MSN reported
New data adds to ongoing research that paints a clearer picture of the prevalence of game-farm genetics in wild mallard populations.
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | December 18, 2025
Game-farm mallard genetics are a bigger problem than waterfowlers think — only 2% of greenheads in the Atlantic Flyway are fully wild
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | December 18, 2025
Los Padres ForestWatch Upcoming Events
See Upcoming Los Padres ForestWatch Upcoming Events at Home | Los Padres ForestWatch
Posted in Birds, Talks | Tags: Los Padres ForestWatch Upcoming Events
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | December 18, 2025
“Not expected at all”: dolphin researchers just made a surprising discovery in the Mediterranean Sea
Discover Wildlife reported
Mediterranean dolphins have coastal and inshore ecotypes that pass each other by without interacting, like ships in the night, new study finds.
A new study challenges a long-held theory about bottlenose dolphins in the Mediterranean, revealing that they are divided by offshore and coastal ecotypes rather than being split into east and west populations.
Read on www.discoverwildlife.com/
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | December 18, 2025
Bumblebees Have Learned to Read Simple Morse Code–an Ability Seen Only in Humans and Vertebrates
The Good News Network reported
A new study is the first to show that an insect can differentiate between different durations of visual cues, like Morse code.
Posted in Animals | Tags: Bumblebees
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | December 17, 2025
Regional Parks Botanic Garden Photos 12/16/25
Photographed in the East Bay Regional Parks Botanic Garden in Tilden Park in Berkeley, CA on December 16, 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 | December 17, 2025
New pumpkin toadlet discovered is the size of a pencil tip
Earth.com reported
Researchers have recently described a new bright-orange pumpkin toadlet, Brachycephalus lulai from Brazil’s Serra do Quiriri mountain forests.
Read on www.earth.com/news/new-pumpkin-toadlet-species-brachycephalus-lulai-discovered/
Posted in Animals | Tags: Brachycephalus lulai, New Toadlet Species
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | December 17, 2025
U C Botanical Garden Holiday Hours
In addition to Closed Tuesdays, the Garden will be closed on Wednesday, Dec. 24, Thursday, Dec 25, Wednesday, Dec. 31, and Thursday, January 1, 2026
The Garden is OPEN Friday, Dec. 26 through Monday, Dec. 29.
Posted in Garden | Tags: U C Botanical Garden
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | December 17, 2025
Theodore Payne Foundation Upcoming Events
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 – Upcoming Activities and Tickets | Eventbrite
Posted in Class/Workshop | Tags: Theodore Payne Foundation Upcoming Events
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | December 17, 2025
The Bright Side: Mediterranean’s first dolphin sanctuary for captive animals to open in Italy
France 24 reported
Posted in Animals | Tags: Dolphin Sanctuary
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | December 17, 2025
Confirmed—Chinook salmon return to the Klamath River for the first time in decades, but now they are invading agricultural canals
Eladelantado reported
After a tremendous environmental effort, salmon have returned to the Klamath River. Weeks after massive dams were demolished, salmon are now swimming upstream
Read on eladelantado.com/en/chinook-salmon-return-klamath-river/
Posted in Animals, Uncategorized | Tags: Klamath, Salmon
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | December 17, 2025
Why some ant colonies get tricked into killing their own queens
NPR reported
Biologist E.O. Wilson once wrote that “ants are the most warlike of all animals,” noting that clashes between ant colonies dwarfed the human battles at Waterloo and Gettysburg. But sometimes ant colonies get conquered not by outright warfare, but by stealth and deceit.
