Giants Fallen: The Destruction of Converse Basin Grove and its Giant Sequoias

The true tragic story of one of the worst environmental crimes in California history. The stump of a Giant Sequoia at Converse Grove in California. (Photo: National Park Service) California has faced its share of environmental calamities. We’ve experienced wildfires that have denuded the landscape, destroying valuable forests and homes, and taking human lives. Oil spills have soiled coastlines…

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Julia Platt: The Unwavering Force Behind Monterey's Ecological Conservation

This transformational figure was Julia Platt, whose contributions were instrumental in the conservation efforts that led to the revival of Monterey's natural and economic landscape.

Monterey Bay (Photo: Erik Olsen) In the 18th century, when Spanish and French explorers ventured along the northern California coast they encountered Monterey Bay and marveled at the astonishing ecological abundance of this 25-mile wide bite mark in the land. The shores buzzed with the lively interactions of sea birds, sea otters played amidst the luxuriant kelp beds, and the waters teemed with…

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JPL and the Voyager Golden Record: Humanity’s A Cosmic Mixtape in Space

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in La Canada Flintridge, California is well-known for building and sending spacecraft far into the cosmos to help us better understand the universe. But the agency was also extensively involved in one of the most ambitious and symbolic projects in the history of space exploration, one that in many ways was more art than science: the Voyager Golden Record. In…

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Rocks in Motion: Pinnacles National Park, the Geological Odyssey of Thomas Dibblee Jr. and California's Dynamic Terrain

Pinnacles National Park (NPS) Pinnacles National Park’s wide landscape of dramatic rock formations and craggy spires looks otherworldly, especially in golden hour light. But few people who visit the park, located in Central California, southeast of the San Francisco Bay Area, are aware that the rock formations were once at the center of one of the most fierce debates in the history of California…

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Feathers on the Flyway: Unraveling Avian Mysteries at Bear Divide with the Moore Lab

Western tanager – Moore Lab of Zoology Saddled in the rugged terrain of the San Gabriel mountains in Southern California lies a natural, ornithological marvel: Bear Divide, a vital corridor for the annual migration of numerous bird species. The divide is a small dip in the otherwise impregnable San Gabriel mountains, allowing birds in the midst of their migration to pass through safely at…

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Mysteries Etched in Earth: Unraveling the Secrets of the Blythe Intaglios, California's Nazca Lines

Blythe Intaglio of a human figure in Southern California (Wikipedia) In the vast expanses of California’s Colorado Desert, less than four hours from Los Angeles, a series of ancient and enigmatic figures etched into the earth—the Blythe Intaglios—have long puzzled anthropologists and captivated the imagination of those who visit them or view them from the sky. They were brought to modern…

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Islands of Insight: Unraveling the Mysteries of Island Biogeography in California's Channel Islands

The Channel Islands, located as close as 40 miles off the coast of Southern California are a hidden gem, an enchanting archipelago where the rush of modern life gives way to the soothing rhythms of nature. In addition to an abundance of natural beauty, this cluster of eight islands, often referred to as the “Galápagos of North America,” provides a unique stage where isolation and diverse…

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The Enigmatic Island Fox: A Tale of Survival and Conservation

Nature Conservancy In the rugged, isolated beauty of California’s Channel Islands, a small, curious creature scampers through the chapparal, playing a crucial role in the archipelago’s ecosystem. It’s the Island Fox (Urocyon littoralis), a species that encapsulates both the vulnerability and resilience of island ecosystems. The island fox only lives on six of the eight Channel Islands off the…

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Salt to Salvation: The Desalination Revolution in California's Drought Battle

With visibly low water conditions shown in this photograph taken at Shasta Lake in Shasta County, a section of shoreline and some of the marina at Bridge Bay are visible on a day when storage was 1,469,736 AF (Acre Feet) which was 32% of total capacity Photo taken October 13, 2022. Andrew Innerarity / California Department of Water Resources. Water, water, every where, nor any drop to drink.  —…

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Chromatics and Cognition: The Intriguing World of the California Two-Spot Octopus

California Two Spot Octopus (Photo: Erik Olsen) The California two-spot octopus, Octopus bimaculoides, is a marine creature that not only captivates with its intelligence but also serves as a window into the complex tapestry of cephalopod behavior and genomics. Often found nestled in the nooks of the Pacific coastline from Central California to Baja, these octopuses have garnered attention for…

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Frontiers of Discovery: SLAC's Mission to Unveil the Mysteries of Matter and the Cosmos

The BaBar Detector at SLAC with physicist Michael Kelsey inside wearing a red hard hat, 2002. (Peter Ginter/SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory) Part one of a multi-part series on the many scientific institutions in California making ground-breaking discoveries across all fields of science. By some estimates, California has the most scientific-focused, cutting-edge institutions of any place on…

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Roadcut Revelations: Unearthing Deep History Along the Highway

Roadcut in Southern California on Angeles Crest Highway (Photo: Erik Olsen) Roadcuts in California, those slices through hills and mountainsides made during the construction of roads, are like open books to geologists. They reveal the intricate and often dramatic geological history of the state. When you drive along the highways of California, you’re likely to pass by these exposed cliffs of…

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The Mystical Sentinels of the Mojave: Unraveling the Secrets of the Joshua Tree

Standing tall against the backdrop of the sun-scorched Mojave Desert, the Joshua Tree (Yucca brevifolia) is an emblematic figure of resilience and beauty. With its twisted, bristled limbs reaching towards the sky, this iconic species is not just a tree but a symbol of the untamed wilderness that is California’s desert landscape. The Joshua Tree’s biology is as unique as its silhouette. It’s…

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Underground Fury: The 1985 Methane Blast That Rocked Los Angeles and Rerouted Its Subways

A 1985 methane explosion in L.A.’s Fairfax district turned a Ross Dress for Less into a disaster scene. Photo by Dean Musgrove, courtesy of the Herald-Examiner Collection – Los Angeles Public Library. In the heart of Los Angeles, on a seemingly ordinary spring day in 1985, a sudden explosion tore through the Ross Dress for Less store at the corner of 3rd Street and Fairfax Avenue. This wasn’t an…

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Giants of the Golden Coast: The Majestic Saga of California's Elephant Seals

Elephant seal in California. With its distinctive trunk-like snout, the California elephant seal is a curious spectacle against the backdrop of California’s iconic beaches. Found in several iconic spots up the coast, the elephant seal is named for the trunk-like proboscis sported by mature males and its gargantuan size. Even after we consider the animal’s unique appearance, the elephant seal is…

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Journey to the Iron Giant: NASA's Psyche Mission Could Unlock the Secrets of a Metallic World

The Psyche spacecraft in the clean room of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in La Canada Flintridge, CA A NOVEL PROPULSION SYSTEM WILL TAKE US TO A MASSIVE METAL ASTEROID IN DEEP SPACE Imagine being able to move your car with your breath. One long blow out the back window, and your car begins speeding down the highway. Now imagine that if you keep blowing, your car accelerates to over 124,000…

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Autumn's Alchemy: Unveiling the Science Behind California's High Sierra Fall Foliage

Fall colors changing in the Eastern Sierra (Photo: Erik Olsen) Ah, the changing of the leaves—a hallmark of autumn that heralds the end of long summer days and the arrival of crisp, cool weather. The spectacle is especially captivating in the high Sierra region of California, where deciduous trees put on a breathtaking show every year. This year’s show began in early October with an explosion of…

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