Nature + Climate Crisis

This Is Such a *Wild* Weather Radar Picture of San Francisco
Hyperlocal News + Stories, Nature + Climate Crisis

This Is Such a *Wild* Weather Radar Picture of San Francisco

An intact tropical storm system descended on the SF Bay Area on March 21st, bringing with it textbook behavior and astonishing satellite imagery. San Francisco saw nearly hurricane-level winds this week that blew windows off buildings, sofas off porches, and cause more trees than we can shake a stick at (pun intended) to fall across the seven-by-seven. It just feels like we can’t get an atmospheric break these days; yet another weather event is likely to descend on the SF Bay Area next week — bringing with it even more winds, even more rain, and even more seasonal depression. If anything, these past few months have proved we *really couldn’t make it* living in Portland or Seattle. Infrastructure-shattering gusts aside, what was perhaps the most spellbinding radar imagery eve...
San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park Has Hella Secrets
Culture + Travel, Nature + Climate Crisis

San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park Has Hella Secrets

Spoiler alert: There may be a Nessie in SF's Stow Lake. And bison numbered in the hundreds at Golden Gate Park. San Francisco is a bastion of weird-ass shit, a cornucopia of Muni missteps and quirky, out-of-sight gems. But one of the city’s most well-known and Instagrammed locations, Golden Gate Park, has its own share of historical weirdness to add to the misfit melting pot. Let’s take a walk down memory lane and shine a spotlight on some of the park’s most interesting historical footnotes and facts. A 60-foot cross is (somewhere) behind the foliage at Rainbow Falls In 1894, the Prayerbook Cross — an enormous sandstone cross inscribed with English excerpts from the first sermon of the Book of Common Prayer in California — was given to the city as a gift from the Church of En...
An Ode to Winter Fog in San Francisco
Essays, Nature + Climate Crisis

An Ode to Winter Fog in San Francisco

March 20th is officially the last day of the astronomical winter for 2023. So let’s take some time to wax poetic about San Francisco’s omnipresent atmospheric anomaly.  On what’s the last day of winter, there’s a sense of nostalgia that wraps around San Francisco’s fog this time of year. Sure, “Fogust” is a thing — something I’ve looked forward to since arriving in this city. Grays contrast verdant evergreens. Hugs red still; reflects soft moonlight; greets you with a familiar cool leaving your building.  San Francisco’s winter fog is a constant that we can rely on. In a world rife with impermanence and volatility and unwanted happenstance, it’s a consoling presence. Something akin to a text from a childhood friend, whom you speak to a few times a year. A hug from a passed loved on...
(Most of) the SF Bay Area Is Drought-Free. But That’s Not All.
Hyperlocal News + Stories, Nature + Climate Crisis

(Most of) the SF Bay Area Is Drought-Free. But That’s Not All.

The recent onslaught of rain has been both good and bad, across the board. Teetering on the better side: California's major water reservoirs are in their comeback era. Hallelujah: For the first time in over three years, the San Francisco Bay Area is not experiencing any drought levels. 44% of California now also falls in that same drought-free category. The most recent atmosphere river dropped inches of rain across California, all while sending 50-plus mph winds across San Francisco; residential buildings saw panes of glass fall hundreds of feet to the ground; a local beer company took the heavy winds to produce some *chef’s kiss* social media content that surely attracted customers. As a result, drought conditions that have plagued the Golden State continue their path to improvemen...
FYI: This Surreal Victorian in SF’s Dolores Heights Is Stunnin’
Culture + Travel, Nature + Climate Crisis

FYI: This Surreal Victorian in SF’s Dolores Heights Is Stunnin’

Constructed in 1900, the house was among the few residential homes in San Francisco to survive the 1906 earthquake Don’t get us wrong, we love Alamo Square Parks’s Painted Ladies. (This drone footage that goes inside the sister at 712 Steiner street has only deepened our fascination with the city’s architectural landmarks.) However, more often than not, they hog the spotlight away from other residential gems in San Francisco — like the gorgeous John Welsh-designed flats at Capp and 22nd streets. Case in point: Y’all ever hear about or seen the fantastically blue, 121-year-old Victorian at 3919 20th Street? We hadn’t. But that all changed though, thanks to Instagram’s algorithm. Looks like one of the neighbors also found the home’s blue paint scheme attrac...
A Lil’ Rundown on San Francisco’s Invasive Flora and Fauna
Hyperlocal News + Stories, Nature + Climate Crisis

