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Featured Bay Area Science: An Interview with a Kelp Biologist
Featured 5 Ways Birdwatching Has Changed My Life
Featured Hike a Closed Section of Highway 1 at Devil’s Slide Trail
Featured Enjoy the Stillness of Redwood Stands at Purisima Creek Redwoods Preserve
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Variable Checkerspot caterpillar on an English Plantain at Purisima Redwoods Preserve
Variable Checkerspot caterpillar on an English Plantain at Purisima Redwoods Preserve
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Rock formation at Devil's Slide
Devil's Slide
Sticky Monkeyflower at Devil's Slide

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Hello from the Farallon Islands National Wildlife Refuge☁️ It was a windy morning when we made our way out to the islands from Half Moon Bay. It was approximately 3 hours by boat to reach them and we enjoyed sea lions and seabirds galore on the boat trip out. We reached the islands and found them enclosed in a mist, giving this already magical place an even more ethereal vibe. Common murres, tufted puffins, auklets, and shearwaters dotted the water and the rocks of the famous “devil’s teeth”. If you look closely in the photo, you can see black dots on the face of the rocks. These aren’t patches of vegetation — these are the thousands of common murres and other birds that come to the island each year to nest. This includes the last test single colony of Western gulls on the Southeast Farallon Island and half the world’s (!!!) breeding ashy storm-petrels on the South Farallon Islands (not pictured). This area is a must-see if you are a Bay Area bird watcher. You are not allowed to step foot on the islands without special permission, but the views from our boat were incredible nonetheless. Thank you to Alvaro Jaramillo (of Alvaro’s Adventures), his wonderful bird spotters, and the crew for this fantastic voyage last July!
Lunch break with a view ⛰ The drive alone was worth the visit to King’s Canyon National Park. It was surprisingly quiet when we visited, so we had the grand opportunity to adventure on the roads and enjoy the views in relative peace. We did the 8.1-mile out-and-back Mist Falls trail to get the most out of our first day in the park. Along the way, we saw a radio-collared black bear, a camouflaged rattlesnake on the trail, and gorgeous shimmering granite tables. Truly one of my favorite parks in California, and only 4 hours away (depending on traffic 😉).
Can you spot all the colors of the 🌈 in this photo on Angel Island? This week was pretty rough, so my mind has been wandering to some of my favorite hikes around the Bay Area. Angel Island is one of those spots that gives me inspiration. While visiting the park, we climbed to the top of Mt. Livermore. It was the perfect mix of scenic views and elevation that gets your heart pumping. A bit of natural history fun - there is a subspecies of the broad-footed mole that only lives on Angel Island! We didn’t encounter any Angel Island moles, but it was fun to know that somewhere below our boots was a cool mammal. 🥾 Pictured is a section of the trail with a bridge view and blooming poppies in the foreground.
A flashback to paradise! Pictured is a #golddustdaygecko avidly hunting for small insects in Hilo, Hawai’i. This brightly colored #gecko was treat to watch for its vivid colors and fearless antics while catching inverts. While doing some quick research online, we were surprised to learn from @mauiinvasive that the entire Hawaiian population of this colorful species originated from just 8 individuals released near the University of Hawai’i, Mānoa campus in 1974. Their diet and foraging behavior is understood (omnivorous and hunt during the day, hence “day” gecko); however, their impacts on Hawaiian environments is not yet understood.
Indian paintbrush blooming along the edge of the trail at Salt Point State Park. Dan and I took a trip to the Bodega Bay area in late March 2019. It was my first time visiting. The drive up was winding coastal highways with rolling green hills being grazed by cattle. We arrived at our destination - Salt Point SP - right before sunset. This was just enough time to high-tail it down the trail to enjoy the blooming wildflowers (Indian paintbrush, pictured, and my favorite — lupine!). As we made our way along the hike, we were met with views of a few breaching gray whales. This photo captures the Pacific view and the trail illuminated by the setting sun.
Happy Wednesday, everybody! I hope you’ve had a wonderful week so far and have found time to enjoy the outdoors. Pictured are beautiful coast redwood trees and a blanket of ferns obscuring the trail at Redwood National and State Parks. This isolated part of CA is a ways away from the Bay Area BUT the highway going North along the coast is breathtaking and historical. We took a long weekend nestled up in these woods last July. The entire trip we were in awe of the magic of the foggy trails and old-growth trees. 🌿☁️

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