California Oaks Need Our Help! Here’s How…
June 12, 2023
Oaks are in trouble in California from extensive clearing and development, especially within the southern part of the state, the Central Valley, and foothills of the Sierra Nevada and coastal ranges. In some areas, oaks are not producing young trees to replace older trees as they die, especially blue, valley, and Engelmann oak. Some of
Lynne Stenzel: the Woman, the Myth, the Legend
May 3, 2023
This year marks a big milestone in Point Blue’s people history. Lynne Stenzel retired at the end of March after 50 years of being on staff with the organization. She’s the last to retire of the folks who were with the organization starting in the 1970s and has such a wealth of knowledge about the organization’s history: its science, its culture, its characters.
RFP Now Available for Restoration Projects
March 29, 2023
The Roots Program is the result of a $26 million block grant award to Point Blue from the California Wildlife Conservation Board. Over the next four years, the Roots Program will build wildlife-friendly resilience and equity in California’s working landscapes through restoration and habitat improvement projects on farms and ranches. Point Blue will prioritize outreach
Groundbreaking Awards Will Accelerate Restoration Across California
March 28, 2023
We are thrilled to share the news that the Wildlife Conservation Board (WCB) has awarded Point Blue two major restoration-oriented block grants. In total, the two grants represent $50 million over four years for science-based restoration with particular focus on community engagement, research, and equity building across California.
Restoring Wetlands: A Strategy to Address Climate, Biodiversity, and Water
March 22, 2023
By Dr. Kristen Dybala, Principal Ecologist No matter where you live, you’re likely to have a wetland somewhere nearby. Wetlands include any land that is saturated with water at least some of the time, like marshes and mangroves along our coasts, floodplains and wet meadows along rivers and streams, and vernal pools and prairie potholes.
Partnering with Microbes to Predict Changes in Soil Carbon
February 28, 2023
In efforts to address climate change and identify ways to reduce the amount of greenhouse gasses like CO2 in the atmosphere, one key place to include is below our feet: the soil. Soil organic carbon is a central component of soil health. A 2020 study showed that soil carbon represents 25% of the potential of natural climate solutions.
The Climate is Changing. How we Manage Water Must Change Too
February 23, 2023
Flooding amidst persistent drought is indicative of the future of the arid West under climate change. Add in agriculture, growing populations, wildlife, and safe drinking water (particularly for historically disadvantaged communities), and it’s apparent there is a mosaic of complex needs to consider. One thing is clear: how we manage water in the West over the next hundred years must look different than how we’ve managed it for the last hundred.
5 Questions with our new Board Chair, Anne Chadwick
February 1, 2023
Anne Chadwick became our new Board Chair last summer. Point Blue has a very engaged and talented Board and Anne exemplifies those qualities. She is an author, illustrator, and photographer and is bringing her creative talent to our leadership team. She is past president of the Truckee Donner Land Trust; former International Trade Policy Advisor
STRAW Program Assumes Management of Restored Novato Baylands
December 8, 2022
Point Blue Conservation Science’s STRAW (Students and Teachers Restoring A Watershed) Program is excited to step into a management role at the Novato Baylands Restoration site. STRAW has played a key role in engaging communities to restore this former airfield since the beginning and our staff are looking forward to working with site partners, the
Hope in the Cloud?
November 29, 2022
By Dr. Grant Ballard, Chief Science Officer Being in the midst of a technological revolution isn’t always as exciting as we might hope. In fact, the promise of the revolution can be hard to appreciate given that the outcome seems to be mostly an endless proliferation of distractions (think: receiving custom-designed advertisements, thanks to artificial
