California

Death Valley NP is a lot like Mars. That’s why scientists are partnering with the park to celebrate a three-day, free public festival titled Mars and the Mojave: Exploring extremes on Earth and beyond, scheduled for March 9-11, 2012 The barren landscape of Death Valley, almost devoid of vegetation, evokes the red planet’s surface.The dry,

Feb 17, 2012 Joshua Tree reports: Up to 12 inches of snow accumulated in the park on February 15. With the arrival of a cold front last night that brought up to 12 inches of snow in some areas, several park roads were closed for visitor safety while snow removal is in progress. Read more on

preserve open space Pacific Crest Trails Association and Anza-Borrego Foundation are pleased to announce the purchase of 40 acres within Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. The once privately-held parcel located next to the Pacific Crest Trail will be preserved as open space and set aside for public use. PCTA helped pay a portion of the purchase

“More than 500 volcanic vents have been identified in the State of California. At least 76 of these vents have erupted, some repeatedly, during the last 10,000 years. …  Sooner or later, volcanoes in California will erupt again, and they could have serious impacts on the health and safety of the State’s citizens as well

Old West to Far East Hike Take a moderate 6-mile hike with a ranger through the geography of the imagination including the old MASH site. Meet at the kiosk at Paramount Ranch. Bring water and snack. Rain cancels. FREE! Location: Paramount Ranch, Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area Date & Time: 01/22/2012, 10:00 AM to

Baja California: Botany in our Backyard Saturday, January 7, Jon Rebman, Ph.D. 7:30 – 9:00 pm With more than 300 succulent plant taxa present, the cacti and succulents of Baja California are a truly unique part of the peninsula’s natural history. Join Jon Rebman, Ph.D., Curator of Botany at San Diego Natural History Museum, for

The gray wolf that was wandering in southern Oregon has crossed the California border. According to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) this animal is a 2 ½ year old male formerly from a pack in northeast Oregon. Since the animal has been collared with a Global Positioning System (GPS) device that periodically