Nature Friendly: Walk on the wild side with pumas
It was a few minutes before midnight when I pulled onto my property in the Santa Cruz Mountains. There, captured in the bright car lights, was an adult, un-collared mountain lion looking up into a madrone tree. As I stopped, the cat turned and walked deliberatively back into the thick forest.
The Mountain Gardener: Keep pesky invasive plants from taking hold
We can't control those pesky weed seeds that blow into our gardens and take hold. There are ways to keep them from taking over, however. But what about those invasive plants that are already in our gardens like ivy and vinca major? What's the best way to deal with them? Then there are plants we buy ourselves that can invade natural areas. Are there better plants to use that are just as attractive and useful? Here are some solutions to make your garden happy.
Plain talk about food: Remembering Memorial Days and French apple cake
It would have been in May of 1947 when Sister Claire, my French-born teacher passed a copy of the poem ‘In Flanders Fields’ to each of us in her classroom. “Memorize this, every word, jeunne femmes” (young ladies), she said in her lovely French accent, “and one day, hopefully, you will remember it and understand its true meaning.”
News Briefs | Published Sept. 12, 2025
Fun run, emergency preparedness fair set for Saturday
On Saturday, Sept. 13, the City of Santa Cruz will be hosting Race the Wave, a 3K...
