IN THIS ISSUE

Coastal Air
The foundations of ecological science had yet to be formalized when John Muir wrote: “When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything in the universe.” That often-quoted observation was a poetic way to describe the complex connectivity that is the essence of the science of ecology. More...

Making Space for an Endangered Snake--and More People Too
With its white, black, and orange-red dorsal stripes, bright turquoise belly, and orange-red head--not to mention its red tongue and black lips--the San Francisco garter snake (Thamnophis sirtalis tetrataenia) is considered one of the most beautiful snakes in North America, if not the world. More...

The Delta as Wilderness
Ronn Patterson’s Delphinus had just passed the latest rigorous U.S. Coast Guard inspection, and he was free to relax a bit in the cozy cabin. This year’s season of Delta tours was over, most of the migrating birds had already flown north to their breeding grounds, and soon Ronn too would be heading that way. Each year for the past 27 years he has spent summers in Alaska, leading natural history trips along the southeastern coast. More...

Mare Island
Few people know much about Mare Island even though it’s only 35 miles from San Francisco, was once the largest military shipyard on the West Coast, and is officially a National Historic Landmark. More...

Looking for the Lighthouse
When Su Corbaley was growing up, her father, Len, used to tell stories about the old Mare Island Lighthouse and their ancestor Kate McDougal, who was lightkeeper there for 36 of its 44 years. More...

A Walk at Palo Corona
One day in late April, I decided to go for a walk in the park. Not just any park, of course. The open space that grabbed my attention is the 4,350-acre Palo Corona Regional Park, created in 2004 south of Carmel, with an entrance right on Highway One. More...

Coming Soon:

This summer’s fires may be a taste of bigger and hotter ones to
come--How ready are we? . . . . Unpaving Los Angeles, chip by chip, to save water . . . . Prescription drug disposal programs run afoul of federal drug agency rules, leaving citizens holding bags of old meds . . . . In the forest with spotted owls and a man who knows them well . . . .  Where to lay your blanket on the sand in Malibu.

Check out Our Previous Issue:

Chronic Ocean Noise--The huge cargo ships that haul ever-increasing loads of goods across the world’s oceans pose an insidious threat to marine life . . . . Ants! . . . . Muir Woods Revival--Habitat stewardship in one of our most popular national parks . . . . Zeke Grader: Champion of fish and those who catch them . . . . A great hike near Carmel. Click here for the previous issue.

Wheelchair Guides Available:

A Wheelchair Rider's Guide to San Francisco Bay and the Nearby Coast (2006) and A Wheelchair Rider's Guide to the Los Angeles and Orange County Coast (2001) are available free of charge. For PDF versions or to order print copies, contact the Coastal Conservancy. To view the book cover, Click here.

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