In a heartwarming twist, California’s wilderness is coming alive again with the return of gray wolves after nearly a century. These majestic creatures, once wiped out, are not only surviving but thriving, with over 30 new pups born this year. While their comeback is a sign of hope for nature lovers, it’s stirring up challenges ...
In the Bay Area, a hefty and invasive rodent known as the nutria is causing alarm as its population spreads rapidly. Weighing up to 25 pounds and notorious for their destructive burrowing habits, these semi-aquatic mammals threaten local infrastructure, ecosystems, and even public health. With a troubling history in California and a knack for rapid ...
Burrowing owls in California are inching closer to getting the legal protection they desperately need. These quirky, ground-dwelling birds are now recognized as “candidate” species under the California Endangered Species Act. This new status gives them temporary protection while officials take a deeper look into their plight. Though it’s only the first step, conservationists are ...
When I think of the history of bison, I am reminded of the threats of overhunting and habitat degradation that pushed them to extinction. Yet, the mention of bison on Catalina Island presents a striking contrast to their usual narrative. On this Island, bison are considered invasive. The Arrival In 1924, a Western movie brought ...
Storms pound the cliffs, kelp forests sway, and surfers skim the surface – yet the most surprising flow along California’s shoreline is out of sight. New research is illuminating a slow, persistent movement of freshened groundwater beneath the beach and seafloor, threading through sand and fractured rock like a ghostly river. It doesn’t roar ...
California backyards look like small paradises: citrus glowing on branches, hummingbirds skimming over water, warm flagstones underfoot. Yet in this postcard scene, veterinarians see a very different map – one dotted with silent hazards that can injure, poison, or sicken the animals we love. The mystery isn’t why pets get into trouble; it’s how easily ...
In the hills above suburban neighborhoods across California, something is happening that would have shocked residents just a generation ago. Mountain lions are coming inside homes and hopping onto kitchen counters. These apex predators seem less wary of humans than ever. What was once unthinkable has become an unsettling reality – California’s legendary cougars are ...
California has always swung between feast and famine, but lately the swings feel sharper, faster, and a little unnerving. Wet winters drape mountains in snow, then a few scorching seasons erase the cushion as if someone yanked the safety net. Scientists warn that warming temperatures amplify this whiplash, nudging the state toward longer, more intense ...
On a foggy morning along the Central Coast, the ocean felt cavernous and quiet – too quiet for a place once churned by otters, kelp, and seabirds. California’s wild heart beats through condors over Big Sur, salmon in mountain rivers, and frogs calling in dark timber, yet that pulse is thinning in worrying ways. The ...
