Environment

6

The Wildflower Watch Is Underway

Wildflowers are on the way and abundant rain promises ideal conditions for a spectacular spring in the Santa Monica Mountains and throughout Southern California this year. The rain and cold weather have…

3

Oak Reforestation at Trippet Ranch

The morning of Saturday, January 12, was meant to be a rainy one. Staff members of the Resource Conservation District of the Santa Monica Mountains (RCDSMM) stood near sign-in tents, anxiously awaiting…

5

Ceanothus Flowers Cover Canyon in Living Snow

Ceanothus has a lot of names—buckthorn, California lilac, and soap plant—but the name snow bush might fit best, because when the vast expanses of ceanothus in and around Topanga burst into bloom…

Lawsuit Filed Against SCE and Boeing for Woolsey Fire

A group of law firms have filed a lawsuit against Southern California Edison (SCE) and The Boeing Company on behalf of more than 100 property owners and renters whose buildings and property…

SMMNRA Re-Opens

National Park Service (NPS) staff at the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA) are back to work and have begun the process of digging out from under the backlog of work…

8

The Amazing Revelations of Winter Tides

February’s full “supermoon” will generate “perigean spring tides,” the highest and lowest tides of the year that bring migrating species to the coast and humans to the beach to observe marine mammals…

4

Toxic Fallout—True or False?

As parks impacted by the Woolsey fire are incrementally restored and opened, they are also inspected for toxic residue in the ashes and tested for radiation contamination at the old Santa Susana…

Fernwood Rain Report, January 25, 2019

After four weeks without any rain, our water year kicked into high gear in January. Around the new year we fell behind our average precipitation after a promising start to the season…

8

Is There a Mycologist In the House?

IT’S MUSHROOM SEASON AND LOCAL HIKERS ARE DISCOVERING SOME FASCINATING TROVES. GO TO THE COMMENTS SECTION AT THE END OF THIS PIECE AND IDENTIFY THESE MUSHROOMS IF YOU CAN AND WHETHER THEY…

Post Fire Dust and Ash

This is dust and ash from the Woolsey Fire during 50 mph winds generated by the recent Santa Ana conditions. These photos were taken in Malibu from Point Dume, looking towards Escondido…