The New York Times reported
Generations of primatologists have followed up on Dr. Goodall’s work, discovering over 80 meaningful gestures made by not only chimpanzees, but also bonobos, gorillas and orangutans.
Now researchers are using these gestures to peer into the minds of apes. Some even think they offer clues about how our own species evolved full-blown language.
Read full article at Why Do Apes Make Gestures?
Posted in Animals
Vox reported
Biodiversity loss is a mounting crisis, but new research on animal populations, including endangered species, is drawing scrutiny from some scientists.
Read on www.vox.com/down-to-earth/376706/wwf-living-planet-decline-extinction-conservation
Posted in Animals | Tags: Species Populations Declines
Live Science reports
The world’s oldest termite mounds have been collecting carbon from the atmosphere for thousands of years.
Scientists in South Africa have discovered the world’s oldest known active termite mounds, which have been occupied for tens of thousands of years.
“Recent radiocarbon dating has revealed that these mounds are far older than any previously known, with some dating as far back as 34,000 years — that’s older than the iconic cave paintings in Europe and even older than the Last Glacial Maximum, when vast ice sheets covered much of the northern hemisphere,” Michele Francis, the lead author of the study published in May in the journal Science of the Total Environment, said in a statement.
Read more at Scientists discovered the oldest termite mounds on Earth — and they’re 34,000 years old | Live Science
Posted in Animals | Tags: Oldest termite mounds on Earth
From UC Berkeley Botanic Garden e-newsletter
|
Posted in Garden | Tags: Quercus, UC Berkeley Botancial Garden
From Defenders of Wildlife
There’s a new wildlife refuge in Oregon – the Willamette Valley Conservation Area!
Due to residential development and agricultural use, the Willamette Valley Upland Prairie and Savanna ecosystem is one of the most critically endangered in the US. Now, this area as well as its inhabitants, which include eight #EndangeredSpeciesAct-listed species, will be protected under the National Wildlife Refuge System!
Posted in Animals, Park | Tags: Willamette Valley Conservation Area
The Columbian reported
A simple coat of black paint on the white blade of a wind turbine could save countless birds from flying into the machines and to their deaths each year.It’s working in Norway, and now researchers from Oregon State University are trying it in the West.
Read more Oregon researchers paint wind turbines partly black to reduce bird deaths – The Columbian
Posted in Birds | Tags: Bird Deaths from Wind Turbines, Painting Wind turbines Black
Australian Broadcasting Company reports
Recent storms on a northern Tasmanian beach have revealed the remains of an ancient forest of trees considered “elders” by Tasmania’s Aboriginal people.While the trees were initially thought by some to be “petrified”, a fossil expert explains they are actually mostly “preserved”, with some parts petrified.
Read more at School holiday makers delight as an ancient forest of ‘elder trees’ emerges on a Tasmanian beach – ABC News
Posted in Environment | Tags: Ancient Tasmanian forests
NPR reports
Researchers found that two individuals of a type of jellyfish can fuse and become one with a shared nervous system and digestive system. It has implications for animal regeneration and immune systems.
Read more or listen at These jellyfish have a superpower. The implications could be huge : NPR
The New York Times reported
Without bats to eat insects, farmers turned to more pesticides, a study found. That appears to have increased infant deaths.
The connections are commonsense but the conclusion is shocking.
Bats eat insects. When a fatal disease hit bats, farmers used more pesticides to protect crops. And that, according to a new study, led to an increase in infant mortality.
According to the research, published Thursday in the journal Science, farmers in affected U.S. counties increased their use of insecticides by 31 percent when bat populations declined. In those places, infant mortality rose by an estimated 8 percent.
