SF Gate reported
A man approached and seemingly pepper-sprayed a wolf last month, according to a video posted in a Facebook group
A man approached and seemingly pepper-sprayed a wolf last month, according to a video posted in a Facebook group
Read more Yellowstone visitors stunned as man seemingly provokes wolf pack
Posted in Animals, Park | Tags: Bad Behavior in the National Parks, Wolves, Yellowstone
Roads currently closed due to storm damage:Posted in Desert, Drives, Garden, Park | Tags: Death Valley Road Closures
The Guardian
A wildlife photographer on a whale-watching trip in waters off Seattle captured dramatic video and photos of a pod of killer whales hunting a seal that survived only by clambering on to the stern of her boat.
See video and photose at www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/nov/13/seal-killer-whale-hunt
Posted in Animals, Photography | Tags: Seals, Whales
SF Gate reported
Bird flu cases are on the rise in Sonoma County after three farms tested positive for the deadly virus beginning in late October, according to recent data from the U.S. Agriculture Department.
Highly pathogenic avian influenza, or HPAI, a deadly strain of bird flu, was detected by the USDA in three Sonoma County poultry farms on Oct. 27, Oct. 28 and Nov. 5. The unnamed farms had a collective 351,700 birds killed, according to data gathered by the agency.
Photographed in the East Bay Regional Parks Botanic Garden in Tilden Park in Berkeley, CA on November 12, 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.
From Lassen Volcanic National Park
Lassen National Park Highway is now closed to through traffic for the winter/spring snow season after recent storms brought heavy snow and ice to the high elevations.
The park remains open! Winter is a beautiful time to visit — just be prepared for limited vehicle access:
• Open to vehicles ten miles from the northwest entrance (to Devastated Area)
• Open to vehicles one mile from the southwest entrance (to Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center)
• Roads to Juniper Lake and Warner Valley are closed to vehicles
Posted in Drives, Park | Tags: Lassen National Park Winter Update
See updates on this Pack Fire in the eastern Sierra by McGee Creek from CAL FIRE at www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2025/11/13/pack-fire
Posted in Environment | Tags: McGee Creek, Pack Fire
SF Gate reported
A new study shows that California glaciers are thousands of years older than previously thought — and they’re melting faster than ever.
Read on www.sfgate.com/california/article/california-ancient-glaciers-melting-climate-change-21081538.php
Posted in Environment | Tags: Climate change, Glacier Melt
from EarthSky
The Leonid meteor shower is back! Leonid meteors are already flying. The peak is on the morning of November 17. You might also try watching on the morning of November 18. Learn when, where, and how to see the 2025 Leonids at their best in this video, which first aired on Wednesday, November 12. EarthSky’s Deborah Byrd, Marcy Curran and John Goss explain it all, and tell you why the Leonids are one of the most famous meteor showers of the year. Whether you’re a seasoned skywatcher or heading out for your first meteor shower, we’ll help you make the most of it. Peak nights: Around November 16–18, 2025. Best viewing: After midnight, under a dark sky. Watch in the player above, or on YouTube.
Posted in Astronomy | Tags: Leonid Meteor
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
2026 Anza-Borrego Desert Photo Contest is Now Open!Submit your best shots before December 10. Entries accepted November 1 – December 10. Every photograph tells a story of resilience, light, and life in the desert. From the first bloom after winter rain to the watchful eyes of a bighorn at dawn, these fleeting moments remind us why Anza-Borrego is unlike any other place on Earth. Grand Prize: A two-night stay at La Casa Del Zorro, dinner for two at Ram’s Hill, and an ABF program for two (some restrictions apply).
|
|
Posted in Photography | Tags: Anza-Borrego Desert Photo
US 395 closed near Crowley Lake due to Pack Fire.
A detour is available for those already in route. Please avoid the area.
For real-time information, please follow: Caltrans District 9 and Mono County Sheriff’s Office.
Additional information on the fire is available at https://ready.mono.ca.gov/
Posted in Drives | Tags: McGee Creek Canyon, Pack Fire
Popular Mechanics reported
This newly-discovered species is being called the “death-ball sponge” for its appendages. These appendages end in orbs. They are covered in micro-hooks meant to capture prey.
Read more A Carnivorous ‘Death Ball’ Has Emerged from the Deep
Posted in Uncategorized
Discover Wildlife reported
New research has revealed that West Coast transient killer whales are two distinct communities. They are found from south-eastern Alaska to southern California. These communities rarely encounter each other.
Read article at https://www.discoverwildlife.com/animal-facts/marine-animals/west-coast-transient-killer-whale-subpopulations
Posted in Animals | Tags: West Coast transient killer whales
Lookout Eugene-Springfield reports
For 40 years, scientist Mark Harmon has been studying how dead trees in Oregon’s forests beget life. But as he hands off his work to a new generation, federal funding for long-term scientific research has grown uncertain.
“Someone really screwed up when they called them dead trees,” he said. “It’s just a different form of life that’s taken over.”
