A Tour of Native Plant Gardens and Green Homes
To register and learn more go to: www.BringingBackTheNatives.net
Online Tour April 5-6, 2025 10am–3pm
In-person Tour Sat May 3, 2025
Bayside gardens Sun May 4, 2025
Bringing Back Inland gardens 10am–5pm
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | March 6, 2025
Bring Back the Natives Tours
Posted in Garden | Tags: Bring Back the Natives
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | March 6, 2025
Birds That Live Long and Slow May Be More Vulnerable to Climate Change, Research Finds
Inside Climate News reported
A new study shows non-migratory birds with long lifespans may be slower to adapt to climate change.
Live fast, die young—or live long and hedge your bets? These are two of the strategies that the world’s non-migratory, non-marine bird species have employed throughout evolutionary history to survive in different environments, while maximizing their ability to breed and avoid extinction.
Research shows birds that live in areas with higher temperature variability within a year typically have shorter lifespans, reproducing early and often. Meanwhile, avian species tend to live longer in environments that are more variable year-to-year because their extended lifespans allow for more wiggle room to skip a breeding season or two if conditions aren’t ideal.
Read more at Birds That Live Long and Slow May Be More Vulnerable to Climate Change, Research Finds – Inside Climate News
Posted in Uncategorized
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | March 5, 2025
National parks break record for the first time in nearly a decade
SF Gate reports
The National Park Service just released visitation data for 2024, reporting a record-breaking number of visitors just as federal staffing cuts, funding freezes and the proposed dismantling of infrastructure have left the agency mired in chaos and uncertainty.
Read more National parks break record for the first time in nearly a decade
Posted in Park | Tags: National Park funding cuts, National parks break visitor record
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | March 5, 2025
Borrego Garden Tour
Posted in Garden | Tags: Borrego Garden Tour
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | March 5, 2025
Job Opening: Conservation Coordinator
Are you passionate about conservation and interested in working with the Eastern Sierra community? We are hiring for a Conservation Coordinator through the Sierra Nevada Americorp Partnership! 
This seasonal position will work through the summer with our Land Stewardship and Community Connections programs to further conservation in the Eastern Sierra through monitoring, engaging with the community, and identifying future restoration projects. This position is open until filled, so don’t delay!
Ready to apply? Visit https://eslt.org/employment/ for the position description and apply at https://sierranevadaalliance.org/snap-position…/
Posted in Job Openings | Tags: Job Opening
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | March 5, 2025
Webinar: Coyote Research, Management, and Coexistence in the Bay Area 3/8
From Friends of San Pedro Valley Park
On Saturday, March 8th, 2025, at 7 pm, the Friends of San Pedro Valley Park are pleased to welcome Tali Caspi, an urban ecologist, and Dr. Pheobe Parker-Shames, Wildlife Ecologist for the Presidio Trust in San Francisco. On a Zoom webinar, they will present their lecture entitled “Coyote Research, Management, and Coexistence in the Bay Area.” Dr. Parker-Shames and Tali Caspi explore the complex relationship between people and coyotes in the Bay Area. They will explore what coyotes eat, how individual differences affect their behavior, and why they thrive in urban areas. They’ll also share how community science and tracking studies help them learn more about coyotes’ movements and habits, offering practical tips for fostering coexistence. Finally, they will discuss real-world challenges and strategies for managing interactions between people and coyotes, drawing on the expertise of local agencies.
To participate in this Webinar, please register in advance using the following link. There you need to put in your name and email address to register. You will then get a confirmation email with further instructions, and reminder emails closer to the event.
https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_rDuMZiLKR-CU4m9z_OZ9jg
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | March 5, 2025
Experts celebrate rediscovery of rare species 120 years after it went missing
The Cool Down and Yahoo News reported
After 120 years, scientists in Mexico have rediscovered a type of rabbit long thought extinct. The Omiltemi cottontail rabbit was finally spotted on camera in the conifer forests of Mexico’s Sierra Madre del Sur.
