All Articles

Upside to a down economy: less pressure on open space — by Alison Hawkes — last modified 2012-05-22 09:18 PM

One of the impacts of the economic recession over the last few years has been less interest in developing the Bay Area’s remaining open space. A new report released on Tuesday by Greenbelt Alliance finds that a down real estate market, combined with public policies to restrict growth, has led to a 20 percent drop in the amount of Bay Area land “at risk” for development, compared to six years ago. An estimated 77,300 acres is no longer in the immediate cross-hairs of developers and suburban planners, according to At Risk: The Bay Area Greenbelt 2012. And some 3 million acres total are now protected.

Eight Miles at Point Reyes for a Warbler, with Bonus Damselflies and More — by Dan Rademacher — last modified 2012-05-22 11:17 AM

Jules Evens heads out on an eight-mile loop, timed with the nesting, and singing, of some of Point Reyes's least-common warblers. Follow along and see what else he finds!

Amongst marshes, a salty past — by Alison Hawkes — last modified 2012-05-21 01:41 PM

The Hayward regional shoreline consists of over a thousand acres of marshes and seasonal wetlands. At low tide sandpipers and black stilts wander about the mud flats searching for food, while cyclists and runners exercise along a 5-mile trail. It’s hard to imagine that more than a hundred years ago, mounds of salt covered these same Hayward marshes like a fresh blanket of snow. The salt attracted harvesters, going way back to the original inhabitants.

Berkeleyans closer to selling backyard produce — by Alison Hawkes — last modified 2012-05-18 09:43 AM

Berkeley's zoning codes have prohibited the sale of backyard produce. But after an effort mounted by the green thumbs of the city, the planning commission unanimously passed the Edible Garden Initiative. Next step: City Council.

Solar spectacle on horizon — by Alison Hawkes — last modified 2012-05-17 12:08 PM

A partial solar eclipse will be lighting up Bay Area skies early Sunday evening, and as luck would have it the weather is supposed to cooperate. Between 5:16pm and 7:40 pm, the moon will pass in front of the sun in an alignment not seen in 18 years. During the annular solar eclipse, the moon will form a “black hole” in the center of the sun with sunbeams shooting out from the sides.

Botanical sleuths scour Mount Tamalpais — by Alison Hawkes — last modified 2012-05-16 11:14 AM

Working off historical records of rare plant locations, plant "hunters" on Mount Tamalpais are scouring the mountain in search of the illusive Mason’s ceanothus shrub and other botanical novelties. The goal: update the location and numbers of California rare plants in the California Natural Diversity Database.

Bat Rays in San Francisco Bay — by Dan Rademacher — last modified 2012-05-22 09:50 AM

What’s the cutest fish in the sea? To some biologists, it’s the bat ray, which cruises along the floor of local bays and estuaries, chomping on clams and other creatures. Maybe it’s time to make bottom-feeder a term of endearment! Springtime is breeding time for these friendly fish.

Paddling to the sea — by Alison Hawkes — last modified 2012-05-14 09:51 AM

Jessie Raeder was an energetic high school student when a bitter dispute erupted over the use of chemicals to eradicate pike in Lake Davis in favor of native trout. Nowadays she's director of Paddle to the Sea, a month long "paddle-a-thon" that begins in June and runs the 241-mile length the Tuolumne River from the Sierras to the San Francisco Bay. The goal: raise awareness and money for the river's benefactor, the Tuolumne River Trust.

For the love of mom — by Alison Hawkes — last modified 2012-05-14 08:32 AM

Humans may be the only animals who celebrate Mother's Day. But there's no doubt that babies of other species are just as attached to their mamas, at least until they grow up. I like to think they also get a warm, fuzzy feeling when they think of the female who risked life and limb to bring them into the world and raise them fit enough to prosper. Happy Mother's Day to California mamas of all feathers and fur, fins and ... yes, even those with exoskeletons.

