Posted in Job Openings | Tags: Job Openings, Samuel P. Taylor Park
Anza-Borrego Foundation reported on Using Repeat Photography to Assess Climate Change Impacts
Much has been said about how our changing climate is impacting natural landscapes. The proof, however, has been elusive. Little hard data exists about the abundance and diversity of plant life in the recent past. How can we know if plant communities have changed since the 1980s when scientists first documented that temperatures were warming and droughts were becoming more severe, particularly in the California deserts?
Read on  Using Repeat Photography to Assess Climate Change Impacts – Anza-Borrego Foundation
See the calendar of upcoming events of the California Native Plants Society at https://www.cnps.org/events
Posted in Talks | Tags: Upcoming CNPS Events
SF Gate reported on SF Gate reported on the disappearance of a salmon in California
The fish were “missing entirely from some sites.”
Read on  ‘Really unusual’: New study shows why salmon vanished in NorCal
Posted in Animals | Tags: disappearance of a salmon
ScienceDaily reported
Scientists have uncovered how plants responded to catastrophic climate changes 250 million years ago. Their findings reveal the long, drawn-out process of ecosystem recovery following one of the most extreme periods of warming in Earth’s history: the ‘End-Permian Event’.
Read more Plants struggled for millions of years after the world’s worst climate catastrophe | ScienceDaily
Posted in Uncategorized | Tags: Climate catastrophes, Climate change
Theodore Payne Foundation inspires and educates Southern Californians about the beauty and ecological benefits of California native plant landscapes.We are located on 22 acres of canyon land in the northeast corner of the San Fernando Valley. Our full-service native plant nursery, seed room, book store, art gallery, demonstration gardens, and hiking trails are open to the public year round. We offer garden tours and classes for adults and families, as well as field trips to TPF and in-classroom programs for children. Friendly on-leash dogs are welcome and there is no admission charge!
See upcoming events at  Theodore Payne Foundation Events – 20 Upcoming Activities and Tickets | Eventbrite
Posted in Class/Workshop | Tags: Theodore Payne Foundation Upcoming Events
ScienceAlert reported
The colossal squid, a mysterious creature lurking in the Antarctic abyss, has finally made a cameo, a cohort of scientists say.
You may have heard of the giant squid, which is famous from mariners’ legends and for its epic battles with sperm whales.
See video and read story at Breaking: Live Colossal Squid Filmed in World First : ScienceAlert
Posted in Animals | Tags: colossal squid
Online humorist Ze Frank recently connected with Xerces biologist Candace Fallon to get to the bottom of an important question: Where have all the fireflies gone?
See talk on YouTube at Learn more
SF Gate reported
River Trail, Plateau Point Trail and Silver Bridge will remain closed until Oct. 1, according to the National Park Service.
Read on www.sfgate.com/national-parks/article/grand-canyon-rim-to-rim-hikes-scrambled-closures-20277741.php
Posted in Park, Walks & Hikes | Tags: Grand Canyon trail closures
SF Gate reported
One of the rarest species on Earth, the Devils Hole pupfish, came close to extinction in recent months.
Read on www.sfgate.com/national-parks/article/critically-endangered-pupfish-extinction-close-20279253.php
Live Science reported
The San Diego Zoo Safari Park’s elephants raced to protect their calves with an “alert circle” when a 5.2 magnitude earthquake struck Julian in Southern California.
See video and article at  California earthquake: San Diego zoo elephants form protective ring around young during quake | Live Science
Posted in Animals | Tags: Elephant Earthquake Behavior
NPRÂ reports
Veterans’ nonprofit Force Blue focuses on coral reef restoration and ocean conservation efforts across the U.S. Their projects also provide “mission therapy” to veterans who miss the camaraderie and sense of purpose they experienced during their service. The transition from military service has been identified as a critical time when suicide rates and mental health issues tend to increase. These volunteers are not the typical environmentalists, but “Gonzo” Gonzales says grizzled former Navy SEALS like him are “making conservation cool.” Check out these photos of a recent project.
Read more at  Former Navy SEALs say they’re making marine conservation cool : NPR
Posted in Environment | Tags: Navy Seals doing Conservation
The BBC reported
The Big Garden Birdwatch survey recorded the lowest ever numbers of starlings this year.
Posted in Birds | Tags: Starlings disappearing UK gardens
University of Leeds reported
Soil conditions significantly increase rainfall in megastorm hotspots | University of Leeds
Posted in Environment | Tags: Soil Condition and Flooding
The Regional Parks Botanic Garden is located within Tilden Regional Park in the hills above Berkeley, California. Directions
Posted in Garden | Tags: Native Plant Sale, Regional Parks Botanic Garden Spring Plant Sale
See upcoming events calendar for the East Bay Regional Parks at https://www.ebparks.org/calendar
Posted in Park, Walks & Hikes | Tags: East Bay Regional Parks
BirdWatching newsletter write about strange place birds have built nests
Birds are known for their incredible adaptability, often building nests in places that might seem impractical or downright bizarre to humans. While many birds stick to trees, shrubs, or cliffs, some choose their nesting sites more creatively. From bike seats to old jacket pockets, here are 11 of the strangest places birds have built their nests.