Read more at Experts celebrate rediscovery of rare species 120 years after it went missing: ‘I was completely amazed’
Posted in Animals | Tags: Omiltemi cottontail rabbit
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | March 4, 2025
Bay Area CNPS Field trips
| SANTA CLARA VALLEY CHAPTER
Full Details: SCV Events Page RSVP: Register at SCV MeetUp Page (No drop-ins please and space is limited.) Stile Ranch Trail (South San Jose) Tulare Hill Wildflower Walk (San Jose) |
Posted in Walks & Hikes, Wildflowers and Other Plants | Tags: Bay Area CNPS Filed Trips
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | March 4, 2025
Stand Up for Science Protest & March at UC Berkeley 3/7
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Friday, March 7, 2025 | 11:45 AM–1:00 PM|
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Posted in Uncategorized | Tags: Stand Up for Science
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | March 4, 2025
World’s biggest iceberg runs aground off South Georgia
CNN reported
The biggest iceberg in the world, named A23a, appears to have run aground after drifting around the Southern Ocean near Antarctica since 2020.Read story at World’s biggest iceberg runs aground off South Georgia | CNN
Posted in Environment | Tags: World's Biggest Iceberg Runs Aground
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | March 4, 2025
More Photos From My Garden
Posted in Garden, Photos (Sandy's), Wildflowers and Other Plants | Tags: Garden Photos
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | March 4, 2025
Become a Camp Host in Inyo National Forest
from Friends of the Inyo
Posted in Park | Tags: Camp Ground Host Opportunity
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | March 4, 2025
New species of fuzzy sunflower found by national park volunteer
Popular Science reported
A photo uploaded to popular citizen science social network iNaturalist is a snapshot of the first new genus and species of plant discovered in a US national park in almost 50 years. The wooly devil (Ovicula biradiata) was found in Big Bend National Park in Texas with bright red petals and is a member of the sunflower family. It is detailed in a study recently published in the journal PhytoKeys.
Read more and see photo at New species of fuzzy sunflower found by national park volunteer | Popular Science
Posted in Wildflowers and Other Plants | Tags: Ovicula biradiata, wooly devil wildflower
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | March 3, 2025
Volunteer at Inyo National Forest
From Friends of Inyo
Posted in Park | Tags: Inyo National Forest Volunteer Opportunity
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | March 3, 2025
Photos from my Garden
Photos taken yesterday in my garden
Posted in Garden, Photos (Sandy's) | Tags: Garden Photos
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | March 3, 2025
‘Historic moment’: Opening date unveiled for biggest new park in SF
SF Gate reported
On Saturday, the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department announced the 43-acre oceanfront park bordering the western edge of the city along the Great Highway – at “the end of the line, for buses and everything else” as Hunter S. Thompson once said – will open on April 12.
Read full story at ‘Historic moment’: Opening date unveiled for biggest new park in SF
Posted in Park | Tags: Great Highway
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | March 3, 2025
Fish species thought to be extinct for 85 years rediscovered
ABC News reported
Researchers have rediscovered a rare fish species presumed to be extinct after it was not seen for more than eight decades.
The last sighting of the Chel snakehead, or Channa amphibeus, was last recorded from specimens collected between 1918 and 1933 in the Himalayan region of India, leading scientists to believe the species had died out, according to a paper published recently in the journal Zootaxa.
Read more Fish species thought to be extinct for 85 years rediscovered – ABC News
Posted in Animals | Tags: Channa amphibeus, Chel snakehead
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | March 3, 2025
Researcher studies the power of native plants to combat road salt pollution
ScienceDaily reported
Salt pollution from road deicing salts threatens freshwater ecosystems and urban green infrastructure. New research on salt-tolerant plants like cattails highlights their potential role in mitigating this pollution, though broader strategies are essential for long-term solutions.
Read moreResearcher studies the power of native plants to combat road salt pollution | ScienceDaily
Posted in Environment, Wildflowers and Other Plants | Tags: Salt pollution, Salt-tolerant plants
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | March 2, 2025
Upcoming Marin and Sonoma Bird and Nature Walks
from Wild Birds Unlimited
Upcoming Bird Walks and Nature EventsThurs, 3/6: Las Gallinas Ponds, San Rafael, Marin Audubon
Sat, 3/8: Shollenberger Park, Petaluma, Petaluma Wetlands Alliance
Sat, 3/8: Mushrooms at China Camp, San Rafael, Friends of China Camp
Thurs, 3/13: Helen Putnam, Petaluma, Madrone Audubon
Fri, 3/14: Hamilton Wetlands, Novato, Marin Audubon
Sat, 3/15: China Camp, San Rafael, Friends of China Camp
Sat, 3/22: Ellis Creek Ponds, Petaluma, Petaluma Wetlands Alliance
Weds, 3/26: Rodeo Lagoon, Marin Headlands, Marin Audubon
Sat, 3/29: Piper Park and Marin Art & Garden Center, Marin Audubon
Posted in Uncategorized
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | March 2, 2025
Regional Parks Botanic Garden Photos 3/1/25
Photographed in the East Bay Regional Parks Botanic Garden in Tilden Park in Berkeley, CA on March 1, 2025.
