Environmental News

Restoring native habitats to at least 20% of the world’s land currently being used by humans for farming, ranching and forestry is necessary to protect biodiversity and slow species loss, according to a newly published study conducted by a team of environmental scientists including us. 

During mating season, the male pin-tailed whydah’s tail can grow to three times its body length, giving it one of the most striking appearances of any wild bird in Southern California.  However, this beautiful African songbird shouldn’t even be in SoCal. 

Monarch butterflies and bee species use ornamental milkweed plants — the kind sold at garden centers — just as much as they use native plants, researchers found.

Outreach coordinator for the California Native Plant Society, Elizabeth Kubey gives families some fun, engaging activities to do with kids while teaching them about the importance of pollinators and how they help our native plants bloom.  It’s never too early to start!

California conservation groups approved a legal agreement this week that will protect a critical wildlife corridor for local mountain lions and other wildlife, fund restoration efforts and ensure implementation of a regional conservation plan. 

Gather your friends and colleagues for a night of trivia all about California’s biodiverse plants and habitats! Join the Zoom session promptly to have a better chance of being crowned champion at the end of the night. 

Although bird brains are tiny, they’re packed with neurons, especially in areas responsible for higher level thinking. Two studies published last month in Science explore the structure and function of avian brains—revealing they are organized similarly to mammals’  and are capable of conscious thought.

A global road map, recently published in Nature, identifies a path to soaking up almost half of the carbon dioxide that has built up since the Industrial Revolution and averting more than 70 percent of the predicted animal and plant extinctions on land. The key? Returning a strategic 30 percent of the world’s farmlands to nature.

Water is essential for all life, but as human populations have grown, water has been harnessed to support people and not nature. 

Scott Logan has documented 400+ animal species in The Gottlieb Native Garden, Susan Gottlieb’s incredible home garden. Join Scott and Susan on this backyard odyssey with beautiful photographs and amazing footage.