In fact, sometimes the members of an ant colony can get tricked into murdering their own precious queen
Read on www.npr.org/2025/11/17/nx-s1-5604754/parasitic-ant-queens-trick-workers-kill-regicide
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | December 16, 2025
Water levels across the Great Lakes are falling – just as US data centers move in
The Guardian reported
Region struggling with drought now threatened by energy-hungry facilities – but some residents are fighting back
Read on www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/dec/16/great-lakes-us-data-centers
Posted in Environment | Tags: Great Lake Lower Water Levels
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | December 16, 2025
Arctic endured year of record heat as climate scientists warn of ‘winter being redefined’
The Guardian reported
Region known as ‘world’s refrigerator’ is heating up as much as four times as quickly as global average, Noaa experts say
Read on www.theguardian.com/world/2025/dec/16/artic-record-heat-shrunken-sea-ice-report
Posted in Environment | Tags: Arctic, Climate change, Global warming
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | December 16, 2025
Upcoming Bay Nature Events
See the schedule of upcoming Bay Nature Events mailchi.mp/baynature/march-11
Posted in Talks, Walks & Hikes | Tags: Bay Nature Events
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | December 16, 2025
Giant, rare 7-armed sea creature spotted in California’s Monterey Bay
SF Gate reported
The animal, recently spotted in the depths of Monterey Bay, can reach lengths of 13 feet and weigh up to 165 pounds.
Read on www.sfgate.com/centralcoast/article/seven-armed-octopus-california-monterey-21237565.php
Posted in Animals | Tags: 7 armed octopus
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | December 16, 2025
New Research Shows Redwoods Stand Strong Amid Wildfires—But Management Matters
Save the Redwoods News Release
Cal Poly Humboldt study in partnership with Save the Redwoods League reveals how second-growth forests respond to modern wildfires and what managers can do to protect them.
California’s coast redwoods have stood for centuries, weathering a changing climate, logging, and time itself. But in an era of hotter, more frequent wildfires, their future resilience depends on how we care for them, according to new research published in Forest Ecology and Management.
The study sought to understand the effects of wildfire on coast redwoods—the tallest trees in the world. Results revealed that redwoods in second-growth forests largely survived extreme wildfires in 2020 and quickly resprouted from their trunks and bases. Researchers also discovered that forest structure—how dense the trees are and which species are present—strongly influences fire severity, highlighting the importance of management efforts such as thinning, reducing fuel loads, and encouraging fire-resistant species.
Posted in Environment, Wildflowers and Other Plants | Tags: Redwoods Response to Wildfires
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | December 15, 2025
New Land Acquisition Advances Future Regional Park in Concord
East Bay Parks reported
The addition of approximately 190 acres of new parkland adjacent to Thurgood Marshall Regional Park – Home of the Port Chicago 50 strengthens long-term open space protection and advances future parkland connectivity in the region.
Read on www.ebparks.org/about-us/whats-new/news/new-land-acquisition-advances-future-regional-park-concord
Posted in Park | Tags: New East Bay Parkland
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | December 15, 2025
One artist’s work-around to Trump’s face on national parks passes
SF Gate reported
A watercolor artist has created a work-around to President Donald Trump’s face on the national parks passes.
Read on www.sfgate.com/national-parks/article/sticker-trump-face-on-national-park-passes-21239795.php
Posted in Park | Tags: National Park Passes
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | December 15, 2025
Wild chimps consume more alcohol than anyone expected
ScienceDaily reported
Chimpanzees naturally ingest surprising amounts of alcohol from ripe, fermenting fruit. Careful measurements show that their typical fruit diet can equal one to two human drinks each day. This supports the idea that alcohol exposure is not a modern human invention but an ancient primate habit. The work strengthens the “drunken monkey” hypothesis and opens new questions about how animals use ethanol cues in their environment.
Read on www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/11/251130205418.htm
Posted in Animals | Tags: Chimpanzees
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | December 15, 2025
These Bats Glow Green Under UV Light, Joining a Growing List of Photoluminescent Mammals
Smithsonian reported
A recent study identifies a consistent glow across six species of North American bats, but the underlying reason for the animals’ green gleam is still unclear.
Posted in Animals | Tags: Green Glowing Bats
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | December 14, 2025
Our solar system is moving faster than expected
EureakAlert! reported
How fast and in which direction is our solar system moving through the universe? This seemingly simple question is one of the key tests of our cosmological understanding. A research team led by astrophysicist Lukas Böhme at Bielefeld University has now found new answers, ones that challenge the established standard model of cosmology. The study’s findings have just been published in the journal Physical Review Letters.
“Our analysis shows that the solar system is moving more than three times faster than current models predict,” says lead author Lukas Böhme. “This result clearly contradicts expectations based on standard cosmology and forces us to reconsider our previous assumptions.”Read more Our solar system is moving faster than expected | EurekAlert!
