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Beth Pratt is NWF's California Director and loves frogs, pika and wandering in the backcountry of Yosemite National Park. She has worked in environmental leadership roles for over twenty years, and in two of the country’s largest national parks: Yosemite and Yellowstone. Before joining NWF in 2011, she worked on sustainability and climate change programs for Xanterra Parks & Resorts in Yellowstone as its Director of Environmental Affairs. Prior to her role in Yellowstone, for nine years she served as Vice President/CFO for the non-profit Yosemite Association. Beth lives outside of Yosemite with four dogs, two cats, and the many frogs who frequent her backyard frog pond.
Peter Coyote's wildlife-friendly yard welcomes foxes and other animals. (Photo by Peter Coyote)

What Lives in Peter Coyote’s Backyard?

5/15/2013 // Beth Pratt

Yes, his namesake animal does wander into Peter Coyote’s backyard, along with a diverse array of critters including skunks, gray foxes, raccoons, and birds galore. His wild menagerie (complemented with two personable cats, Jackson and Pearl) attests to his lifelong… Read more >

Curious Pacific chorus frog near Tioga Pass in Yosemite

My Top 10 Frog Photos for Save the Frogs Day

4/27/2013 // Beth Pratt

Regular readers of my blog know frogs rank as one of my favorite animals (right above pika and wolves, although all animals are really my favorite). Frogs have fascinated me for my entire life–as a young girl, I built special… Read more >

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National Wildlife Federation celebrates Earth Day with donation for San Francisco Porpoises

4/18/2013 // Beth Pratt

When I last reported on our new Return of the Porpoise to San Francisco Bay project, I had just finished running around San Francisco and the Bay Area impersonating a cetacean for our campaign video. I have to admit, dancing… Read more >

Since January 2013, more than 1,100 California sea lion pups have beached themselves along the coast. Photo:National Marine Mammal Foundation

California sea lion strandings alarm scientists

4/8/2013 // Beth Pratt

California sea lions, a regular fixture alongside many areas of the Golden State’s 1,100 mile coastline, are known for their playful dog-like antics and social manner. Tourists from all over the globe visit Fisherman’s Wharf, Point Lobos, the Channel Islands… Read more >

Yosemite's great gray owl population was recognized as a distinctive subspecies in 2010. (photo by Joe Medley)

Give a Hoot for Yosemite’s Great Gray Owl

3/22/2013 // Beth Pratt

This year’s theme for National Wildlife Week, “Branching Out for Wildlife,” celebrates trees and their importance to wildlife and people. In California, we couldn’t think of a more remarkable—or more rare—tree dweller to feature than Yosemite’s great gray owls. Why… Read more >

Sutro Sam, the first river otter in San Francisco in fifty years (photo by Mila Zinkova)

Sutro Sam: San Francisco’s Celebrity River Otter

3/3/2013 // Beth Pratt

“There he is!” exclaimed an onlooker as the otter’s head peered above the water. The patient crowd gathered around Sutro Baths—the ruins of a 19th century public bathing pool on the Pacific Coast—had been awaiting the appearance of “Sutro Sam,”… Read more >

Sea otter in pup relaxing in Morro Bay (photo by Beth Pratt)

Marine Mammal Mania!

2/25/2013 // Beth Pratt

Along California’s 840 miles of coastline, you can view a wonderful array of marine mammals. And the sightings recently have been unprecedented, from what might be the largest pod of gray whales ever spotted off the coast of Palos Verdes… Read more >

porpoise ranger rick gg

The Porpoises Who Left Their Hearts in San Francisco

2/11/2013 // Beth Pratt

Tony Bennett isn’t the only one to leave his heart in San Francisco. After an absence of over 65 years, the harbor porpoise recently returned to frolic in the waters of San Francisco Bay. When walking across the Golden Gate… Read more >

Wish They All Could Be California Squirrels…

1/21/2013 // Beth Pratt

Happy Squirrel Appreciation Day! California is home to ten species of these cute and mischievous critters, including the state’s namesake animal: the California Ground Squirrel. In celebration of Squirrel Appreciation Day, here are some California squirrel stories that show why… Read more >

Blonde bomber being released on Rodeo Beach. Photo by Ingrid Overgard – The Marine Mammal Center.

Top Ten California Wildlife Moments 2012

12/31/2012 // Beth Pratt

California is home to a remarkable array of wildlife, from the grey whales swimming in its coastal waters, to the sandhill cranes soaring over the Central Valley, to the bighorn sheep roaming its mountains and deserts. As a result, the… Read more >