These are one of the larger wasps in the world with females getting up to two inches in length and having large blue-black muscular bodies with bright orange wings. Quite... read more →
I’m lucky to live near Morro Strand, so most mornings find me striding along the beach, binoculars at hand ready for anything that comes into view. A few days ago... read more →
Photo by Linda Tanner The tarantulas are showing up on the central coast. From mid-July on through November you have a chance of seeing one of these large, hairy spiders... read more →
Photo by Jerry Kirkhart Have you noticed those rather large, shiny black beetles crawling around your yard? Many people call them “stink bugs,” but they aren’t the real stink bugs. ... 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 →
I am not a professional botanist; however, I have always had a fascination for botanics. As a biology major of Cal Poly, I took several botany classes with Dr. Kiel... read more →
Camper Lillie shows off her finished seastar - photo credit Camper Parent Jen Lillie really enjoyed the week this week, and has been sharing her knowledge with us daily. Robin... 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 →
The Speedy Little Sand Crab The Pacific sand crab, (Emerita analoga), aka mole crab , is a small invertebrate decapod crustacean — meaning it lacks a backbone, but has five... read more →