NBC Bay Area reported
Yosemite National Park employees who recently were fired by the U.S. government worry cuts will affect the experience of visitors and the welfare of wildlife.
Read on www.nbcbayarea.com/news/california/fired-employees-fear-yosemite-national-park-luster/3799657/
Posted in Park | Tags: Yosemite National Park
See the events calendar for the UC Berkeley Botanical Garden at Garden Events
Posted in Class/Workshop, Garden | Tags: UC Berkeley Botanical Garden Events
SF Chronicle reported
Visitors who drive to Golden Gate Park may soon have to pay at a kiosk — up to $3 an hour to stow their cars on streets that are currently free — under a measure that city officials might implement next year.
The proposed parking fees are among a slew of funding initiatives that the San Francisco Recreation and Park Commission approved on Thursday, hoping to stave off a deficit that would balloon to $15 million in 2027.
Posted in Park | Tags: Golden Gate Park Parking
NPR reported
“I learned that polar bears are invisible in infrared cameras, meaning their fur has the same temperature as the surroundings,” says Holst, of the University of Bergen in Norway. She also knew that polar bears jump into frigid water when they hunt, coming back onto land to eat their prey. Most mammalian hair can freeze when it gets wet in cold temperatures — think human beards on a frosty winter day. But, Holst noticed, polar bear fur did not freeze after getting wet.
Read morea at: The chemical cocktail behind why polar bear fur doesn’t freeze : NPR
Posted in Animals | Tags: Polar Bears
The Guardian reported
In oceans and on land, from the north to the south pole, records were smashed for the monthly average temperature
Posted in Environment | Tags: Climate change, Global warming
SF Gate reported
President Donald Trump can do very little to dismantle the Presidio Trust, experts told the Chronicle. And any moves Trump does make to shrink or interfere with the trust would run contrary to one of his primary goals: saving the federal government money.
The Presidio is one of the most efficiently run agencies in the federal government, and is entirely self-sufficient in its operations and finances.
Read more What Trump’s Presidio order ignores: It’s a model of efficiency
Posted in Park | Tags: Government Cutbacks, Presidio
America’s beloved national parks face a problem that could, in a matter of weeks, grow into a full-blown crisis.
The number of people visiting areas managed by the National Park Service — which includes national parks, monuments, and other sites — is way up. In 2023, the most recent year for national data, parks had more than 325 million visits. That’s about a 16 percent bump relative to 2010. At least in some parks, visitation rates have continued to rise.
Meanwhile, staffing at the National Park Service is down, having dropped about 13 percent over that same period, according to the National Parks Conservation Association, an advocacy group. Staffing specifically in parks has fallen even further in that time, the group said, as the agency’s budget has failed to keep pace with rising personnel costs. That means there are fewer employees to oversee more visitors and mitigate their impact on our public lands and ecosystems.
Posted in Uncategorized | Tags: National Parks In Crisis
University of Plymouth reported
Scientists have called for the designation of a new United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) with the aim to conserve and sustainably use Earth’s orbit, and prevent the accumulation of space junk.There are currently 17 SDGs, adopted by UN members in 2015 as a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet for future generations, and ensure all people enjoy peace and prosperity.
Read more A Sustainable Development Goal for space? – University of Plymouth
Posted in Astronomy
KRON4 reported
California has some well-known state symbols, such as the poppy flower and the California quail as the official bird. In recent times, it has added an official bat and even an official dinosaur.
Now it could soon have an official cryptid. Not sure what that is? It’s a creature that has been claimed to exist but has never been proven to exist.
Read on www.kron4.com/news/bigfoot-could-soon-be-an-official-california-symbol/
Posted in Job Openings | Tags: East Bay Regional Park Job Fair
ScienceDaily reported
Scientists have discovered how plants adapt their root systems in drought conditions to grow steeper into the soil to access deeper water reserves.
Read moe at Study shows how plant roots access deeper soils in search of water | ScienceDaily
Posted in Environment, Wildflowers and Other Plants | Tags: Plant Adaptation
KTLA reported
A Pasadena man is pleading with wildlife officials for help after a massive black bear took up residence in the crawl space beneath his home after it fled the Eaton Fire last month. Nicknamed “Yogi” by homeowner Sean Lorenzini, the bear has remained under the house, venturing out only at night in search of food. […]
Read on ktla.com/news/california/500-pound-bear-becomes-unwanted-tenant-at-pasadena-home/
SF Gate reported
In the wake of what has been described as “catastrophic” staffing challenges caused by President Donald Trump’s sudden National Park Service hiring freeze, Yosemite National Park has announced that it is delaying the sale of summertime reservations for campsites at some of its most popular campgrounds.
Read more Yosemite delays summer reservations amid ‘catastrophic’ staffing fears
Posted in Park | Tags: Yosemite Campground Reservations
What did California look like before colonization? How do beavers stop wildfires? What’s growing in the highest branches of redwood trees? What’s the difference between a keystone species and a cultural keystone species? Join Michelle Fullner, English teacher turned California Naturalist, as she ventures into the field with expert guests to find the answers to these questions and many more. You can listen to Golden State Naturalist for free wherever podcasts are found. Learn More
Posted in Talks | Tags: Golden State Naturalist Podcast
Photos taken while walking around my neighborhood.
