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Showing posts from December, 2007

Let it glow

Though on vacation, I could not resist posting this photograph (above), which was taken last year. I meant to submit it to the Insane Christmas Lights photo contest , but I missed the Christmas Eve deadline. The photo is of the yard of a dentist office/private residence in Clifton, New Jersey. This year's display is even more spectacular, really. Also, one night, we saw several cars of people walking along the sidewalk abutting the yard to view the display.

Peace and good will on Earth

I am taking an extended vacation to spend time with family, to travel, and to see old friends. Wishing you and yours a peaceful holiday season.

Insect gatherings: monarch winter roosts; honeybees and almond winter pollination

Update: Monarch at Natural Bridges Thank you to reader Susan S. for the photograph of the monarch butterfly (above). The butterfly in the photograph in the original post (below) is a swallowtail. Cell-phone towers have been discounted as a factor in honeybee population decline! I was relieved to read this statement written by Michael Pollan in today's New York Times magazine article titled "Our Decrepit Food Factories." One fine summer day, while waiting for my clothes to dry, I was scolded for talking on my cell phone. The antagonist in this story berated me for my role in killing honeybees. I have experienced guilt about my behavior until today, but now I have something new to feel guilty about - eating monoculture-grown almonds. February, on almond farms in California's Central Valley, is described as "the world's greatest 'pollination event.'" According to Pollan, honeybee Colony Collapse Disorder can be attributed to the im

Planting bird niches

This post is the first in an occasional series about birds and providing bird habitat where you live. You might have a 1950s middle-class yard, a community garden plot, a balcony or stoop, or a street tree lawn in front of your dwelling. The information will generally reflect the fact that I live in a suburban city with a limited yard and a front stoop. Several years ago I wrote a research essay about species diversity and abundance along the urbanization gradient. Although I've been interested in birds for many years (I was involved with the design of the Ivy Narrow Bird Sanctuary in New Haven, Connecticut), I am an amateur birder. I am green in more ways than one! Our yard space, though quite limited, hosts several bird species, of which I can definitively identify Anna's hummingbird and blue jay. The birds primarily congregate in the southeast area of the yard which is planted with trees and shrubs. This is also where our table and living room are located; great viewi

From table salt to salt marsh

Birds are in the news again, but this time the news is good. In 2003, state and federal agencies purchased approximately 15,000 acres of South Bay salt ponds from Cargill Salt Company. One of the company's products is table salt. (In 1979, the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge was established on active salt ponds owned by Cargill.) In contrast to the significantly negative effects of last month's oil spill on waterfowl in the Bay, the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project will provide expanded wildlife habitat in addition to wildlife viewing and recreational trails and flood protection. Recently, SF Chronicle reporter, Jane Kay, highlighted some of the restoration project actions . The map below provides an overview of pond property ownership; blue indicates California Fish and Game, green indicates US Fish and Wildlife, yellow indicates sale to local agencies, the remaining colors represent Cargill property rights. Visit the project web site for

Tree Walk Wednesday: the ultimate green gift

This year we decided to give trees for holiday gifts. Disclosure: we fell in love with Heifer's animal program and the ease of their web site interface. For many family members, we donated animals on their behalf. We also gave two shares of seedlings through Heifer. Before we decided on Heifer we researched urban forestry nonprofits with tree gift programs. We intended to donate to tree organizations in cities in which relatives live. We have family in Berkeley, but Berkeley does not host an urban forestry nonprofit, so we considered San Francisco's Friends of the Urban Forest (FUF) Green Christmas and Holiday Tree Tribute programs. (Read Ron Sullivan and Joe Eaton's article about FUF's Green Christmas program .) Other Bay Area tree gift programs include the Sacramento Tree Foundation Tribute Giving, San Jose's Our City Forest Memorial Dedication Gift and Tree Gift Dedication programs, and Palo Alto's Canopy Tree Planting Gift program. Most of our fa

Mobility etceteras

Several months ago I read about Walk Score via Jen at Walking Berkeley . Today, via Best Green Blogs , I discovered another way to score my neighborhood. I mapped my 2 mile bike-shed on the 2 Mile Challenge web site . The challenge, sponsored by Clif Bar, a former Berkeley company (read more about businesses leaving Berkeley ), encourages you to bike for most of your trips within a - yes - 2 mile radius of home (or work for that matter). My workplace is at the southern edge of my bike-shed and I do bike to my office. Berkeley Aquatic Park is within my bike-shed and I've ridden to the park. The Tilden Golf Course is at the northeasterly most edge of my bike-shed, but I cannot imagine biking up those steep roads! There are a lot of parks within my bike-shed compared to the 1/4-mile (or neighborhood) radius from my home. The challenge web site located 3 parks within my map, one of which is a car parking company. Where are Tilden, Claremont Canyon, Aquatic and Willard Parks?

The New Deal lives on in the East Bay

Genoa and 56th Street, Oakland Gray Brechin gave an excellent presentation on the New Deal public landscape in Berkeley on Wednesday evening. The talk was well attended and well received. I had heard Gray talk about New Deal projects before, but Wednesday's night talk provided more detail about Berkeley and the East Bay. For those interested in the New Deal and the public spaces that were created, visit The Living New Deal websites ( original and new ). The premise behind project is that the public spaces built during the New Deal era are not recognized as such. For example, according to Gray Brechin, 3 billion trees were planted by members of the Civilian Conservation Corps or CCC. These trees comprise some of the inventory of our national forests and parks. The Broward County Library in Florida refers to the CCC as the "New Deal's depression-era ecological movement"! Note the sidewalk repair on the right What is the New Deal inventory in Berkeley and t

East Bay edibles and drinkables

I've been meaning to list local edibles-related companies, but it took the closure of Bison Brewing - located in my neighborhood - to write the post! Bison has relocated to 3rd and Linden in Oakland. Linden Street Brewing is located on Linden Street. Uptown from both breweries is Pacific Coast Brewing Company in Old Oakland. Although Power Bar and Clif Bar did not bake their bars in Berkeley, both companies moved their offices out of Berkeley to Glendale and Alameda, respectively. Active Berkeley companies include Scharffen Berger and four breweries: Jupiter, Triple Rock, Pyramid, and Trumer Pils. Berkeley is also home to the Acme and Grace Bread Companies. Is Tofu Yu, the soy beanery, made in Berkeley? In addition to its breweries, Oakland's edibles and drinkables list includes Numi Tea, JC and Dashe Cellars, and Food Mill Peanut Butter. Similar to energy bar producers Power Bar and Clif Bar, Haagen Dazs and Dreyers have corporate offices in Oakland, but not thei

Walking along the bay

Last week the smell of oil stained the air by the rail tracks at Gilman. We wanted to see if the effects of the oil spill were visible at Caesar Chavez Park and the marina. Also, it was a gorgeous day, like New England fall weather: bright and sunny with a nip to the wind. Enjoy a short slide show and video of some of what we saw. Towards the end of our walk along the bay this afternoon, the sound of the waves against the rocks reminded me of the Otis Redding classic (Sittin' On) the Dock of the Bay (see below). Listen to a sample of the song on the Otis Redding website. The lyrics are available on Lyrics Depot. Video taken on the walkway outside Skates Restaurant