One of my favorite things about living on the Central Coast is the accessibility to and beauty of our beaches. I love being able to easily drive from any part... read more →
Last month during a low tide on the day of the full moon, Faylla Chapman and a few of our friends visited the Morro Bay mudflats. We came upon an... read more →
Windy Cove, below the Morro Bay Museum of Natural History, contains a mud flat within Morro Bay. This mud flat can be very extensive on a low tide, especially if... read more →
Every walk on Morro Strand State Beach is an adventure. On December 24 while strolling along looking at birds I noticed some most unusual organisms at my feet. Dozens of... read more →
Have you seen markings in the sand that look like these? Do you just ignore them or explore further? Well—you SHOULD explore! Hole and Snail. Image courtesy of Faylla Chapman... read more →
Butterflies are a little different from moths: Image courtesy of wildpollinatorcount.com Butterflies are usually brightly colored and are active during the day. Their antennae are usually long and thin, ending... read more →
Sandcastles? Worms? These go together? Well, sandcastles are not just for kids. The sandcastle worm, Phragmatopoma californica lives in massive sand formations on rocks in the mid intertidal area. You... read more →
We’ve had a new treat on the Central Coast in the past few years--glowing blue waves!!! The glow is caused by wave action that disturbs millions of microalgae called dinoflagellates,... read more →
Rachel Carson said, “Those who dwell among the beauties and mysteries of the earth are never alone or weary of life." Back in 1979 I was a mom with 2... read more →
Why, Diatom Art, of course! Each section in the photograph above is a microscopic diatom shell. Diatoms are phytoplankton, or microalgae. Their shells are made primarily of silica, which is... read more →