Jan-Mar 2010
Our winter 2010 issue looks beyond the media hype and into the long-range migrations of great white sharks, examines the Concord Naval Weapons Station’s wildlife and landscape as well as its development and preservation possibilities, looks at an artist’s vision of educating San Franciscans about local endangered species while promoting public transit, explores the unusual rock formations and abundant plant and animal life of Castle Rock State Park in the Santa Cruz Mountains, and elucidates the awesome phenomenon of huge wintertime aggregations (rafts) of ducks in San Francisco and Tomales bays. Cover photo by Jason Bradley/Green Stock Media, greenstockmedia.com.
Issue Contents
Not all print articles and images appear online immediately.
Feature
by Glen Martin
Fast, silent, and deadly, the great white shark has long evoked both fear and awe among those who live, work, and play along the California coast. Yet for all its press--both good and bad--we've known remarkably little about the life of this iconic creature. But recent scientific studies using pioneering tracking techniques are finally giving us a better look at the white shark's wide-ranging haunts and habits.
From the Jan-Mar 2010 issue
Published January 01, 2010
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East Bay Parks Feature
by John Hart
Fenced off in plain sight for decades, the Concord Naval Weapons Station is the largest piece of undeveloped, unprotected land in Contra Costa County. Now, after years of debate and planning, a large portion of the former base is poised to become a major new regional park, as well as a critical open space link and wildlife corridor stretching from the summit of Mount Diablo to the shores of Suisun Bay.
From the Jan-Mar 2010 issue
Published January 01, 2010
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Sidebar
by Dan Rademacher
The hills above the Concord Naval Weapons Station are part of a property proposed for development by local builder Albert Seeno’s Discovery Builders. But local open space advocates are hoping to negotiate protections for this vital greenbelt between Concord and Pittsburg.
From the Jan-Mar 2010 issue
Published January 01, 2010
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Photo by Todd Gilens.
Image Gallery
Concept and photomontages by Todd Gilens
Might the streets we travel have once been migratory corridors for other species, now displaced and threatened by our urban ways? Did butterflies pass by this way, looking for mates, or did salmon swim up a creek long since buried? Could we once again share this landscape and these corridors with other species, if our own daily migrations became more communal--a few buses in place of a swarm of cars, a single train where SUVs now reign?
From the Jan-Mar 2010 issue
Published January 01, 2010
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On the Trail
by Paul McHugh
The high ridges and sandstone outcrops at Castle Rock have fascinated adventurers from explorer George Vancouver to the pioneers of modern rock climbing. Prolific wildflowers, great views, and an 80-foot waterfall add to the allure.
From the Jan-Mar 2010 issue
Published January 01, 2010
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On the Trail
by William Keener
Where can you stand on dry land and feel like you're on a Bay cruise? Try Cavallo Point at Fort Baker. The lodge here is pricey, but the hike is free. When the tide reaches full ebb, the whitewater rip currents will have you convinced you're on the deck of an eastbound boat.
From the Jan-Mar 2010 issue
Published January 01, 2010
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Photo by Dan Hill.
On the Trail
by Ann Sieck
Whatever the old stadium's current name, the land it sits on remains Candlestick Point, a nice spot for birding, picnicking, or watching windsurfers...
From the Jan-Mar 2010 issue
Published January 01, 2010
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On the Trail
by John Gallagher
Round Valley Regional Preserve is one of the East Bay Regional Park District's lesser-known jewels.
From the Jan-Mar 2010 issue
Published January 01, 2010
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Photo by Rick Lewis.
Signs of the Season
by Joe Eaton
The great rafts of ducks on San Francisco and Tomales bays, mostly surf scoter, greater and lesser scaup, and canvasback, are a wintertime spectacle. Scoter flocks can range from many hundreds to a few thousand birds. Why do they form these aggregations?
From the Jan-Mar 2010 issue
Published January 01, 2010
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Photo by Daniel McGlynn.
Conservation in Action
by Daniel McGlynn
At first glance the tan building blends into the rest of Petaluma's Casa Grande High School. It's nondescript from the outside, but it houses a rare kind of conservation organization, the United Anglers of Casa Grande. The high school students in the club run their own hatchery, and learn more about salmon than most folks ever know...
From the Jan-Mar 2010 issue
Published January 01, 2010
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Families Afield
by David Herlocker
A world awaits discovery under almost any humble log in winter, whether it’s in your backyard or deep in the woods. Lift that log and make some new discoveries. Just be sure to put that log back carefully...
From the Jan-Mar 2010 issue
Published January 01, 2010
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Ask the Naturalist
by Michael Ellis
Can a pelican really hold a week’s worth of food in its bill?
From the Jan-Mar 2010 issue
Published January 01, 2010
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Naturalist's Notebook
by Jack Laws
Turns out this little songbird is a little fiercer than most: Loggerhead shrikes eat mostly grasshoppers and other insects in summer, but in winter they go after larger prey, including other birds. But they lack the sharp talons of raptors, so they use thorns or the barbs on barbed wire to finish the job.
From the Jan-Mar 2010 issue
Published January 01, 2010
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Photo courtesy GGNRA.
by Aleta George
Restoring creeks for coho, building an off-the-grid environmental center in the Bayview, getting kids out on the Petaluma River, and more...
From the Jan-Mar 2010 issue
Photo by Diane Poslosky.
Letter from the Publisher
by David Loeb
Celebrating, and studying, the cycles of life in the Bay Area is part of our work here at Bay Nature. It’s also a great way to notice changes in local ecosystems. Explaining those changes is not so easy...
From the Jan-Mar 2010 issue
Published January 01, 2010
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Letter From a Reader
letter from David Daniels, Berkeley
A reader says state parks in California might be better off with less funding and more wildness.
From the Jan-Mar 2010 issue
Published January 01, 2010
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