The Truth about Mountain Lions
By James Hale; Mountain lion ancestors originated in North America […]
Beat the heat at Black Diamond Mines
By Beverly Lane As summer approaches its zenith, you can still beat the heat at the regional parks in east Contra Costa County. One good bet is Contra Loma Regional Park on Frederickson Lane in Antioch, where you can cool off in the lifeguard-tended swim lagoon. And you can relax in Delta […]
Bocce Ball is coming to Alamo
By Steve Mick The Alamo Municipal Advisory Council (MAC) has recently approved the construction of the first Alamo bocce ball court at Livorna Park. The new bocce court will be in the area of the existing sand volleyball court and will consist of two lanes. The entire court area will be ADA accessible. Bocce ball […]
Hiking — Regional Parks in the rain
by Beverly Lane Seasonal rains bring green to the grasslands in the East Bay Regional Parks, with a promise of springtime wildflowers. But the rains also bring muddy trails that fill the lug soles of hard-to-clean hiking boots. There’s a lot to be said for winter season hiking. The air is fresh, cool and energizing […]
Dangerous wild boar destructive to wildlife, habitat
By James Hale; Wild boar (Sus scrofa) are the wild ancestors of the domestic pig and feral hogs, both animals with which they freely hybridize. Wild boar are native across much of Europe, the Mediterranean Region, North Africa’s Atlas Mountains, most of Asia, Japan and Indonesia. Populations have […]
Peregrine Falcon conservation and recovery
By James Hale; Captive breeding programs have led to the falcons’ recovery The Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) is a large cosmopolitan falcon with superior hunting skills capable of flight exceeding 240 miles per hour. The scientific name peregrinus is Latin for wandering, in reference to its worldwide range. The […]
How to stay cool in the parks
by Beverly Lane; If you’re looking for places to stay cool during these hot summer days, the East Bay Regional Park District can help. One obvious option is any of the park district’s swim areas. The district operates six open-water lakefront swim beaches, three chlorinated swim lagoons and three […]
The Peregrine Falcons’ recovery through conservation
The Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) is a large cosmopolitan falcon with superior hunting skills capable of flight exceeding 240 miles per hour. The scientific name peregrinus is Latin for wandering, in reference to its worldwide range. The insidious effects of DDT, a chlorinated hydrocarbon, from 1940s to the 1970s had significant negative impacts on nesting […]
The California Red-legged Frog a local endangered species
by James Hale: The California Red-legged Frog (Rana draytonii) is endemic to California, and ranges from extreme northern Baja California, Mexico through the northern half of the state. It is most common in the Coast Ranges and occurs in isolated, disjunct populations in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. It is apparently absent from […]
The 2013 Trails Challenge gets you hiking
by Beverly Lane: There are regional parks conveniently located throughout the East Bay, and there may be one near you that you haven’t discovered yet. A good way to find out more about the regional parks and explore a new one is to enroll in the park district’s Trails Challenge […]