Owls, their owlet and the Berkeley masses — by Alison Hawkes — last modified 2012-05-11 10:13 AM

Over the course of two short months, great horned owls hatched and raised an owlet on a trail in Claremont Canyon in Berkeley. A "bird's eye" view of the nest made it possible for passersby to get an intimate look at the owlet's transformation from hatchling to fledgling. But as the popularity of the nesting owls grew, so did the ethical questions. How can so many people enjoy nature without doing it harm?

All Hail Hulet Hornbeck — by Dan Rademacher — last modified 2012-05-09 06:55 PM

The Bay Area lost a giant of park-building with the passing of Hulet Hornbeck, who presided over the creation of 49,000 acres of parkland at the East Bay Regional Park District.

River of Words, Home to Roost at Saint Mary’s — by Dan Rademacher — last modified 2012-05-09 02:54 PM

Poet Robert Hass awakened a lifelong love of nature while a student at Saint Mary’s College. Now, River of Words, the art and poetry program he cofounded, has found a home at the college.

Parade of Flowers at Armstrong Redwoods/Austin Creek — by Dan Rademacher — last modified 2012-05-08 12:59 PM

Looking for something out of the way, but with great wildflowers? Head to Armstrong Redwoods and Austin Creek state parks just north of the Russian River.

How Sausal Creek made Oakland — by Alison Hawkes — last modified 2012-05-07 10:07 PM

How do you develop a booming Oakland when there’s a big creek in your way? Bury it underground, cement it over, channel it with culverts, and turn it into a gravel quarry. Sounds like a plan, right? Sausal Creek has undoubtedly taken a lot of abuse. But one thing must be said: Oakland owes much of its economy to the roughly 3-mile creek that meanders from its headwaters in the Oakland Hills to the San Francisco Bay.

Wanted: Sand for Endangered Butterfly — by Dan Rademacher — last modified 2012-05-03 10:10 AM

The imperiled Lange’s metalmark butterfly lives only on a small stretch of remnant dunes near Antioch. Managers of the Antioch Dunes National Wildlife Refuge hope to create precious new habitat, while a captive-breeding program keeps the butterflies just short of extinction.

Occupiers restart debate on future of Gill Tract — by Alison Hawkes — last modified 2012-05-02 01:09 PM

On a typical spring day in early May at the Gill Tract, UC Berkeley agriculture researchers would be busy preparing for the summer research season. But this year, in a fenced-off field that usually grows experimental crops, a temporary encampment has sprung up. A group of students and others associated with the Occupy movement have rototilled the soil and planted their own vision of the future of farming.

First to the finish line: Jack London State Park — by Alison Hawkes — last modified 2012-05-04 08:46 AM

For the past 35 years, Valley of the Moon Natural History Association has been helping greet and educate visitors at the Jack London State Historic Park in Sonoma County. As of May 1, however, it’s taken charge of the whole park: 1,400 acres, 10,000 artifacts, and more than a dozen historic buildings. It’s an unusual situation, born of California’s budget woes. The state says it no longer has the money to keep Jack London open, but the surrounding community sees the park as a vital public asset. So locals are investing their own time and money to create something new -- what Valley of the Moon board president Greg Hayes calls “a community-operated state park.”

Safe Fishing with Kids for the Bay — by Dan Rademacher — last modified 2012-05-01 06:15 PM

Thanks to the nonprofit Kids for the Bay, each year a few thousand kids learn firsthand why those “Drains to Bay” stencils on storm grates are so important -- and why eating fish from San Francisco Bay may not always be a good idea.

A Cheap Permit Means Great Trails at Briones Reservoir — by Dan Rademacher — last modified 2012-04-30 09:59 AM

Tired of crowded trails? Get a permit from the East Bay Municipal Utility District and you’ll get access to miles and miles of little-used trails. We feature a hike around Briones Reservoir that’s especially delightful.

Depicting conservation success stories — by Alison Hawkes — last modified 2012-04-30 09:08 AM

It’s easy to get depressed about the loss of biodiversity when every day, it seems, some new species pops up on a watch list like a death toll. But there are success stories that offer rays of hope in a world beset by climate change and habitat destruction. A new art exhibit opening on May 1 at the Tilden environmental education center in Berkeley showcases species that have made it back from the brink of extinction.