Environmental News

A curated set of environmental news stories brought to you by the Gottlieb Native Garden team.

How to Do a Bird Sit

A bird sit routine can be an anchor in your life, especially during turbulent times. The practice is like an outdoor meditation, with a focus on birds.

California red-legged frogs returned to historic range in Southern California

International partnership leads translocation, model for climate interventions

Innovative birds are less vulnerable to extinction

Ability to adopt new feeding techniques and food sources linked to reduced risk of extinction

What to plant in your urban garden for the birds, bees and butterflies

Landscape architect April Owens is on a mission to encourage people to think about their own yards, however grand or small, as way stations for winged wildlife.

Pollinator Connection: Be safe, bee home

Having a home, no matter the species, is so important — a home you know is always there, fits your size and your lifestyle, and keeps you and your family safe.

Where Two Deserts Meet

Two distinct desert ecosystems, the Mojave and the Colorado, come together in Joshua Tree National Park. A fascinating variety of plants and animals make their homes in a land sculpted by strong winds and occasional torrents of rain. Dark night skies, a rich cultural history, and surreal geologic features add to the wonder of this vast wilderness in southern California. Come explore for yourself.

Everything You Need To Know About Feathers

From the fluffy down on a swan chick to the brilliant spiral on a King Bird-of-Paradise tail, feathers are remarkable not just in the way they look to the naked eye, but also for their intricate microstructure. 

Innovative birds have an evolutionary advantage

According to the research team led by McGill University, birds with innovative foraging strategies have a better chance of long-term survival.   They also found that bird species with the capacity to develop new feeding techniques were less vulnerable to environmental changes that threaten their populations. 

In the Mountains and Deserts of Utah, Columbia Spotted Frogs Are Sentinels of Climate Change

Mormon pioneers saw the frogs as messengers of clean water. Now, their survival is jeopardized by habitat loss, drought and soaring heat.

This Brutal Pesticide Creates a ‘Circle of Death.’ So Why Is It Making a Comeback?

Carbofuran, a century-old chemical, is increasingly being weaponized against birds and other wildlife, decimating entire food webs.