A program that pays rice farmers to create wetland habitats is a rare conservation win.
California
Befriending wildfire
A new book from Obi Kaufmann illustrates the reciprocal connection between California ecosystems and fire.
The downballot issues driving the West’s 2024 elections
From climate and public lands to shifting political allegiances, the region faces critical choices at the ballot box.
Audio: What do we really learn from trail cams?
Documenting wildlife can bring us back to nature.
The California Forever debate moves underground
A billionaire-backed company will continue sowing support, while residents weigh their options.
What happens when a concrete jungle becomes a ‘sponge city’
Engineering for flood resilience can address storms heightened by climate change.
The scrappy store that gave me everything when I had nothing
Before its demise, the 99 Cents Only chain fed generations of families across four states.
What a 9,000-mile butterfly migration taught me about queer survival
‘Painted ladies’ go through extraordinary journeys, kindred to that of many LTBTQ+ people.
Kinkajous, coprolites and geothermal jamborees
Mishaps and mayhem from around the region.
The hunt for a great third place
The significance of discovering a place with charm, wit and different flavors of personality.
After losing his sight, the Tijuana River Estuary offered other ways to see
Ron Peterson, a volunteer at the estuary, now leads nature walks presenting a unique way to experience the wetlands.
As cities enact camping bans, where will California’s unhoused population go?
The number of people experiencing homelessness vastly exceeds the number of available shelter beds in the state.
Banning concentrated feedlots is on the ballot in Sonoma
Locals worry what this could mean for a region dominated by agritourism.
After historic floods, the safety net failed small farmers
Climate disasters are killing the largest subset of California farms. Government programs are too.
The inequity of heat
Extreme heat doesn’t discriminate; the ability to escape it does.
Fur-class travel, wonderful whippets, delinquent donkeys and a white buffalo
Mishaps and mayhem from around the region.
California’s Park Fire rekindles trauma from previous blazes
‘The PTSD is horrible.’
What a Kamala Harris presidency could mean for the West
Harris has prioritized protecting public lands and pursued accountability for polluters, but her track record on tribal affairs is mixed.
Will the Northwest Forest Plan finally respect tribal rights?
Tribal representatives are pushing the U.S. Forest Service to respect treaty rights and bring cultural fire back to the region’s forests.
In an era of dam removal, California is building more
Proponents say a new reservoir off the Sacramento River is environmentally friendly.