Posted in Astronomy | Tags: Speed of Solar System
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | December 13, 2025
Congress reopens battle over the name of North America’s tallest peak
SF Gate reported
The clash over whether North America’s tallest peak is Denali or McKinley returns, as lawmakers push back on Donald Trump’s reversal of the Indigenous name.
Read on www.sfgate.com/national-parks/article/denali-national-park-mount-mckinley-name-change-21237359.php
Posted in Park | Tags: Denali National Park
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | December 13, 2025
Coho salmon are making a comeback in the Russian River for the first time in 30 years
From the Office of the Governor
Governor Gavin Newsom today celebrated a monumental achievement for California as salmon are making a comeback in Northern California. This summer, several juvenile coho salmon were spotted in the Russian River’s upper basin – a first in more than 30 years. California has recently marked significant progress in its comprehensive strategy to help these threatened and endangered salmon species recover — while the Trump administration has rolled back protections and turned its back on preserving endangered species and the precious ecosystems we all rely on.
Posted in Animals, Environment | Tags: Russian River, Salmon
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | December 13, 2025
Everything You Need to Know About Visiting Overwintering Monarchs
The Xerces Society writes about “Everything You Need to Know About Visiting Overwintering Monarchs”
A remarkable phenomenon unfolds along the California coast each fall — and you can witness it yourself!
Read stort at Everything You Need to Know About Visiting Overwintering Monarchs
Posted in Uncategorized
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | December 12, 2025
Geminid meteor shower peaks in dark skies December 13-14
EarthSky reports
The Geminid meteor shower peaks all night on December 13-14, 2025. The planet Jupiter – brightest starlike object in the sky from late evening until dawn – will be near the Geminid radiant point. The waning crescent moon won’t interfere with these meteors this year. Many Geminid meteors are bright! Will any of them be as bright as Jupiter? Observe from a rural location from late evening until dawn.
Read more at Geminid meteor shower peaks in dark skies December 13-14
Posted in Astronomy | Tags: Geminid Meteor Shower
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | December 12, 2025
‘A Morale Bomb’: National Park Workers Face Wage Cuts and ‘Dubiously Legal’ Review System | KQED
KQED reported
Wage cuts announced for Yosemite National Park employees come as reported new performance metrics raise ethical alarms for National Park Service leaders and employees.
Posted in Park | Tags: National Park Employee Pay Cuts
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | December 12, 2025
Lake Manly reemerges in Death Valley after record rainfall
USA Today reported
The lake dates back to the Ice Age, when it was once 600 feet deep.
Read on www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2025/12/12/lake-manly-reemerges-death-valley/87730379007/
Posted in Desert, Environment, Park | Tags: Death Valley, Lake Manly
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | December 12, 2025
Outbreak of Potentially Deadly Amatoxin Poisoning Linked to the Consumption of Wild, Foraged Mushrooms
The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) is issuing an urgent advisory following a recent outbreak of amatoxin poisoning linked to the consumption of wild, foraged mushrooms. Confirmed cases have resulted in severe liver damage in both pediatric and adult patients, including one adult fatality. As of December 5, 2025, 21 cases have been identified by the California Poison Control System (CPCS), with significant clusters reported in the Monterey and San Francisco Bay Areas, although there is risk statewide.
Read more Outbreak of Potentially Deadly Amatoxin Poisoning Linked to the Consumption of Wild, Foraged Mushrooms
Posted in Mushrooms | Tags: Mushroom poisoning
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | December 12, 2025
Acorn Woodpeckers
Bay Natiure writes about Acorn Woodpeckers in Five Acts
“These clowns of the bird world are actually, it turns out, complicated protagonists,” Marissa Ortega-Welch writes. Fall 2019. Free Read »
Posted in Birds | Tags: Acorn Woodpeckers
Posted by: Sandy Steinman | December 11, 2025
For Real, a Natural History of Misinformation – The New York Times
The New York Times reported
It’s not just humans who suffer from leading one another astray. So do fish, flies and even bacteria.
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Read on www.nytimes.com/2025/12/09/science/evolution-fish-misinformation.html
Posted in Animals | Tags: Misinformation
Natural History Wanderings 