Ted Sommer is the retired Lead Scientist for California Department of Water Resources. He is currently an Adjunct Fellow with Public Policy Institute of California. My most inspiring bike ride this ...

We’re surrounded by a world of insects that we barely notice. Put on your goggles and get immersed in the riot of colors and ...

Instinct does play a role in nest-building, but so much more seems to be involved. Entwined with instinct are reason, learning, experience, insight, and perhaps even a sense of aesthetics. And when ...

Tiny by volcano standards. The Sutter Buttes are 10 miles wide and poke up 2,000 feet. In classic butte fashion, they are steep on the sides. Nearly all of the rocks out here (and a considerable ...

Perhaps this spring you’ll make it to the coast and find yourself calmed by the waves cresting and crashing ashore, a drama that repeats and repeats. But consider the sea star: relentless pounding as ...

With a little luck we have all found that person, or group of persons, who are regularly game to join, or plan, our outdoor adventures. For me, that friend of almost 30 years, Kristina, is thankfully ...

To the uninformed, they might look like giant puddles left behind by the last winter storm. But the 20 visitors gathered on the lower slopes of Sonoma Mountain on an overcast morning in early March ...

Editor’s note: Due to the popularity of the new preserve, parking at Estero Americano can be difficult. We recommend visiting during the week and carpooling if possible. From a ridge overlooking ...

Coyote Hills Regional Park in Fremont, in February 2026. Christopher Sulots, the park’s supervising naturalist, says in the current March heat wave, “I’m seeing things moving a little faster than they ...

A series on moths and mothing from two Bay Area enthusiasts, Cat Chang and Allen Fish, from our Spring 2026 issue. Best seen on Mount Diablo in mid-spring, when there usually are enough of them flying ...