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Science

A person collects seeds from bright pink wildflowers along a bluff with mountains in the background.
The great ‘treasure hunt’: Scouting seeds in the GGNRA

For Martine Glaros, it’s “like hiking and going on a treasure hunt at the same time.” Desmond Murray called it “needle in a haystack stuff.” 

Imagine finding a bloom in the park and going back weeks later when it’s no longer flowering, grasses and shrubs growing up around it, and…

Yolanda Molette connects with participants at a workshop featuring butterfly migration.
Celebrating women in science: Yolanda Molette

Yolanda Molette, a Plant Ecologist with a degree in Ecology, Evolution and Systematics, Concentration in Conservation from San Francisco State University, just likes plants!

Tamalpais Bee Lab macrophotography. Shown is a blue and yellow Osmia coloradensis.
Mt. Tam bees: We need you to 'bee' a park hero!

Thanks in part to the work of Tamalpais Bee Lab volunteers, we now know there are HUNDREDS of different bees on Mt. Tam. As these photos indicate, you never know what amazing, colorful bees you'll see!

Adult Red-tailed Hawk
Raptors and Smoke

After a 2018 season of smoke and haze, GGRO Director Allen Fish explored impacts of air pollution on birds in his 2019 article for Pacific Raptor 40. As first responders battle wildfires across the state each year, we again wonder what effect these extreme climate phenomenon will have on raptor health and movement. 

Uniformed firefighters gesture to each other as a prescribed fire burns on the grassy landscape.
Protecting communities in the age of wildfire

As autumn nears, park managers are shifting priorities towards wildfire resilience and protecting communities along the wildland-urban interface: the high-risk zone where human development meets flammable vegetation.

A monarch butterfly in nature.
Backyard BioBlitz: See the parks from wherever you are

In times of great uncertainty, reconnecting to nature and grounding yourself in the outdoors can be a calming practice. Here are a couple of suggestions on how to get started.

Green sweat bee (Agapostemon texanus) on flower
Who knew bees could bring Mt. Tam together?

In an era when insect declines are making international news, One Tam decided data about pollinators could help assess the resilience of Mount Tam’s ecosystems.

Researcher wearing white gloves holds a bat delicately in hands
White-nose syndrome danger for California bats: Here’s how to help

The fungus that causes white-nose syndrome, a plague-like disease decimating species of hibernating bats in North America, has been found in California.

Biologist Sarah Allen records data in a notebook next to rocky California coastline.
Scientist Profile: Dr. Sarah Allen, Marine Ecologist and Science Program Lead

Go behind the scenes of park science with Dr. Sarah Allen, who's dedicated her career to elevating science and conservation in National Parks. Learn about her journey as a scientist in her own words, from the sparks of her career to adventures researching penguins in Antarctica.

Oak forests on Mount Tamalpais.
Building resilient forests to face climate change, sudden oak death, and wildfire

How can we brace forest ecosystems against rising temperatures, deadly pathogens, and voracious wildfires? At One Tam’s latest Science Summit, scientists and community members gathered to exchange knowledge and brainstorm solutions.