Read more at Surprising New Research Links Infant Mortality to Crashing Bat Populations
Posted in Animals | Tags: Bat May Help Decrease Infant Mortality
See the upcoming events for Friends of California Condors Wild and at Events | Friends of California Condors Wild and Free
Posted in Birds, Environment | Tags: Friends of California Condors Wild and Free Events
Posted in Garden | Tags: Native Plant Sale
EarthSky reports
The last woolly mammoths on Earth lived out their lives in isolation on Wrangel Island, off the coast of Siberia. They’re thought to have survived until about 1650 B.C. (over a thousand years after the building of the Pyramids at Giza). Scientists long believed these creatures perished due to inbreeding. But a group of researchers at Stockholm University said on June 27, 2024, that a new analysis of DNA recovered from woolly mammoth remains calls that assumption into question. The research shows that even though the island’s woolly mammoth population had low levels of genetic diversity, that fact alone wasn’t enough to cause their demise. The new findings have deepened the mystery of what caused these iconic ice age creatures to go extinct.
Read more Why did woolly mammoths go extinct?
Posted in Animals | Tags: Wooly Mammoths
| We have been working hard to collate a terrific selection of plants for our fall sale, many of which we have not offered before. The Marin CNPS Plant Sale will be held in two ways this year. |
Online OrdersOnline sales open: Thursday, October 10 at 6 pm Online sales close: Monday, October 14 at 6 pm Pickup for prepaid on-line orders: Access to the online sale will be available on our website at the Store link at the bottom of each page. The plant sale will go live at 6 pm on October 10. Do not be surprised if there are no plants listed before then. We will send everyone an email closer to the date. In the fall, we offer a wide range of shrubs since early in the rainy season is the best time to get them in the ground. We will also have a wide range of perennials—old favorites and some new choices this time around. All of these species offer great options for increasing the biodiversity in your yard. We will post an abbreviated list on our web site this week. |
In-Person Plant SaleNEW this year: We will also be holding an in-person plant sale on Saturday, October 19 at the same time and location as the online sale pickup. We will sell the species which did not sell out during the online sale. It will not be a comprehensive selection, so if you want to be assured of getting something specific, please order online. If you did not get a chance to order online, or you would like to see the plants in person, come browse. We will be accepting cash, checks, and Visa credit cards. |
| Note: We will not be offering seeds for sale this time. However, they can be purchased directly from Home Ground Habitats. |
Posted in Uncategorized
Mirage News reports
This week, Australia hosts the inaugural Global Nature Positive Summit in Sydney. It comes at a crucial time: biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse
Read on www.miragenews.com/australia-hosts-worlds-first-nature-positive-1331420/
Posted in Environment | Tags: Global Nature Positive Summit
Cambridge University Botanic Garden is searching for an enthusiastic and dynamic Expedition Botanist to lead our plant-collecting expeditions around the world. This is a unique role that combines international travel, conservation, research, and teaching in a vibrant, supportive team.
Read more at Expeditions Botanist
Posted in Job Openings | Tags: Botanist Job Openings
From The American Ornithological Society
The AOS announced that in an effort to address past wrongs and engage far more people in the enjoyment, protection, and study of birds, it will change all English bird names currently named after people within its geographic jurisdiction.
Read on americanornithology.org/american-ornithological-society-will-change-the-english-names-of-bird-species-named-after-people/
Posted in Birds | Tags: Controversial Bird Names
MIrage News reports
New remains of a 53-million-year-old polar forest have been unearthed near Macquarie Harbour in western Tasmania, unveiling previously unknown ancestral origins of rainforest plants in the southern polar region.
Read more Tropical Plants Found in Tasmania’s Ancient Polar Forest | Mirage News
Posted in Environment | Tags: Tasmania's Ancient Polar Forest
ScienceDaily reports
The extinction of hundreds of bird species caused by humans over the last 130,000 years has led to substantial reductions in avian functional diversity — a measure of the range of different roles and functions that birds undertake within the environment — and resulted in the loss of approximately 3 billion years of unique evolutionary history, according to a new study.
Read on www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/10/241003145435.htm
Posted in Birds | Tags: consequences of bird extinction
West Marin Environmental Action Committee
We are hiring for a Policy Associate! Join our team and help ensure the resiliency of West Marin’s unique lands, waters, and biodiversity through meaningful policy work. Learn More & Apply. Applications received before October 11th will receive priority.
