This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. Law enforcement raided the illegal cannabis operation in Shasta-Trinity National Forest months before, but rotting potatoes still sat on the growers’ makeshift kitchen worktop, waiting to be cooked. Ecologist Greta Wengert stared down the pockmarked hillside at a pile of pesticide sprayers left behind, long after […]
wildlife
Posted inNews
Wildlife Emergency, Guns and Funky Wine
The nonprofit Humboldt Wildlife Care Center is in a financial emergency of its own. We’ve got the story on how the dedicated folks there help keep animals wild and how you can help. We’re also looking at the spate of teen gun possession incidents in Fortuna and bidding farewell to a former newsroom colleague. Finally, […]
Posted inNews
NCJ Preview: Wildlife, Academy of the Redwoods and Restaurant Harassment
This week we’ve got a photo story from wildlife photographer Talia Rose, who documents life on the Eel River, including some wild pigs of late. We’re also talking about former Mayor Susan Seaman’s take on the controversy surrounding Eureka City Schools and the Academy of the Redwoods. Finally, we’re talking about sexual harassment in the […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
Bears in the Bins
One of the great things about Humboldt County is living close to nature. It’s always a thrill to see raccoons, deer, foxes, even an occasional bobcat around the neighborhood. In fact, I just looked out my window and a saw a black bear — jumping up and down on my trash can. Bear with me […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Saving the Humboldt Marten
The Humboldt marten is about the size of a 4-month-old human baby and adorable, with small, round ears, a fluffy tail and a button nose. Don’t let these looks fool you. This member of the weasel family is a voracious predator that fights hard for a spot in the animal kingdom, taking down large rodents […]
Posted inArts + Scene
2021 in Pictures
It’s been a pandemic year of daily walking for my wife and me, and we never left Humboldt County. From January through April, we continued to explore our local trails and enjoyed the wildlife and emerging spring flowers without attending any events or gatherings. Once we got our Moderna vaccination shots No. 1 and No. […]
Posted inNews
Winged Warning: Migrating Birds Hit Hard by California’s Drought
It says something about the complexity of California’s water crisis that there are so many actors in the state’s water wars, all clamoring for more. Nature, alone, is silent in this fight, relying on others to speak on behalf of the welfare of wildlife and waterways. Across the state, biologists, farmers and hunters are lending […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
Citizen Scientists Outdoors and Online
Imagine wandering around in woods or streams, identifying fungi, plants, insects, wildlife — anything alive. This is what’s known as citizen science: amateurs observing and documenting nature. And if you like being alone or sharing observations from a distance, it’s the perfect activity during a pandemic. Of the active citizen scientists I spoke with, all […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
Sharing our Waters with Other Mammals
Humboldt County’s has one of the richest and most diverse populations of marine life in California, as well as some 135,558 people, plus visitors. My family, like many others, is particularly active in the waterways, especially kayaking and surfing in spaces shared by other mammals. Even though we know the animals are there, encounters come […]
Posted inNews
Humboldt Wildlife Care Center Receiving CDFW Grant
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is allocating $550,000 in grant funding to 45 nonprofit wildlife rehabilitation organizations, including the Humboldt Wildlife Care Center in Arcata, to support care for injured, sick and orphaned wildlife. “California’s injured, sick and orphaned native wildlife need our help now more than ever,” said CDFW Director Charlton […]
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 […]