With Covid discouraging many gatherings, nature drew us, both at preserves and in our yard, which has been landscaped for maximum habitat value. Here are my 2021 favorites! …
Stories (and a few Lessons) from our Habitat Yard
As our California native plants grow and expand their footprint in our front and backyard, we’ve noticed increasing numbers of critters. They range from teensy millimeters-long bees to coyotes and foxes. Why are native plants in a habitat garden so important? Here’s a good Audbon article - …
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Helping Our Natural World – Trees, Birds, etc
A version of this is appearing in our local paper - here it is with more photos, and links to resources and other articles I've written As I soak in the early summer wonders of fledgling birds, growing lizards and ripening berries, I also realize that it’s tough times too. Even with that wonderful …
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It’s Springtime…. What to Do with a Found Baby Animal
Note: It's 'I found a baby animal' time! So I'm republishing this 2018 article with a couple updates. Raptor rehabber Kandie Cansler of Bear Paw Ranch Wildlife Rehab, who helped rehabilitate an injured red-shouldered hawk we found, provided the following list of common questions, and …
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Blooming Agave – a Habitat Heaven
Our huge Agave bloomed. In After 11 happy years in our yard, our Agave -- which I thought was a Mr. Ripple but is some kind of Mexican Agave hybrid with rippled edges -- started its shoot last spring. Agave flowering stalks are habitat heavens, so we watched the wildlife parade come through. It …
Favorite Hikes: Mission Creek Preserve for Solitude & Desert Habitat
Looking for a remote and different hiking experience? The Wildlands Conservancy's Mission Creek Preserve outside Desert Hot Springs California features a birder's paradise wetlands surrounded by a healthy desert landscape. In a transition zone, the Preserve contains plants from both the Sonoran and …
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