A Lil’ Rundown on San Francisco’s Invasive Flora and Fauna

The SF Bay Area’s alien animal and plant neighbors are as diverse as the city's residents... and didn't chase six-figure salaries to get here. San Francisco’s green spaces and waterfronts are crammed with a myriad of flora and fauna. We have seals, native dolphins, whales, and even the breathtaking San Francisco garter snake slithering south of SOMA. Not too long ago, there was even a gator living its best life in Presidio’s Mountain Lake. Interestingly, most of the beautiful species we San Franciscans see on a daily basis didn’t come from here. San Francisco Bay has one of the highest concentrations of invasive species anywhere in the world. And as a self-knighted ecologist, I’ve always found this San Francisco quirk interesting—and sometimes worrisome. Let’s get to know some of ou...
5 SF Bay Area Trails to Hike That Are Painted With Wildflowers
Culture + Travel, Nature + Climate Crisis

5 SF Bay Area Trails to Hike That Are Painted With Wildflowers

"Hey Siri, play 'Flowers' by Miley Cyrus." Because we can think of no better way to start an SF Bay Area hike that's brimming with wildflowers. Yes, reader: It’s nearing that time of the year to don your floral getups to color coordinate with the thriving flora around you. Given the amount of rain we've received thus far — with more of it on the way, very soon — it's going to be a golden year for wildflower walks in the region. You know... once the ground has dried and is conducive to walking. Here in the Bay Area, our temperate climate and nutrient-dense soils give way to some of the most awe-inspiring blooms anywhere in the country. In fact: Our slice of Northern California is no stranger to super bloom events — much like the one that happened in Half Moon Bay back in 2021, brimm...
Parts of California Are Drought-Free. It’s Great News for NorCal Wildlife.
Hyperlocal News + Stories, Nature + Climate Crisis

Parts of California Are Drought-Free. It’s Great News for NorCal Wildlife.

Salmon are thriving; bald eagles are perching; the San Francisco garter snakes are vibing. The increasing snowpacks around northern and southern California, which caused a *wild* avalanche that was captured by a driver near Palm Springs this week,  coupled with more rain showers in lower elevations has been very good for the parched state. For the first time in years, there are now parts of California that are experiencing no drought conditions. Per the U.S. National Drought Monitor, most of the coastal areas in the southern and middle parts of California are completely drought-free, as are the Sierras and other high-elevation areas that have received record-breaking snowpacks as of late. Even for us here in the Bay Area, the most recent spat of storms has completely moved us out of “m...
Someone Filmed a Giant Octopus Hunting Inside a NorCal Tidepool
Nature + Climate Crisis

Someone Filmed a Giant Octopus Hunting Inside a NorCal Tidepool

Spoiler alert: It didn't end too well for the fish — but it's another example of just how much awe-inspiring nature surrounds Northern California. The Northern California coastline houses among the most biologically diverse tidepools anywhere along the pacific. There are thousands of species documented within these temporary pools, many of which offer spectacular hunting grounds for predatory marine life… like cephalopods. The giant Pacific octopus— the largest known octopus species in the world, capable of reaching lengths of over 15 feet and weighing in excess of 110 pounds — calls the NorCal coastline home. Much like other species of octopus, they use their uncanny, surprising ability to move on dry land to pursue prey trapped in tidepools during low tide, going from one pool to the...
SF’s Golden Gate Bridge Had Hurricane-Level Winds Yesterday
Hyperlocal News + Stories, Nature + Climate Crisis, News to Know

SF’s Golden Gate Bridge Had Hurricane-Level Winds Yesterday

This week's strong winds in San Francisco toppled trees in SoMa, snatched scones out of hands, and caused other headaches throughout the city. Tuesday, February 21st, was one of the windiest days in the Bay Area… in years. According to the SF Bay Area chapter of the National Weather Service, wind gusts in excess of 35 mph were common in virtually every Bay Area county yesterday; wind speeds above 60 mph were recorded by SFO and parts of the East Bay. Yesterday’s windstorms were so intense that buildings surrendered parts of their facades — pieces of construction that fell down to the sidewalks below, damaging cars and causing general mayhem. Trees bent like wet popsicle sticks, with one fallen tree leaving massive traffic delays near the Bay Bridge. But as powerful as those ...