Latest News and Updates from Audubon in California
California Condor. Photo: Scott Frier/USFWS
Not long ago, we talked about the bigger climate bills being considered by the California State Legislature. Well, add another one to the list. Senate Bill 775, authored by Sen. Bob Wieckowski, will go beyond simply re-authorizing California's cap-and-trade system. This bill will re-imagine key parts of the cap-and-trade program, and offer financial "dividends" to residents. One of the main goals is to do something for communities that have long suffered the burden of air pollution. The entirety of the legislations is well-explained in this piece by Vox.
KQED public radio in the Bay Area just did a great piece about the semi-annual Pacific Brown Pelican Survey, for which Audubon California is a major partner. Here's more information about the survey.
Audubon California's Samantha Arthur took this photo of Tricolored Blackbird chicks in a nest in Tulare County. With a declinging species like this, every chick is incredibly valuable. Learn how we're working to protect this rare species, and how you can help.
Crows in D from Conner Griffith on Vimeo.
Here's the thinking behind this, according to its maker, Connor Griffith: Crow flight patterns are echoed at a thirtieth of a second to create a loopable waveform that corresponds to a tone. The waveform was measured at 27 crows across one tenth of a second. The animation plays at 12fps (2.25 seconds per 27 birds) and is 22.5 times slower than the rate of the comparable frequency. The median crow waveform was “tuned” to D4 and from there, the other crow waveforms were measured. Different wave shapes (sine, saw) were loosely based on flight pattern shape, which was a result of the speed of the crow and the angle and proximity of the crow to the camera. Got that?
Insect and disease infestation are hitting Southern California trees hard, says the Los Angeles Times. So hard, that it could totally remake the the natural landscape of the area.
Our newsletter is fun way to get our latest stories and important conservation updates from across the state.
Help secure the future for birds at risk from climate change, habitat loss and other threats. Your support will power our science, education, advocacy and on-the-ground conservation efforts.
Join the thousands of Californians that support the proposed Chuckwalla National Monument.