertise, creating challenges for cities facing expanding green spaces, higher population densities, and increasing threats to plants. Now, researchers have developed ‘Plant Doctor,’ an artificial intelligence-based tool that could revolutionize plant health monitoring. The proposed system can track individual leaves in urban video footage and precisely quantify the damage from pests and diseases, enabling scalable, non-invasive urban plant management.
Read more at Plant doctor: An AI system that watches over urban trees without touching a leaf | ScienceDaily
Posted in Environment, Wildflowers and Other Plants | Tags: AI plant monitoring
EarthSky reported
Flamingos create water vortices to trap their prey
Read on earthsky.org/earth/flamingos-create-water-vortices-to-trap-their-prey/
Los Padres ForestWatch is excited to invite you to an enlightening webinar featuring the acclaimed environmental journalist Ben Goldfarb. Join us Thursday, May 22 at 12:00 p.m. PT, delve into the critical topic of road ecology and its impact on wildlife.
| Register Now |
Posted in Animals, Talks | Tags: Wildlife Crossings
ScienceDaily reported
Getting zapped with millions of volts of electricity may not sound like a healthy activity, but for some trees, it is. A new study reports that some tropical tree species are not only able to tolerate lightning strikes, but benefit from them. The trees may have even evolved to act as lightning rods.
Read more Getting hit by lightning is good for some tropical trees | ScienceDaily
The East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD) invites the public to provide input that will be used to develop EBRPD’s next District Plan. A survey is available for the public at ebparks.org/district-plan and will remain open at least through July 31, 2025. Printed versions of the survey, available in English, Spanish, and Chinese, will be available at EBRPD Visitor Centers starting Friday, April 25, or by calling (510) 544-2325. Read more at
Public Input Sought as District Plan Process Begins | East Bay Parks
Posted in Uncategorized
Posted in Uncategorized | Tags: Bryde’s whale
NPR reported
Seals can directly sense the oxygen in their own bloodstream, new research in the journal Science finds.
Read or listen to story at New study reveals why seals don’t drown : NPR
ScienceDaily reports
Finely tuned dependencies among species are susceptible to disruption, and a study suggests that impacts from short-term extreme weather events deserve wider recognition.
Read more at The yucca and the moth: How extreme weather impacts the timing of biological events | ScienceDaily
Posted in Animals, Wildflowers and Other Plants | Tags: Climate change, timing of biological events
EarthSky reported
Lyrebirds are multitalented creatures that live in Australia. Until now, their claim to fame has been their ability to produce a wide range of sounds. They can perfectly mimic any sound they hear around them, from other birds to chainsaws cutting down trees. But on March 5, 2025, a team of scientists from La Trobe University in Australia said they have an additional hidden talent. According to the researchers, these birds farm the environment around them to draw in their favorite prey, fattening them up so the birds can eat them.
Read more Australian lyrebirds have a hidden skill for farming
Natural History Wanderings 