This week on Headline Humboldt, author Michael Kauffmann is in the studio to discuss his new natural history book of the Klamath Mountains.
SF Chronicle: Best Books of 2022
We are proud to say that the San Francisco Chronicle has selected The Klamath Mountains: A Natural History as one of the best nonfiction books of 2022!
California’s Deserts
Desert environments have always held a fascination for many, their stark landscapes notwithstanding. At first glance these seemingly-lifeless landscapes are actually home to hardy woody shrubs and succulents with amazing adaptations to survive in harsh desert conditions. In California’s deserts, all this changes when the onset of winter rains bring carpets of brightly colored annuals […]
THE KLAMATH MOUNTAINS: A NATURAL HISTORY
Filled with mystery conjured by unparalleled biodiversity, the Klamath Mountains tell numerous stories of evolution and resilience shaped over long periods of time. Geology is the defining character of this range, with numerous smaller mountain ranges forming a jigsaw puzzle of big-shouldered river canyons and sharp ridgelines. Within the Klamath Knot, the geology also shapes […]
Plant Life in California’s Deserts
For the past 15 years, Philip Rundel, has been developing this book through his long-term relationship and travels in deserts of the Southwestern United States, northern Chile, and Southern Africa. His vision is now a reality. California Desert Plants: Ecology and Diversity is a new book written by Philip Rundel, Robert Gustafson, and Michael Kauffmann […]
MarineBio.Life Features Allison Poklemba
In this podcast Kara Muzia, an ocean enthusiast and marine biologist interviews Allison Poklemba. They dive into the wonderful world of seaweeds! Allison shares how plants have fascinated her from a young age, why her move across the country for university was the financially responsible choice, and how she incorporated both botany and herbalism into […]
Nature’s Archive features Michael Kauffmann
Michael Hawk, the creator of Nature’s Archive, featured Michael Kauffmann a few weeks back. They discussed the many things that make conifers such an amazing group of plants including their evolutionary history, what makes them different from other trees, and gives us a special look at the amazing diversity of conifers in his area – […]
Calling All Humboldt County Photographers
We are working with First 5 Humboldt to develop a hiking guide for kids and families. We would love to feature your photos of these landscapes and people visiting these places!
Nature Nerd Protip: Cactus Compass
Never get turned around in the Mojave Desert again. As long as you can find this plant, it will point you south! Directionality is seen in many cactus species, with our barrel cactus (Ferocactus cylindraceus) serving as a good example.
Magnificent Five-needle Pines of Western North America
This 2-part webinar will explore the natural history of six closely related five-needle pines of western North America. We have created a “quiz” to prep you for the webinar and prompt you with a few amazing facts about this group within the beautiful and regal soft (Strobus) pines.
Forest Mushroom Class Pairings
Part 1: Kombucha In The Mist We’re kicking it off by pairing Part 1 with a beverage that you can watch develop with a culture of your very own — or just pick up a bottle from your neighborhood market: Kombucha! For best effect, pour yourself a sparkling glass and sit outside on a misty autumnal evening listening […]
The Vivid View of Ken Jarvela
Once you get on a roll with a painting, its like you have free license to be part of the mountains. It’s an odd feeling. Ken Jarvela is one of our favorite local artists. His work captures the wildest plants, rocks, sky and these are the subjects we love. He grew up in Bayside, California alongside […]
Forest Mushrooms of the Pacific Coast
A five-part fall webinar series Join Maria Morrow and Christian Schwarz for a comprehensive introduction to the forest mushrooms of California and the Pacific Northwest. Over the course of this series we’ll cover foundational topics ranging from the fundamentals of mushroom identification to basic fungal biology. We’ll also discuss the fascinating complexities of the bigger […]
Franklin’s Bumble Bee
Bumble bees (Bombus spp.) are an important group of North American wild pollinators. However, in the latter half of the 20th century, concern has arisen because of a noticeable declines in many species’ populations—due to a variety of factors including pesticides and diseases from managed bees. Decline of the world’s rarest bumble bee The Klamath […]
With ‘intentional forests,’ hope grows on trees
Prioritizing long-lived giant trees could maximize the carbon sequestration and biodiversity of city parks and other green spaces. By Marie E. Antoine and Stephen C. Sillett Current environmental crises can seem overwhelming in scale. Confronting climate change and conserving biodiversity will require huge changes in how humans manage the landscape and in our use of […]
Cryptic Carnivores
Sticky trap carnivory discovered in western false asphodel (Triantha occidentalis) The botanical world is being rocked by a new lineage of carnivorous plants described by Qianshi Lin et al. (August 2021)! Previous to this discovery scientists have recognized only 11 independent origins of plant carnivory—and now there is a 12th. This cryptic carnivore secretes a digestive […]
Wildflowers of California’s Klamath Mountains
AVAILABLE NOW! Including the Marble Mountain, Russian, and Trinity Alps Wilderness areas Wildflowers of California’s Klamath Mountains features flowering plants found within one of the most biodiverse temperate mountain ranges on Earth. This photographic collection is representative of the most common, beautiful, and unique plants across this amazing region.• 629 species, subspecies, and varieties of wildflowers• […]
Botanical Tales of the Pacific Crest Trail
The Making of a “Super-Naturalist” by Matt Berger Over two PCT thru hikes I took tens of thousands of plant photos, figured out each plants’ identity, and uploaded these observations to citizen science websites. Getting to this point was a process that I took one step a time. Now, I’m ready to share what I’ve […]
Perfect Pairings For Klamath Natural History
Since we could certainly all use a bit more fun in our lives, it was recommended to us that each session in the Klamath Mountains Natural History winter webinar series feature its own pairing — food and/or bev. Brilliant. And why not. So what pairs well with endemic salamanders, limestone caverns, or the last glacier in the Klamath […]
Where are the Klamath Mountains?
I thought it was just the Klamath River? or… Are they in Klamath Falls? These are common questions we hear and we understand the confusion. The name “Klamath Mountains” may not be part of your everyday speak, but if you love all those spectacular mountains and rivers between Ashland and Crescent City, Redding and Eureka, […]