The Regional Parks Botanic Garden is a California native plant garden. It is located within Tilden Park in the hills above Berkeley, California, It is a 10-acre garden includes 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. There are free weekend and holiday tours. Admission and parking are free. For more information about the garden visit the Friends of the Regional Parks Botanic Garden.
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | March 2, 2025
Legal Protections for Wildlife in Jeopardy as House Hosts Oversight Meeting
Inside Climate News reported
GOP-led Natural Resources Committee questions efficacy of Endangered Species Act and Marine Mammal Protection Act.
Posted in Animals, Wildflowers and Other Plants | Tags: Endangered Species Protection
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | March 2, 2025
U.S. Forest Service Firings Wreak Havoc on Careers, Endanger Rural Areas
The Daily Yonder reported
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The slashing of the Forest Service’s workforce will hamper its management of public land and increase the threat of wildfire to nearby rural communities, experts say.
Read more at U.S. Forest Service Firings Wreak Havoc on Careers, Endanger Rural Areas | The Daily Yonder
Posted in Environment, Park | Tags: Cutting Forest Service’s workforce
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | March 1, 2025
Protesters at Yosemite, Presidio and Muir Woods decry park firings
San Francisco Chronicle reports
From a march and rally at Yosemite National Park to a protest hike at Muir Woods National Monument to a demonstration near the crater of Haleakala National Historic Park in Maui, fed-up rangers and supporters of the country’s park system gathered Saturday to fight the “illegal firings” of full-time and seasonal workers.
Led by more than 650 off-duty park rangers, the effort spanned all 433 national park sites across the country, including San Francisco’s Golden Gate National Recreation Area and Presidio.
Posted in Park | Tags: National Park Layoffs
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | March 1, 2025
With Trump’s War on DEI, Local Environmental Organizations Rethink Diversity Commitments
Bay Nature reports
Some organizations are doubling down on DEI. Others are taking down words that could get them in trouble.
Read article at With Trump’s War on DEI, Local Environmental Organizations Rethink Diversity Commitments – Bay Nature
Posted in Uncategorized | Tags: DEI
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | March 1, 2025
Scientists discover unusual Calif. lake has minerals found in space
SF Gate reported
Scientists recently discovered that San Bernardino County’s Searles Lake contains minerals found in outer space.
Read on www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/california-lake-bennu-asteroid-samples-20147113.php
Posted in Environment | Tags: Minerals from Space
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 28, 2025
A pod of dolphins is frolicking at this San Francisco beach
SF Gate reported
About 20 bottlenose dolphins, including mothers and their calves, have been leaping through the waves and interacting with surfers near Pacifica and San Francisco every day this past week.
Read more at A pod of dolphins is frolicking at this San Francisco beach
Posted in Animals | Tags: Bottlenose Dolphins
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 28, 2025
Anza-Borrego Foundation Events
Anza-Borrego Foundation hosts a variety of events and educational programs, including hikes, botany walks, photography workshops, and more. See the schedule at Events | Anza-Borrego Foundation
Posted in Talks, Walks & Hikes | Tags: Anza-Borrego Foundation Events
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 28, 2025
Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy Upcoming Events
See all Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy Upcoming Events at see all upcoming events
Posted in Park | Tags: Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy Events
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 28, 2025
Hummingbirds Living in a Hive Found for the First Time
The New York Times reported
In a remote mountain cave in Ecuador, hummingbirds were discovered sleeping and nesting together.
Hummingbirds are tiny and delicate, but don’t be fooled: They are among the most aggressive birds in the avian kingdom. Their territorial fury is especially aimed at other hummingbirds. Competition over a patch of flowers or a mate often results in high-speed aerial chases, divebombing and beak jousting.
So when Gustavo Cañas-Valle, an ornithologist and birding guide, stumbled across a cave full of hummingbirds nesting and roosting together in Ecuador’s High Andes, he could hardly believe it.
Read more at Hummingbirds Living in a Hive Found for the First Time
Posted in Birds | Tags: Hummingbirds
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | February 28, 2025
What’s The Little Yellow Flower That’s Everywhere Right Now?
from Bay Nature
Oxalis provides a delightful burst of yellow color in the spring. Also, it’s eating the entire Bay Area alive.
For those whose backs are aching from weed-pulling: All about Oxalis pes-caprae, a South Africa native that was transplanted to California early in the 1900s. Now it’s taken off in the Bay Area. Possibility of eradication: slim to none.
Read more What’s The Little Yellow Flower That’s Everywhere Right Now?
Posted in Wildflowers and Other Plants | Tags: Oxalis pes-caprae
Natural History Wanderings 