Not so long ago the people – our ancestors – lived in close relationship with the land. They knew the names of the plants, trees, stones, mountains, valleys and streams. They knew the names of the wind and the rain,…
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One of the steps towards building community resilience in the Transition Towns movement is to “Honor the Elders.” When I first learned about this, I thought it meant that we needed to listen carefully to the stories of the old…
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My home, the Point Reyes National Seashore, recently announced plans to control invasive weeds in the park through the use of broad spectrum herbicides, specifically Roundup. They claim that this is the most environmentally appropriate and cost-effective option to restore endangered plants…
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When I took the California Naturalist Training program a few years ago, I focused my capstone project on the problem of non-native invasive plants in the Lagunitas watershed. I had been volunteering for the Salmon Protection and Watershed Network working to restore…
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Not so long ago our people knew how to weave cloth, bake bread, build shelter, forge tools, and grow food. Goods were crafted with care and skill, treasured and re-used. Services were honored and respected. People took pride in their…
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The tule elk in the Point Reyes National Seashore are widely considered a restoration success story, one that is steeped in local controversy. I hiked out to Tomales Point to catch up with one of the herd and get their…
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Somewhere near the top of Mount Tamalpais, in a shady grove of tanoak trees, masked people gather in a circle. Fox. Woodpecker. Moth. Silk flags dance high above their heads, their bright colors flashing against the dark canopy. In the…
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One of the failures of our education system, is that it continues to prepare our children for “business as usual” in a world of endless economic growth. Deep down we all know that the reality is different. Even our children…
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Blue whales are making a comeback in the waters off California, according to a study published in the journal Marine Mammal Science. Apparently their population has rebounded to historic and sustainable levels. An estimated 2,200 California blue whales now swim…
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