Natural History Journal

Last fall, I wrote a little bit about the beginning of one of our latest projects , converting our 1,000+ square foot front lawn from a mosaic of Bermuda grass and weeds into a native plant garden.  I'm happy to say that since breaking ground on this project in October, we have made good progress and are already enjoying our first season of manzanita blooms! It's been quite the process, and I hope to use a few blog posts to walk you through the steps we took to turn a large patch of Bermuda grass into a beautiful native plant garden. The first step is planning.  I started dreaming about and planning for this project years ago, though planning in earnest only began a year ago (last winter) when we realized we would be purchasing this particular property. Step 1.  Read, study, research - and dream! I'm sure some folks shudder at the thought of doing research for a garden.  But not me!  I love this part of the process; I love reading, studying, taking notes, makin

Last week, I wrote about a few of my favorite local places to get outdoors and take a walk  in the remaining bits of wild (well, semi-wild) grassland and wetland of California's Great Central Valley.  This week, I had a chance to visit another beautifully preserved piece of our valley at Cosumnes River Preserve , just off I-5 west of Galt.  Access the informative trail map and nature guide  here.   The Preserve consists of over 50,000 acres of diverse habitat, much of which has largely disappeared from the Central Valley.  The seven Partners that own the land are The Nature Conservancy, Bureau of Land Management, California Department of Fish & Wildlife, Sacramento County Regional Parks, Department of Water Resources, Ducks Unlimited, and the California State Lands Commission. Together, they "seek to protect and enhance the habitat within the Cosumnes River Preserve project area, including riparian forest, wetland, vernal pool grassland, oak woodland, riverine, mars

There's really never a bad time to visit California's magnificent coastline.  However, if you visit during the fall, winter and spring months, you will be treated to a wide and varied array of avian species, the numbers of which diminish in the early summer as many species return to distant breeding grounds.  (In other words, head to the coast now!)  The species composition of any given area is constantly in flux, due to the migratory nature of many birds.  This is part of what makes birding fun: Are we expecting to see migratory species today?  Breeding species?  Overwintering species?   While some species only make brief appearances at specific times of the year, others are reliably seen in favorable habitat year-round.  One such resident of our coastline is the Black Oystercatcher ( Haematopus bachmani ). The Black Oystercatcher is certainly a distinct-looking bird!  A year-round resident and breeder on rocky shores of the Pacific Coast from Alaska to Baja, thes

The Great Central Valley is a special place - once you learn where to look!  For years I have lived in the valley, and for nearly as many years believed that in order to experience the wonders of nature, one must drive up to the Sierra (or at least the foothills) or over to the coast.  As it would happen, I was entirely wrong. Yes, the Central Valley has been paved and plowed almost beyond recognition, nearly erasing all traces of its former greatness.  But thanks to several decades of herculean efforts on the part of conservationists in both private and government organizations, a handful of critical habitats have been salvaged from the wreckage of an otherwise decimated valley. Early spring view of the Sousa Marsh from the viewing platform at the end of a short trail, San Luis NWR. A few of these special places are favorite haunts of mine, places I return to year after year, season after season.  They are popular with local birders and naturalists, as well as those who just