Posted by: Sandy Steinman | November 20, 2025

Puffins return to nature reserve for first time in 25 years

The Independent reported

Experts say it is a huge milestone for the vulnerable birds

Puffins have been discovered nesting at a County Antrim nature reservefor the first time in a quarter of a century.

This marks a significant milestone in the recovery of the vulnerable seabirds in Northern Ireland.

The find was made by Ulster Wildlife on the Isle of Muck, located off Islandmagee.

The comeback is attributed to a dedicated seabird recovery project, initiated by the nature conservation charity in 2017.

Source: Puffins return to nature reserve for first time in 25 years

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | November 20, 2025

Leave the Leaves for Natural Pest Control

from the Xerces Society

Once your yard plants have died back in the fall, you might wonder where all the insects you saw spend the winter. Most stay right in your yard, just hidden (and often in a different life stage!) Quality overwintering habitat like leaves, stems, stumps, rock shelters, and bare soil provides year-round habitat for all sorts of beneficial insects that eat pests in your yard!

Learn more

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | November 19, 2025

Trump administration seeks to roll back protections for imperiled species and habitat

NPR reported

President Trump’s administration moved Wednesday to roll back protections for imperiled species and the places they live, reviving a suite of changes to Endangered Species Act regulations from the Republican’s first term that were blocked under former Democratic President Joe Biden.

The proposed changes include the elimination of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s “blanket rule” that automatically protects animals and plants when they are classified as threatened. Government agencies instead would have to craft species-specific rules for protections, a potentially lengthy process.

Read on www.npr.org/2025/11/19/g-s1-98459/trump-administration-endangered-species-act-blanket-rule

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Posted in Animals, Birds, Wildflowers and Other Plants | Tags:

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | November 19, 2025

Climate Watch | Audubon

Since 2016, Climate Watch volunteers have collected data which Audubon scientists are able to use to document in peer reviewed research that birds are responding to climate change and shifting their ranges. You can join us in this mission by observing birds in your area, using our specific protocol, and helping us learn about how birds are responding to the changing climate.

— Read on www.audubon.org/community-science/climate-watch

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | November 19, 2025

In Washington, Birds Are Giving ‘Yelp Reviews’ of Forest Restoration Work

The New York Times reported

A collective of land trusts, conservancies and tribes is capturing birdsong with audio gear and A.I. for clues about habitat health.

Read on www.nytimes.com/2025/11/18/climate/washington-birds-habitat-health.html

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | November 19, 2025

Xerces Society Upcoming Webinars

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See all Xerces Society upcoming events at Xerces Society Webinars

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | November 19, 2025

 Los Padres ForestWatch Upcoming Events

See Upcoming Los Padres ForestWatch Upcoming Events at Home | Los Padres ForestWatch

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | November 19, 2025

Photos from my garden

Photos from my garden in Berkeley, CA from 11/17/25.

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | November 19, 2025

Sperm whales use vowels like humans, new study finds

Popular Science reported

Scientists decoding whale clicks found patterns that echo the building blocks of human speech.

Read more https://www.popsci.com/environment/sperm-whale-language-vowels/

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | November 19, 2025

Sea levels are rising faster than at any time in the last 4,000 years

EuroNews reported

Melting glaciers and thermal expansion are driving the ‘acceleration’ of sea level rise to record levels.

Sea levels are rising faster than at any point in the last 4,000 years, highlighting the urgent need for “global and local” action.

New research has warned that climate change and human activities are driving the surge, which poses a serious threat of flooding for major cities around the world.

Read more at Sea levels are rising faster than at any time in the last 4,000 years. Here’s why

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | November 18, 2025

Mushrooms in the Garden

Photos of Mushrooms from the Regional Parks Botanic Garden in Tilden Park in Berkeley, CA taken on November 15, 2-25.

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | November 18, 2025

These parrots came to Los Angeles as pets – then went wild

The Guardian reported 

Once escapees from the pet trade, Los Angeles’s feral parrots have become a vibrant part of city life, and could even aid conservation in their native homelands

Read more These parrots came to Los Angeles as pets – then went wild

 

 

 

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | November 18, 2025

Upcoming Bay Nature Events

See the schedule of upcoming Bay Nature Events mailchi.mp/baynature/march-11

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | November 18, 2025

Scientists capture stunning photos of a massive prehistoric fish species thought to be extinct for 70 million years

Stevetonksgardendesign reported

A fish believed gone for 70 million years just stared down a camera in the dark. The photos, taken far below the Indian Ocean’s surface, are forcing a candid rethink of extinction, survival — and how much of the planet still hides in plain sight.

Read more  Scientists capture stunning photos of a massive prehistoric fish species thought to be extinct for 70 million years

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | November 17, 2025

Good Fire: Tending Native Lands now on view at Oakland Museum of California

OMCA’s latest special exhibition, Good Fire: Tending Native Lands, explores how Native communities in Northern California have used controlled fire—also called “good fire” or “cultural burning”—to care for the land and sustain traditions for millennia.

