Blog

Photo Credit: Maslowski, Steve, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons “I hear you, but I can’t see you” are often the words going through my head when I am surveying riparian habitats amongst least Bell’s vireo (Vireo bellii pusillus; LBV). Vireos are small,...

A poll of my public speaking group several years ago revealed that for some of the group, snakes are their biggest fear (I guess for the rest it was public speaking, hence their membership in the group).  This was very surprising to me, so I decided to try to educate...

Most people don’t pay much attention to their surroundings while getting through the day-to-day. And even fewer people notice the California towhees, black phoebes, and bushtits, common mainstays in southern California, that are within arm’s reach--chipping, singing,...

One of the best things about working at an environmental consulting company is that I work with a bunch of biologists who I can ask “What is this?!”  Last year my daughter’s preschool teacher found this out on the playground. They had no idea what it was and used it...

Balk Biological, Inc. has been providing the City of San Diego a wide variety of biological services in the Tijuana River Valley (TJRV) for over 5 years. Our efforts range from biological surveys, to mitigation and construction monitoring. Being a field biologist in...

January: Grow coast live oaks from acorns collected on a nearby walk (and then give the trees up for adoption when you have nowhere to plant them.  Oops!) February: Provide a place in the back yard for gulf fritillary caterpillars to turn into beautiful butterflies...

Through the heart of San Diego County runs the often-underappreciated aquatic gem that is the San Diego River. While most residents and visitors of the City are aware of the San Diego River (particularly when it is seen as a nuisance during times of heavy rain leading...

There it goes! Did you miss it? That was the Quino Checkerspot Butterfly flight season gliding by. Better luck next time. This species has reached mythical status for me. I have a permit to survey for it, but over the past couple years, it seems like I never get a...

This spring is shaping up to be a great year for a wildflower superbloom. Superblooms are typically found in years of heavy rainfall and Southern California experienced its last superbloom in 2017. In our water limited ecosystem, it is common to associate superblooms...

Recently, my family and I took a vacation to the charming, coastal town of Mendocino in Northern California. We wanted a change of scenery and a change of pace and were delighted that this sliver of the state did not disappoint in either area. We will take away many...