Posted in Uncategorized
from Bay Nature
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The Guardian reports
Fears grow for endangered species as the US president sets about dismantling basic laws to protect them to make way for oil and gas drilling
Posted in Animals, Environment, Wildflowers and Other Plants | Tags: Extinction Risks
See Upcoming Los Padres ForestWatch Upcoming Events at Home | Los Padres ForestWatch
Posted in Birds, Talks | Tags: Los Padres ForestWatch Upcoming Events
from Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy
The elusive North American river otter is an adorable and fierce native otter species that resides in the coastal wetlands of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.
Here’s where you can find elusive river otters in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, and why they have a troubled history in the parks. Thanks to wetlands restoration through the work of the Parks Conservancy and our partners, you might spot them today »
Posted in Animals, Park | Tags: River Otters
NPR reported
More than 150 false killer whales are stranded on a remote beach on Australia’s island state of Tasmania, officials said on Wednesday.
Marine experts including veterinarians were at the scene near Arthur River on Tasmania’s northwest coast, a Department of Natural Resources and Environment statement said.
Of the 157 beached whales, only 90 appeared to still be alive, department liaison officer Brendon Clark said. A few hours earlier, the department had said 136 had survived.
Read on www.npr.org/2025/02/19/g-s1-49629/killer-whales-stranded-australia-tasmania
Posted in Animals | Tags: False Killer Whales, Whale Strandings
SF Gate reported
Mass layoffs in California national parks, including Joshua Tree and Yosemite, sparked protests over Presidents Day weekend.
Posted in Garden | Tags: Regional Parks Botanic Garden
A video report on the new strain of Sudden Oak Death that has been found in the East Bay in recent months.
New strain of sudden oak death found in Berkeley Hills
Posted in Environment | Tags: Suddent Oak Death
The Revelator reported
Scientists also declared several other extinctions, including the first documented plant extinction in New Hampshire.
Read article at The Curlew, the Cactus, and the Obliterated Whitefish: The Species We Lost in 2024 • The Revelator
SciencDaily reported
The world’s botanic gardens must pull together to protect global plant biodiversity in the face of the extinction crisis, amid restrictions on wild-collecting, say researchers.
Read more: Botanic Gardens must team up to save wild plants from extinction | ScienceDaily
Posted in Environment, Garden | Tags: Biodiversity, Botanic Gardens, Plant Extinction
from Looking Glass Photo
Looking Glass suffered a devastating break-in. A car was used to ram through our front doors and windows multiple times, destroying the entire front of our boutique. In addition to the tens of thousands of dollars in damage to the store itself, a significant amount of merchandise was stolen. While insurance may cover some of the losses, it does not cover the cost of rebuilding the storefront—an unexpected burden that puts our future in jeopardy. For over 50 years, Looking Glass has been more than just a camera store. It has been a gathering place for photographers, artists, and the community—a space where creativity and connection thrive. We’ve always focused on providing the best experience possible, ensuring that a dedicated, local camera store remains in the Bay Area. Thanks to your support, we’ve made it through challenges before, and we are determined to make it through this one as well.For now, the entire front of our store is boarded up, but we are still here. While we won’t be able to serve customers as we usually would, we do have a side entrance open, and we’d love to continue assisting you with our expertise and the products that remain. Your continued support during this time means everything, and we are working diligently to get our storefront back to normal as quickly as possible.We’ve never been ones to ask for help, but today, we’re reaching out to our community in a different way. If Looking Glass has been a meaningful part of your creative journey, we invite you to stand with us as we work to rebuild. We’ve set up a GoFundMe where you can contribute to our recovery efforts. Any support—whether it’s a donation, spreading the word, or simply continuing to shop with us—means the world.More than anything, we want to express our deepest gratitude. Looking Glass exists because of you—because of the people who believe in the value of a local camera store, who show up, who share their passion for photography. With your help, we will get through this and reopen our doors, stronger than ever.Thank you for being a part of our journey.
With appreciation,
Jen and the Looking Glass Photo team
Copyright (C) 2025 Looking Glass Photo. All rights reserved.
| Looking Glass GoFundMe |
Source: A Difficult Moment for Looking Glass—And How You Can Help
Posted in Photography | Tags: Looking Glass Photo
The Guardian reported
Discovery of pest in UK raises fears for Sitka spruce, which accounts for half of country’s commercial plantations
Posted in Animals, Environment | Tags: Sitka Spruce, Tree-killing Beetle
The Guardian reported
Populations have been falling for decades, even in tracts of forest undamaged by humans. Experts have spent two decades trying to understand what is going on.
The most likely answer, they concluded, was the climate crisis. “There’s very little else – at least that I know of – that has such large scale worldwide impacts,”
Read article at: In the most untouched, pristine parts of the Amazon, birds are dying. Scientists may finally know why | Birds | The Guardian
Posted in Birds, Environment | Tags: Climate Chage Impact on Bird Deaths
A new study demonstrates that weeds are far more valuable in supporting biodiversity than we give them credit for.
— Read on phys.org/news/2022-03-injurious-weeds-pollinators-biodiversity.html
Posted in Environment | Tags: Benefits of Weeds
Natural History Wanderings 