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Monterey Bay Aquarium sits where the old Hovden Sardine Cannery used to operate, at the end of Ocean Avenue in Monterey, now called Cannery Row.  School children and adults crowd the Aquarium daily. Exhibits display native and exotic species of fish, mammals, invertebrates and plants. One small exhibit, strategically placed in the front atrium, offers...
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How did the Tasmanian Blue Gum Eucalyptus, a tree from Australia, come to dominate the Bay area landscape? The story begins in the 19th century, soon after the gold rush, when thousands of settlers needed wood to build and fuel the city. At that time, settlers were logging oaks and redwood at an alarming rate....
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Happy Isles in Yosemite was the site of a massive rock slide in 1996. Today you can see the remains of the rockfall in boulders, broken trees, and disrupted landscape. One trunk, still standing but broken and hollowed, reminded me of “Spire”, Andy Goldsworthy’s artwork in San Francisco’s Presidio. Spire is a carefully constructed tapered...
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Last week we hiked and backpacked in Yosemite with an able and informative guide, Kari. In 3 days we hiked 24 miles along the Pohono, Panorama, and the John Muir Trails, and camped for 2 nights. Our route started at the Tunnel View trailhead, with a steep uphill climb over a rocky (Kari called it...
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In 1769 Spanish explorers mapped a small island at the entrance to San Francisco Bay, and called it Alcatraces after the abundant seabirds sighted there. By 1850, the island sported a defensive fortress, and the Bay’s first lighthouse. As the US military arrived and settled, the birds left, sensing they were no longer welcome. It...
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