While out on a walk at the Arcata Marsh, a concerned Journal reader found several stickers displaying homophobic slurs, threats of violence and anti-Semitic sentiment. The stickers were placed on at least five traffic signs in the area near the Arcata Marsh parking lot. The reader took the stickers down but shared photos of them […]
Arcata Marsh
Posted inLife + Outdoors
Otterly Advice
After witnessing one of her own mowed down by a car in April, a local river otter asked me to share her advice to otter spotters and others on visiting wetlands, lagoons and rivers. Here’s what she had to say. Start early and notice the ducks. We’re hungry all the time but especially first thing in […]
Posted inNews
Photos: 39th Annual Lantern Floating Festival
A large crowd returned for the in-person 39th annual Arcata Lantern Floating Ceremony on Saturday evening at Klopp Lake in the Arcata Marsh & Wildlife Sanctuary after a two-year pandemic break. The emotional event, linked to the 77th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima on Aug. 6, was described by organizers as “an opportunity to offer […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
Birding at the Arcata Marsh
Humboldt County has more than its fair share of great places to go birding but one of my very favorites is the Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary. It’s not just that it’s chock full of birds — 342 different species have been recorded there, and during spring and fall migrations flocks of shorebirds literally fill […]
Posted inArts + Scene
Godwit Days Are Here Again
Get your godwits about you, birders — the 2021 Godwit Days Spring Migration Bird Festival is here! The annual event is presented virtually this year via Zoom and runs April 16 through 18 with live-streamed sessions, pre-recorded lectures and more. Sessions include the Big Hour at the Arcata Marsh with Rob Fowler of Fowlerope Birding Tours […]
Posted inNews
Godwit Days Takes Flight Again, Virtually
After taking a hiatus in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, The Godwit Days Festival takes flight again — online! This year’s festival, like so many beloved local events, has adapted itself for the times. Instead of taking to the marshes, mudflats and coasts, participants and guides will gather ’round their individual devices April 16 through 18 […]
Posted inNews
Otter Watch Out (Spoiler Alert: Cute Video)
Once COVID-19 closed down the Humboldt State University campus, professor Jeff Black realized he wouldn’t be walking to campus for his wildlife lectures, so he decided to get his daily exercise by going to the Arcata Marsh, while also keeping an eye out for otters. And, he’s asking others to do the same. Spearheaded by […]
Posted inNews
HSU Wildlife Professor and Arcata Marsh Pioneer Stanley “Doc” Harris Dies at 91
Stanley “Doc” Harris, a retired Humboldt State University wildlife professor, passed away Dec. 27. He was 91 years old. In addition to having inspired thousands of students, Harris helped establish Arcata’s wastewater facility as a wildlife sanctuary and shared his love of ornithology with birdwatching hobbyists in the North Coast. Harris ,who worked as a professor […]
Posted inNews
North Coast Night Lights: The Tower
The tower once stood silent sentinel in the quiet fields near the Marsh in Arcata, lonely and abandoned when I discovered it. Long disused, it rose above the tall grasses and blackberry brambles covering the broken concrete rubble of the bygone structures once surrounding it. Its floor was piled deep with broken chunks and slabs, […]
Posted inNews
Body of Missing Canadian Found by His Father
The body of a Canadian man who was reported missing nearly two weeks ago was found by his father on Monday in a heavily vegetated area of the Arcata Marsh, according to the Arcata Police Department. Felix Desautels-Poirier, who would have turned 26 on Dec. 27, was traveling through the area with a friend from […]
Posted inSpecial Sections
Pulling Back the Curtain
Redwood Curtain Brewing Co. is the best-known secret in town. Tucked in an unassuming business park on the outskirts of Arcata, it’s become a popular destination for Humboldt County beer enthusiasts and tourists alike. But, says beer pourer Chris Galleron on a bustling Sunday afternoon, locals still frequently visit the tasting room for the first […]
Posted inNews
HumBug: A Day in the Marshes
Last Friday a friend treated me to my first stroll through the Arcata Marshes. Contrary to the preconception the name gave me, I did not need hip boots or have to battle alligators. Although it’s a place well known to local birders, there were few birds to be seen. What I did see were some […]