Photo by Cleve Nash:            Bobcat

Photo by Cleve Nash:              Bobcat

Photo by Alan Schmierer:    
Snowy Egrets

Peregrine Falcon image on banner by Cleve Nash

A Bird's Eye View by Mike Stiles

The California Condor once ranged over the entire west coast and east into Florida and even into New York. Because of climate change and the loss of the large Pleistocene mammal food supply, and even due to native Americans collecting the birds for ceremonial purposes, the large birds were pushed back into a fraction of their historical range, the mountains of southern California.  Read More

Elfin Forest by Jean Wheeler

Join Evan Albright, an animal track expert, in learning who is "tracking up" the Elfin Forest. Evan will demonstrate how to tell the front feet from the back feet of a raccoon, and what the difference is between coyote tracks and dog tracks. Visitors will learn to look for other signs that a wild resident of the Elfin Forest has passed that way, such as hairs on a fence or "scoot" marks where the animal squeezed through a fence hole. This walk will open up a complex world of the Elfin Forest's inhabitants, one that we would never suspect while walking along the boardwalk. Read More 

Eye on the Estuary by the Morro Bay National Estuary Program

The Morro Bay National Estuary Program welcomes Adrienne Harris as its new program director.  The Estuary Program is a collaborative partnership of local citizens, businesses, government agencies, and non-profits working together to protect and restore the Morro Bay Estuary and watershed. Read More

Marine Sanctuaries by Carol Georgi

Microcystin, a potent liver toxin produced by freshwater bacteria, is entering the ocean and polluting the nearshore ecosystem, resulting in the deaths of at least 21 southern California sea otters. It also poses a health threat to humans. Microcystin poisoning can cause adverse effects in fish, animals, and humans. Read More

Nature's Voice by Michele Oksen

A new year offers a great occasion to focus on transition from one stage of personal development to another. Sounds simple right? Just decide to change and, "poof," out pops perfection. No fuss, no muss. We wish. More like, "poof," out pops a pimple from all the stress of trying to be perfect. Patience with oneself, as well as others, is important during this process. Change can be challenging. Read More

Ocean Creatures by Carol Georgi

Sea otters are indicators of the health of California's nearshore ocean ecosystem.  Sea otters eat, sleep, mate, and are born and raised in the water. Bundled in dense fur, they live in the nearshore ocean or estuary during their 10-20 years of life. As such, they are exposed to many of the same diseases and toxins as humans. Therefore, their health is an indicator of how clean the water is while we surf, swim, dive, kayak, and enjoy eating local seafood.  Read More

Photo by Kevin Cole:      
F emale Elephant Seals in
dispute over space .

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