Read story at A 200-year experiment: If a tree falls in a forest, does it really die? – Lookout Eugene-Springfield
Posted in Environment, Wildflowers and Other Plants | Tags: Dead trees
From EarthSky
Amazing aurora photos capture the ‘sky on fire’ last night
See photos at earthsky.org/todays-image/aurora-photos-from-our-community-nov-2025/
Posted in Astronomy, Photography | Tags: Aurora Photos, Northern Lights
From Defenders of Wildlife
meaning the habitat that supports them also supports hundreds of other plants and animals. When we look after these owls and other umbrella species, we look after whole ecosystems!Posted in Animals | Tags: Umbrella Species
ScienceDaily reported
Scientists from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and Caltech have finally solved a decades-old mystery about how photosynthesis really begins. They discovered why energy inside plants flows down only one of two possible routes — a design that lets nature move sunlight with astonishing precision. Using advanced computer simulations, the researchers showed that one branch has a much higher energy barrier, blocking electrons from moving freely.
Read on www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/10/251012054624.htm
Posted in Wildflowers and Other Plants | Tags: Photosynthesis
SFGate reported
A powerful storm swept away a key Mount Rainier trail bridge, closing the Carter Falls Trail just as winter arrives.
Posted in Park, Walks & Hikes | Tags: Carter Falls Trail, Mt. Rainier National Park
The Revelator reported
As we’ve seen with tigers and other threatened species, captive lion breeding may stimulate consumer demand and put additional pressure on wild populations across African home ranges.
Posted in Animals | Tags: Captive breeding, Lions
See upcoming events calendar of hikes and programs at https://www.abdnha.org/calendar1.htm.
NPR reported
The red pigments in some fall leaves have proven to be a puzzle for researchers who debate why leaves bother to go red.
Listen or read story at Why do only some leaves turn red in the fall? Scientists can’t agree on an answer : NPR
Posted in Fall Foliage | Tags: Fall Foliage
In this two-part series, Thomas Schroeder, Senior Partnerships Manager for Audubon Conservation Ranching, joins Matt Maier on the Regenerative Renegades Podcast to discuss how ranchers and conservationists are teaming up to restore grassland ecosystems. From his background as a chef to his work in regenerative agriculture, Thomas highlights the deep connection between food, land, and community—and how stewardship can help both people and wildlife thrive. Tune in on YouTube.
Posted in Birds | Tags: restation grassland ecosystems
SF Gate reported
In Death Valley, which boasts the record for the hottest temperature on the planet at 134°F, one native species is loving the blistering weather.
Tested by the valley’s extreme summertime heat, the flowering shrub Arizona honeysweet (Tidestromia oblongifolia) thrives. The humble-looking, seafoam green plant considers 113°F optimal for photosynthesis — the highest known temperature tolerance of any major crop species, according to new research.
Read more Scientists make major find in Calif.’s Death Valley National Park
Euro News reported
A groundbreaking project has been launched to help protect one of the UK’s most spectacular insects.
The British Swallowtail butterfly (Papilio machaon britannicus) is found exclusively in the county of East Anglia, predominantly in the Norfolk Broads, a national park veined with waterways.
However, the insect’s survival is threatened by habitat loss, climate change and genetic erosion due to its limited geographical range.
Now researchers from Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) have joined forces with Jimmy’s Farm & Wildlife Park and Nature’s SAFE, a UK biobank specialising in conservation, to investigate if cryopreservation can come to the aid of Britain’s largest native butterfly.
Read more Scientists plan to freeze butterfly eggs with cryopreservation to save British species | Euronews
Posted in Uncategorized
SF Gate reported
National Park Service has missed out on $25 million
National parks aren’t collecting recreation fees during the shutdown.
Read more National Park Service has lost a staggering amount during shutdown
Posted in Park
Climate Colored Google reported
Americans who rely on broadcast networks for honest journalism suffered a painful loss this week, as CBS News — fresh off its acquisition by Skydance Media and the installation of anti-woke opinion writer Bari Weiss as editor in chief — fired most of the reporters who specialize in covering climate change.
Read more CBS News just gutted its climate team – by Sammy Roth
Posted in Environment | Tags: Loss of Climate Reporting
MSN reported
After 55 years missing from the Karakum Desert, it was suspected that the Turkestan long-eared bat (Plecotus turkmenicus) had likely gone extinct or become very rare. Nobody had seen the species since 1970 and there were no photos or recent descriptions to suggest otherwise. Until now.
See photo and read more Bat Species Not Seen In 55 Years Rediscovered And Filmed For First Time – Just Look At Those Ears
Posted in Animals | Tags: Plecotus turkmenicus, Turkestan long-eared bat
The Revelator reported
From poisonings to collisions with power lines, these birds face many threats. But as they decline, so does their ability to control the spread of deadly diseases.
Read story at Saving Zimbabwe’s Vultures • The Revelator
Natural History Wanderings 