Category: Articles

You Can Make a Difference

Future conservationists learning about the eco system

Can we make a difference? Faced with the serious and urgent threat of global climate change, it may seem that there is little that we can do to stop the trajectory of Earth into a bleak future. Although it may seem impossible for us as individuals to reverse this destructive trend, each of us can […]

Summer Time Wildlife Dramas

Young bobcat family

Wildlife dramas continue to unfold in the canyon1. They are nature’s equivalent of reality TV and old-time soap operas. My trail cameras document them all—wild animals living day-to-day while being impacted by urbanization. Some of the videos are sweet, filled with new life while others record the realities of living with natural and human-made dangers. […]

Mountain Lion Latrines and a Scent Dog

The highly-tuned nose of a talented scent dog found mountain lion latrines at the rim of the canyon. Latrines are spots where pumas, often family groups, will repeatedly defecate; they are the mountain lion equivalent of toilets, except instead of flushing, pumas cover their excrement in these locations. But, lions don’t arbitrarily choose places for […]

Why Steal a Wildlife Research Trail Camera?

Dusky footed wood rat home.

Why steal a research trail camera in the canyon where we are recording wildlife? That stolen trail camera was an important conservation tool and the videos it recorded helped educate the public about the impact of urbanization on our local wildlife. And, the footage was also appreciated by the community. Neighbors who live at the […]

A Wildlife Oasis in Suburbia

Puma mom and cub in a wildlife oasis

The 88-acre canyon is a wildlife oasis, regularly visited by puma, coyote, deer and other animals, located in the middle of a suburban landscape. It is shoehorned between homes and businesses, perched on the rim of the canyon, bordered by busy roads and separated from other similar, small wild spaces. Fragments of the Wild Although […]

Wolves or Fat Coyotes?

I just saw a wolf! Last month a woman approached me while I was checking cameras in the canyon in San Mateo. She was certain she spotted a wolf while driving home late at night after a board meeting. He was running near one of the trail heads that lead deep into the canyon. Unfortunately, […]

The Devastating Impact of Blocking Wildlife Corridors

Buck entangled in barbed wire--

Some types of fencing and barriers can have the same harmful affect on ecosystems as highways do—they block apparent wildlife corridors* and may limit gene pools, separate animal families and negatively impact wildlife food sources. Additionally, homeowners in suburbia and urban edge areas are directly affected when these wildlife corridors are blocked. Unable to access […]

A Ten day Glimpse of Urban Wildlife in the Canyon

Bobcat urban wildlife

For the last few years, strategically placed trail cameras have recorded the stories and lives of the wild animals in a special suburban wild-space that is surrounded by roads and buildings. Recent videos from the cams give us a ten day glimpse of urban wildlife in the canyon. It’s always a delight to review the […]

Summertime Brings Changes to the Canyon Wildlife

Three trail cameras continue to film wildlife and human activity in an undeveloped 88-acre canyon. This canyon is ideal for observing wildlife responses to  changes—it’s surrounded on all sides by businesses, roads and homes. For more than three years the cams have recorded how the suburban canyon wildlife reacts to the pressures of urbanization and […]

Where are the Wild Animals?

Comparison of off leash dogs 2019-2021

Not too long ago the trails in the little canyon in San Mateo County, California were rich with a wide diversity of wild animals including animal species that are designated as California Species of Concern*. Until recently, the trail cameras filmed lots of animal action—a large number used to patrol, mark and play on and […]