Whales and other marine mammals have been sighted recently in abundance off the Central Coast of California-specifically Avila, Pismo and Seal Beaches. Photos and videos of humpback whales surfacing and … Read more
Beth Pratt
Beth Pratt, the California Director for the National Wildlife Federation, has worked in environmental leadership roles for over twenty-five years, and in two of the country’s largest national parks: Yosemite and Yellowstone. Her book, "When Mountain Lions are Neighbors: People and Wildlife Working It Out In California," was published by Heyday Books in April of 2016.
Facing the Reality of Climate Change: My Day With Al Gore
“Nature doesn’t do bailouts.” The former Vice President and Nobel Laureate Al Gore made this simple yet powerful statement to our group after showing us startling images of the devastating … Read more
One man’s quest to chronicle a vanishing glacier in Yosemite
Last week the Petermann Glacier in Greenland made the news for calving a monstrous iceberg the size of Manhattan, with scientists attributing climate change as the catalyst for this startling … Read more
A Picnic with a Pika
Last week I had planned to hike up to the Dana Plateau on the border of Yosemite, one of my most cherished places in the Sierra Nevada. The rock filled … Read more
The Love Song of the Yosemite Toad
“Before the swallow, before the daffodil, and not much later than the snowdrop, the common toad salutes the coming of spring after his own fashion, which is to emerge from … Read more
A Tour of My Backyard Frog Pond for Save the Frogs Day
I’m not sure when my passion for frogs began—as a child of the 70s I’m sure watching Kermit the Frog on the Muppet Show had something to do with my … Read more
What National Junior Ranger Day and Ranger Rick Mean to Me (A Lot)
As a young girl, I continually wandered the forests and riverbanks near my home in Massachusetts searching for frogs and other wildlife. I am a part of the last generation … Read more
Among the Wildflowers: California’s Spring Poppy Bloom
“I care to live only to entice people to look at nature’s loveliness,” said John Muir, and it’s a motto I live by both personally and professionally. As such, I am … Read more
Celebrating California’s Extra-Ordinary Wildlife
California is a land of extremes, containing both the highest and lowest points in the continental United States, with a landscape in between of 100 million acres that boast a … Read more
Mission Desert Tortoise
Going wildlife watching for an animal that spends 98% of their time in a burrow might seem like a futile endeavor, but followers of my blog will also recall I … Read more