UC Berkeley Botanic Garden
| Horticulturist, California Collection
We are looking for a skilled horticulturist interested in the development and maintenance of a collection of documented California plants that represent a long history of plant collecting in this state. This position requires impeccable attention to documentation, advanced knowledge of horticultural methods, and demonstrated understanding of research collections. Click the link below, and search for job #73364 |
| Apply |
Posted in Job Openings | Tags: Job Openings
from Defenders of Wildlife
Trail closures include portions of Hotel Creek Trail and Lewis Creek Trail within Kings Canyon National Park. The following area is closed due to the Happy Fire: north of Highway 180, west of Lewis Creek Trail and the East Fork of Lewis Creek, south of the crest between Hogback Peak and Kennedy Pass, and east of the Sequoia National Forest boundary,
Posted in Park, Walks & Hikes | Tags: King's Canyon and Sequoia National Parks
USA Today reported
Study led by a researcher at the University of Georgia concludes avian flu led to a 30% drop in bald eagle nest productivity last year.
Read on www.usatoday.com/story/news/2023/03/03/bird-flu-is-killing-bald-eagles/11389532002/
Posted in Birds | Tags: Bird Flu Killing Bald Eagles
NPR has a photo essay and story about the relationships between animals and trees in old Growth Forests
In the last 10 years, Herasimtschuk has photographed forests across the Pacific Northwest, documenting the inhabitants of these last remaining old-growth ecosystems. From salamanders and salmon to bears and mountain lions, his images illustrate not only the beauty of the forests and their creatures but the symbiotic relationships which are vital to the forests’ health and the planet’s welfare.
See photos and read story at A conservation photographer captures the rarely seen relationships between the animal life and trees in old growth forests : The Picture Show : NPR
Posted in Animals, Environment, Photography | Tags: Animal-Tree Relationships, Old Growth Forests
Legislative Victory! 
Learn more about the bills we support: calparks.org/legislative-agenda.Posted in Park | Tags: California State Parks
NPR reports
The U.K. used coal power to drive the Industrial Revolution and expand the British Empire. It’s now the first major economy to quit the fossil fuel, a primary contributor to global warming.
Listen or read on www.npr.org/2024/09/30/nx-s1-5133426/uk-quits-coal-climate-change
Posted in Environment | Tags: UK stops using Coal
Lodi Sandhill Crane Festival
Nov 1 – 3, 2024 Hutchins Street Square Community Center 125 S Hutchins Street, Lodi, California
Posted in Bird Festivals, Birds | Tags: Lodi Sandhill Crane Festival
from Marin CNPS
The Mt. Tamalpais Florilegium will be presented by members of the Northern California Society of Botanical Artists at the College of Marin Fine Arts Gallery in Kentfield through October 18, Mondays thru Fridays 12 – 5 pm. The exhibition contains 74 botanical drawings and paintings created by 43 artists showcasing the flora of Mt. Tamalpais.
You are invited to an artists’ reception on Sunday, October 6 from 2 to 5 pm. Parking at the college is free on Sundays!
Posted in Wildflowers and Other Plants | Tags: Mt. Tamalpais Florilegium
from UC Davis College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
Combination Marks Opportunities for Climate Adaptation and Innovation
From coastal redwoods and Joshua trees to golden poppies and sagebrush, California is a global botanical hotspot. It’s also a place confronted with extreme heat, wildfires and crumbling coastlines. The state’s natural beauty and history of pioneering conservation efforts make it a test bed for protecting biodiversity in the face of current and future climate change, argues a study led by the University of California, Davis.
Posted in Environment | Tags: Climate change
Berkeleyside reports
Popular East Bay nursery Annie’s Annuals and Perennials has been permanently closed after more than 30 years.
Read on www.berkeleyside.org/2024/10/03/annies-annuals-permanently-shut-down-2
Posted in Garden | Tags: Annie’s Annuals Closed
We host many outings & events throughout the year. From mountain treks to botany crawls, bird watching to kayaking, there are many ways to join us.
See the calendar of events at Sonoma Land Trust Hosted Outings And Events – Join Us On The Land
Posted in Talks, Walks & Hikes
Natural History Wanderings 