Bay Nature Staff Picks of 2024
Here, I present results from our highly unscientific poll of our ten staff members on the Bay Nature stories, talks, hikes, and fun facts from 2024 that most delighted us, changed our views of the world, or just stuck with us.Feel free to send yours: letters@baynature.org. —Kate Golden, digital editor Best Quest For this great insect schlep, scientists fed butterflies with Q-tips dipped in Fruit Punch-flavored Gatorade. Cutest Baby Animals To be specific, they are the cutest baby animals that are also a great starry-armed hope for our coasts. Least Anthropocentric Often we write about ecological restoration. Rarely from a turtle’s point of view. This one wended five miles over two months, on two-inch legs, up Redwood Creek. Best Longread “One of Kimberly Stevenot’s responsibilities as a kid was to hang out by the side of the road and look for park rangers—or anyone else who looked like they might be trouble,” H.R. Smith begins, in a story about the making and the meaning of Dos Rios, the newest California state park. Best NBD Chat with a Superstar Author Amy Tan drove through a storm to join this conversation with our editor-in-chief! VIDEO Best Education Story Our kind of education story, that is. Most Likely to Inspire a Cold Plunge Sachi Cunningham, a surfer and filmmaker, writes about what the ocean has meant in her own life. Wildest Dial-In Guest to a Bay Nature Talk Guest Amanda Spears joined our talk on the Farallones from the Farallones. (So did some birds, in cameo appearances.) VIDEO Most Game-Changing New Technology Best Private Sunset Hike In August, we experienced an epic sunset in the golden hills of McCormick Ranch, a special North Bay spot that isn’t generally open to the public. Most Dense With Fun Facts We love a long read here at BN, but we also live for fun facts, which are easier to dish out at parties. Best Talk about the Birds and the Bees (and Yet on Neither Bird Nor Bee) Janet Leonard’s talk on banana slug sex in September was very, very informative. VIDEO Most Fearsome Bird Battle One could also call this a battle of birds vs. biologists. Best Headline Most Sobering Yet Mind-Blowing Introduction to a Species We’ll Never Meet “For each crayfish is a universe unto itself, a host of tiny passengers.” Most Sow’s Ear Into Silk Purse Sediment may not seem scintillating, on the surface, but Sonya Bennett-Brandt will make you care about mud. We must have it, to cement the future of the San Francisco Bay. The Climate Change Story That Got to Us Climate change touches most of our work, yet some stories hit more than others. Why this one? Maybe it was that bats are adorable and fragile-seeming, maybe that people went to such lengths to help them. Most Promising Wad of Cash for Environmental Projects As our next president has promised to axe environmental priorities, conservationists are counting their blessings that California’s voters decided to fund climate adaptation in a big way. Best Reader-Submitted Photography We are lucky to have a community of photographers, professional and amateur, who send us their unusual observations. In March, Dan Osipov beautifully captured an insect that is so rarely photographed, in fact, that federal officials contacted us about using the photos. Most Bay Nature-y News Our thanks to Eric Sanford, the UC Davis prof whose student made this momentous discovery, for the tip. Send your stories: editorial@baynature.org. Finally, a few more moments from the trail … Hardiest Hikers On an unexpectedly blustery day in June, Bay Nature members proved to be hardy sorts who braved the elements to see some coyote brush leaf beetles. Most Hollywood Moment on the Trail At Coyote Ridge in April, just when scientist Stu Weiss was explaining how grazing could control non-native grasses to help native species, a rancher-conservationist showed up … almost as if they had planned it. Best Bioblitz In November we unleashed our inner children at Ocean Beach, digging in the sand to find its treasures. Note to selves: In 2025, more of this. Mole crab (Emerita analoga), with humans.
Butterflies fed with Q-tips, Hollywood moments on the trail, bird battles, beetles, and the Bay Naturiest story of 2024. (It was a competitive field.) The post Bay Nature Staff Picks of 2024 appeared first on Bay Nature.
Here, I present results from our highly unscientific poll of our ten staff members on the Bay Nature stories, talks, hikes, and fun facts from 2024 that most delighted us, changed our views of the world, or just stuck with us.
Feel free to send yours: letters@baynature.org.
—Kate Golden, digital editor
Best Quest
For this great insect schlep, scientists fed butterflies with Q-tips dipped in Fruit Punch-flavored Gatorade.
Cutest Baby Animals
To be specific, they are the cutest baby animals that are also a great starry-armed hope for our coasts.
Least Anthropocentric
Often we write about ecological restoration. Rarely from a turtle’s point of view. This one wended five miles over two months, on two-inch legs, up Redwood Creek.
Best Longread
“One of Kimberly Stevenot’s responsibilities as a kid was to hang out by the side of the road and look for park rangers—or anyone else who looked like they might be trouble,” H.R. Smith begins, in a story about the making and the meaning of Dos Rios, the newest California state park.
Best NBD Chat with a Superstar Author
Amy Tan drove through a storm to join this conversation with our editor-in-chief!
Best Education Story
Our kind of education story, that is.
Most Likely to Inspire a Cold Plunge
Sachi Cunningham, a surfer and filmmaker, writes about what the ocean has meant in her own life.
Wildest Dial-In Guest to a Bay Nature Talk
Guest Amanda Spears joined our talk on the Farallones from the Farallones. (So did some birds, in cameo appearances.)
Most Game-Changing New Technology
Best Private Sunset Hike
In August, we experienced an epic sunset in the golden hills of McCormick Ranch, a special North Bay spot that isn’t generally open to the public.
Most Dense With Fun Facts
We love a long read here at BN, but we also live for fun facts, which are easier to dish out at parties.
Best Talk about the Birds and the Bees (and Yet on Neither Bird Nor Bee)
Janet Leonard’s talk on banana slug sex in September was very, very informative.
Most Fearsome Bird Battle
One could also call this a battle of birds vs. biologists.
Best Headline
Most Sobering Yet Mind-Blowing Introduction to a Species We’ll Never Meet
“For each crayfish is a universe unto itself, a host of tiny passengers.”
Most Sow’s Ear Into Silk Purse
Sediment may not seem scintillating, on the surface, but Sonya Bennett-Brandt will make you care about mud. We must have it, to cement the future of the San Francisco Bay.
The Climate Change Story That Got to Us
Climate change touches most of our work, yet some stories hit more than others. Why this one? Maybe it was that bats are adorable and fragile-seeming, maybe that people went to such lengths to help them.
Most Promising Wad of Cash for Environmental Projects
As our next president has promised to axe environmental priorities, conservationists are counting their blessings that California’s voters decided to fund climate adaptation in a big way.
Best Reader-Submitted Photography
We are lucky to have a community of photographers, professional and amateur, who send us their unusual observations. In March, Dan Osipov beautifully captured an insect that is so rarely photographed, in fact, that federal officials contacted us about using the photos.
Most Bay Nature-y News
Our thanks to Eric Sanford, the UC Davis prof whose student made this momentous discovery, for the tip. Send your stories: editorial@baynature.org.
Finally, a few more moments from the trail …
Hardiest Hikers
On an unexpectedly blustery day in June, Bay Nature members proved to be hardy sorts who braved the elements to see some coyote brush leaf beetles.
Most Hollywood Moment on the Trail
At Coyote Ridge in April, just when scientist Stu Weiss was explaining how grazing could control non-native grasses to help native species, a rancher-conservationist showed up … almost as if they had planned it.
Best Bioblitz
In November we unleashed our inner children at Ocean Beach, digging in the sand to find its treasures. Note to selves: In 2025, more of this.