Organized in collaboration with Native Northern California fire practitioners, artists, ecologists, and cultural leaders, the exhibition reframes fire as not solely a destructive force, but as an essential tool for supporting healthy ecosystems and vibrant communities.
Get Tickets

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | November 17, 2025

Last week, reports of graffiti surfaced in Arches National Park, which remained open during the longest government shutdown in U.S. history with a skeleton staff and reduced services. 

SF Gate reported

On Nov. 12, SFGATE visited the park to document the incidents and found a dozen examples painted on and carved into the park’s famed red rocks.

Last week, reports of graffiti surfaced in Arches National Park, which remained open during the longest government shutdown in U.S. history with a skeleton staff and reduced services. 

Read more https://www.sfgate.com/national-parks/article/graffiti-vandalism-found-arches-national-park-21171227.php

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | November 17, 2025

Hidden water world inside trees helps forests survive droughts – Earth.com

Earth.com reported

Scientists reveal how tree water traits – like storage, flow, and control – shape forest survival as Europe faces longer, harsher droughts.

Read on www.earth.com/news/hidden-water-world-inside-trees-helps-forests-survive-droughts/

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | November 17, 2025

France’s largest rewilding project takes root in the Dauphiné Alps

Monga Bay reported

The nonprofit Rewilding Europe announced its 11th project this summer in the Dauphiné Alps, a forested mountain range in southeastern France where wild horses, bison and lynx thrived more than 200 years ago.
Rewilding is a restoration concept that reintroduces historically present species to a landscape with minimal other human intervention.

Read on news.mongabay.com/2025/11/frances-largest-rewilding-project-takes-root-in-the-dauphine-alps/

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | November 17, 2025

With Upgraded Transmitters, We Can Now Track Migrating Monarchs Better Than Ever

Xerces Society reported

A new radiotelemetry transmitter, called the Blu+, is revolutionizing how scientists can track migrating monarchs this fall.

The Blu+ transmitter, developed by Cellular Tracking Technologies and Cape May Point Arts & Science Center (CMPASC), weighs just 0.06g and can be attached to monarch butterflies. 

Previous monarch tags could only be detected by specialized receivers. The new Blu+ tags can be detected much more easily, because they are integrated into a network of cellular-connected devices. Now there is potential to get hundreds or even thousands of detections per tag, giving us a much better picture of the route each monarch takes on its journey.

Read more With Upgraded Transmitters, We Can Now Track Migrating Monarchs Better than Ever | Xerces Society

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | November 17, 2025

Before plants or animals, fungi conquered Earth’s surface

ScienceDaily  reported

Fungi’s evolutionary roots stretch far deeper than once believed — up to 1.4 billion years ago, long before plants or animals appeared. Using advanced molecular dating and gene transfer analysis, researchers reconstructed fungi’s ancient lineage, revealing they were crucial in shaping Earth’s first soils and ecosystems.

Rea more  Before plants or animals, fungi conquered Earth’s surface | ScienceDaily

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | November 16, 2025

Job Opening: Natural Resource Specialist

Natural Resource Specialist, San Francisco Peninsula Region. For information on the position and to apply go to

Natural Resource Specialist, San Francisco Peninsula Region – CNPS Forums

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | November 16, 2025

Yellowstone visitors stunned as man seemingly provokes wolf pack

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

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | November 16, 2025

Death Valley Road Closures Due Rain

Road Closure Alerts*
Rainfall on 11/15 brought 0.6 inches of rain to Furnace Creek—about one-quarter of the park’s average annual rainfall! Additional rain is forecasted over the next several days.
The park’s rocky, steep terrain causes water to run off quickly, creating fast-moving flows of mud, rocks and debris. These floods have covered some roads and have eroded road shoulders, making travel hazardous.
🛑 Roads currently closed due to storm damage:

Read More…

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | November 16, 2025

The great escape: seal flees killer whales by jumping on to photographer’s boat | Wildlife | The Guardian

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

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | November 16, 2025

111,000 Spiders Living in a Giant Subterranean Web

Nautilus reported

The Mystery of 111,000 Spiders Living In a Giant Subterranean Web: The first known supercolony of its kind.

Read story at  111,000 Spiders Living in a Giant Subterranean Web

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | November 15, 2025

Bay Area county sees more than 351K birds killed by bird flu

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.

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | November 15, 2025

Photos from the Regional Parks Botanic Garden 11/12/25

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.

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | November 15, 2025

Winter Access Update for Lassen Volcanic National Park

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

Read More…

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Posted in Drives, Park | Tags:

Posted by: Sandy Steinman | November 15, 2025

Pack Fire updates

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

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Posted by: Sandy Steinman | November 15, 2025

For the first time in human history, Calif. glaciers are disappearing

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

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