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Summer is finally here! At the end of May, many students were excited to finish their school year. Particularly excited were the fifth graders, eighth graders and high school seniors who advanced to the next chapter in their lives—either to a new school or...

When the huge numbers of California Tortoiseshell butterflies showed up around here recently,  I learned a lot about the different species of ceanothus and how dependent we are on this plant. Because most of us live near or in a Wildland Urban interface, we...

“Mmm, Mmm good. Mmm, Mmm good; That’s what Campbell's soups are, Mmm, Mmm good.” Last week while shopping for groceries, I reached for a few cans of Campbell’s soups and immediately remembered the little Campbell’s soup girl on the Campbell label. Rosy, pink fat cheeks...

“We can never insure one hundred percent of the population against one hundred percent of the hazards and vicissitudes of life, but we have tried to frame a law which will give some measure of protection to the average citizen….” —Franklin Delano Roosevelt The Origins A...

Recently we were visited by hundreds of butterflies. One made it into the house as they fluttered around me when I opened the screen door. He’s going out today to join the other California Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis californica). You would think with so many of...

At the Santa Cruz Gala event last month, hosted by the Santa Cruz Chamber of Commerce, I was lucky to be seated next to Nancie Newby, president of the Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter Foundation Board of Directors. Sometimes at large events you can be...

As we celebrate Memorial Day weekend, I want to take time to remember the sacrifices our military families have made and continue to make. Like many of you, I’m proud of my family who have served, and the children of friends who served and...

We’ve all been there—you know someone is going through a hard time, and you want to help, but you’re not sure what to do or say. You don’t want to make it worse. You don’t want to overstep. So sometimes, we do nothing. We...

Most of us would love to have a garden containing all California native plants growing happily in an ecosystem where everybody wins—birds, bees, insects, wildlife and us, of course. Our garden would contain flowers, shrubs, grasses, ground covers and trees all providing food, water,...

Warm weather is here and this tends to be the time folks want to get their body moving while feeling better in their skin. But, not everyone knows where to start. For most, the gym feels intimidating and not everyone has the pocket book to...