Read on 11 of the Strangest Places Birds Have Built Their Nests – BirdWatching
Posted in Birds | Tags: Strange Bird Nests
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Posted in Birds | Tags: Plant that attract Birds
The BBC reported
It is believed the ants were destined for exotic pet markets in Europe and Asia.
Posted in Animals | Tags: Ant Smugglers
ScienceDaily reported
Scientists reveal the key role of specific genes in feather development, providing insights into their evolution from dinosaurs
Feathers, essential for thermoregulation, flight, and communication in birds, originate from simple appendages known as proto-feathers, which were present in certain dinosaurs.By studying embryonic development of the chicken, researchers from the University of Geneva (UNIGE) have uncovered a key role of a molecular signalling pathway (the Shh pathway) in their formation. This research provides new insights into the morphogenetic mechanisms that led to feather diversification throughout evolution.
Read more  From dinosaurs to birds: the origins of feather formation | ScienceDaily
Posted in Birds | Tags: Origin of feathers
Posted in Garden, Job Openings | Tags: California Botanic Garden Nursery Manager, Job Opening
NPRÂ reported
The long, spiral tusks of narwhals could be used by these Arctic whales to stun or even kill prey, according to wildlife researchers who have spied on these elusive creatures using drones.
They captured footage of narwhals using their tusks to mess with fish, and even saw a narwhal repeatedly strike a fish with its tusk.
But narwhal experts don’t agree on what these observations mean.
Read more and see more  Does the narwhal’s famous tusk help it catch fish? : NPR
Posted in Animals
The New York Times reported
Recovering missing animals requires understanding both animal and human behavior.
Read story at Lessons From a Lost-Pet Detective Named Kat
Posted in Animals | Tags: Lost-Pet Detective
Posted in Photos (Sandy's) | Tags: Garden Photos
The New York Times reported
At this moment, hundreds of thousands of Painted Lady butterflies are fluttering along one of the most astonishing migrations in the insect world: an epic trip of roughly 4,500 miles from the sub-Saharan region to the Arctic Circle, at a speed of up to 30 miles per hour. Over the course of a year, the butterflies will fly about twice that — more than 9,000 miles in all.
The Painted Ladies are one of the most widely distributed butterflies in the world, appearing on every continent except Antarctica and sometimes crossing the seas and oceans between them. Just last year, researchers discovered that a flock of Painted Ladies rode the wind over the Atlantic Ocean from West Africa to the northern coast of South America — the first documented insect journey across an ocean.
Read more at  Opinion | Meet the Butterflies Thriving While the World Convulses
Posted in Butterflies | Tags: Painted Lady Butterflies
NASAÂ reported
For many plant species, flowering is biologically synced with the seasons. Scientists are clocking blooms to understand our ever-changing planet.
NASA research is revealing there’s more to flowers than meets the human eye. A recent analysis of wildflowers in California shows how aircraft- and space-based instruments can use color to track seasonal flower cycles. The results suggest a potential new tool for farmers and natural-resource managers who rely on flowering plants.
Read more at  NASA Takes to the Air to Study Wildflowers – NASA
SF Gate reported
Anyone planning to hike the Pacific Crest Trail — the famed 2,650-mile hiking route that stretches from Mexico to Canada and typically takes almost half a year to complete — should prepare for an especially challenging trail this year, thanks to repair delays brought on by federal funding freezes.
Read more ‘Much more difficult’: Cuts leave famed California trail in shambles
Posted in Walks & Hikes | Tags: Pacific Crest Trail
from the City of Berkeley
Celebrate the San Francisco Bay at the Berkeley Marina and connect with the community through live music, food, and hands-on educational activities
This free family-focused event celebrates the Bay, its local wildlife, and the people and agencies dedicated to its protection. Over 30 environmental and wildlife conservation organizations from around the Bay will share their exhibits with the public.
Visit each organization’s table for interactive games, science knowledge and live animals! Visit the Shorebird Park Nature Center, Adventure Playground and even take a free boat ride.
Posted in Animals, Talks | Tags: Berkeley Bay Festival
Technology Networks reported
The species is even more evolutionarily distinct than the dodo was, according to DNA analysis.
On first inspection, the Cuban blue-headed quail dove doesn’t look like much: drab brown feathers, a slender beak, a pronounced strut in their walk typical of most other doves. You’d be forgiven for overlooking it in favor of Cuba’s prismatic parrots. But looks aren’t everything. For decades, this unassuming bird has perplexed biologists, who have no idea where it came from, how it got to the island or what it’s related to.
Now, for the first time, scientists have sequenced DNA from the blue-headed quail dove with the goal of finally getting to the bottom of things. Instead, they’re even more perplexed now than when they started.
Read more The Cuban Blue-Headed Quail Dove Is a Unique Caribbean Bird | Technology Networks
Posted in Birds
Natural History Wanderings 