ay Area Wonders
In Praise of Humpbacks, California Hollies, and
THE 2024 FIFTH GRADE CLASS THE 2025 FIFTH GRADE CLASS
Bay Area Wonders
Contents
INTRODUCTION
Acorn Woodpecker BY ZUBIN I.
Allen’s Hummingbird BY EMILY J.
American Barn Owl BY AVNEESH G.
American White Pelican BY DAWSON Z.
Anna’s Hummingbird BY ADDY L.
Bat Ray BY BRADLEY C.
Blue Dasher Dragonfly BY ROHAN K.
Bobcat BY RHYS Y.
Broadnose Sevengill Shark BY ENZO C.
Brush Rabbit BY LUCY F.
California Ground Squirrel BY LANA Y.
California Kingsnake BY CYRUS S.
California Poppy BY ROBIN Q.
California Quail BY ALEXANDRA C.
California Red-legged Frog BY ANSEL H.
California Scrub Jay BY KAITLYN W.
California Sea Lion BY AVI T.
Chinook Salmon BY EVAN F.
Coast Redwood BY SHRIYA V.
Coyote BY SHUXIAN D.
Douglas Iris BY SADIE D.
Fly Agaric BY EMILY L.
Giant Pacific Octopus BY MILLIE L.
Giant Phantom Jelly BY JOSH B.
Gray Fox BY LILY K.
Gray Whale BY ALEXA T.
Great White Shark BY ANNABELLE F.
Harbor Seal BY RUHAAN G.
Humpback Whale BY LARA K.
Leopard Shark BY RAY R.
Little Brown Bat BY SAMIT K.
Merriam’s Chipmunk BY AANYA T.
Monarch Butterfly BY ADRIANA P.
Mountain Lion BY ANNABELLE T.
Mule Deer BY ISABEL F-S.
Northern Pacific Rattlesnake BY NEEL S.
Northern Pintail Duck BY NIKKI O.
Northern Raccoon BY ELLIE W.
Orca Whale BY JONAH Z.
Pacific White-sided Dolphin BY AVA H.
Peregrine Falcon BY AADYA I.
Pipevine Swallowtail BY CHARLOTTE S.
Salt Marsh Harvest Mouse BY GRACE L.
San Francisco Garter Snake BY ANTON K.
Santa Cruz Clover BY ISHA P.
Sea Otter BY LORETTA S.
Snowy Plover BY KEREM E.
Song Sparrow BY OWEN R.
Steller’s Jay BY CRYSTAL L.
Toyon / California Holly BY LOGAN L.
Western Black Widow BY NAYAN R.
Western Bluebird BY SAANVI G.
Western Fence Lizard BY ANNABEL H.
Western Pond Turtle BY WILLIAM S.
Western Pygmy Blue Butterfly BY ROSE K.
Western Screech Owl BY ATLAS A.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We invite you to marvel at the species with which we share our world and the transformative connections we make with them.
Introduction
Our topography and coastal climate make the Bay Area and Monterey Bay biodiversity hotspots, meaning their ecosystems teem with a rich variety of plants and wildlife. Despite widespread commercial development and other human impacts, our region is home to hundreds of native plant species and a dazzling array of invertebrates, birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and fish. Many species are endemic—found nowhere else in the world—and some have been classified as rare and endangered. It is essential that our students develop a deep appreciation for this biodiversity and understand its importance.
The initial inspiration for Bay Area Wonders came from Aimee Nezhukumatathil’s World Of Wonders, a collection of natural history essays that explore her connections—both real and metaphorical—to different species from around the world. Each essay is devoted to a unique species, and they are all beautifully illustrated by Fumi Nakamura.
Bay Area Wonders is an interdisciplinary collaboration between science, art, and writing, focused on local species. For this project, students selected a subject from a curated list of native plants and animals for their own “wonder essay.” We encouraged them to choose a species with which they felt connected; some students had a firsthand encounter with a species, while others may have related to an aspect of the species’ behavior or physical characteristics.
In science class, students investigated ecology concepts, while in writing class they read and analyzed essays from World of Wonders. In both classes, using Nezhukumatathil’s essays as a model, students researched and wrote their own essays about their selected species—integrating personal experiences, figurative language, and natural history information. In art class, students worked with photographic reference images to create scientific illustrations of their species. They combined contour drawings with detailed shaded drawings to show volume and dimensionality.
In this anthology, Bay Area Wonders: In Praise of Humpbacks, California Hollies, and Other Astonishments you’ll find all of the fifth-grade illustrated essays. This volume represents a lot of hard work in science, writing, and art classes. We invite you to marvel at the species with which we share our world and the transformative connections we make with them.
CRISTINA VERESAN SCIENCE TEACHER
ALLISON GERHARD SCIENCE ASSOCIATE TEACHER
TEACHER
BECKY TURNER WRITING TEACHER
REENIE CHARRIÈRE ART
Other animals try to steal acorns from them like most dads try to steal candy from their children.
Acorn Woodpecker (Melanerpes formicivorus)
BY ZUBIN I.
The acorn woodpecker has become one of my favorite animals, and I hope that after reading about them, it will be one of other people’s favorites. Maybe I will see one because it lives in oak groves along the North American coast, and there are oak groves near Palo Alto, which is where I live. Sadly, I have not seen one yet, even though I have gone there roughly once per month on average for multiple years, so I do not think they live in that specific place. One time, though, I went to an oak grove for my brother’s birthday party, and I thought I heard a consistent tapping sound. My brother’s birthday is a bit before November, and that is gone of the most popular times to gather acorns for acorn woodpeckers because it starts to become cold in November. I am still hoping to find an acorn woodpecker eventually, even though they only live about four to eleven years.
Sadly, I have not seen one yet, but I assume it looks like the images that I have seen online. The male woodpeckers have red heads and white foreheads, but the females have black heads and red on the back of their heads.
They store acorns in trees called granary trees, though I have not seen any holes in the trees any time I have been to the oak grove. They also often sort their acorns. I also sort things as much as I can. Other animals try to steal acorns from them like most dads try to steal candy from their children. The acorns that they store in the tree are saved for the winter, which means that they store things if they can, just like I do. The granaries, which I have never seen before, dry out the acorns and protect them from other animals. Storing and organizing things is one of my favorite things to do, especially when I don’t have a good book or anything like that, because reading is my favorite thing to do in my free time. I like organizing random things, but I rarely organize my things. Instead, I just keep it organized when I put things into my desk and keep my other things clean when I change things about those certain things.
I also have a higher chance of seeing an acorn woodpecker, now that I go to a summer camp for two weeks straight, not counting weekends, which is more often than I usually do. Sadly, my camp meets at a place that is not very close to any of the oak groves; however, we go on hikes to places with oak groves, and we have an overnight in an oak grove, so I might eventually see one.
I have been very excited about this animal, and I might be able to see one sometime soon. If I see one of the granary trees, I will know to look for acorn woodpeckers and I hope other people will too.
Allen’s Hummingbird (Selasphorus sasin)
BY EMILY J.
As I raced across the pool in a two-hundred-meter individual medley, I imagined myself as an Allen’s hummingbird, beating its wings up to seventy times a second. Because their wings move so quickly, it creates a buzzing sound. Hummingbirds’ wings move in a figure-eight pattern, which allows them to fly in any direction they want, even backward, which looks like the butterfly stroke. I sprinted across the pool. I had to go down and back eight times to finish. Allen’s hummingbirds can travel five hundred miles every day to migrate to Mexico in the winter. They return in February.
I travel often, too. Every year my family goes to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, over winter break. In the airplane I watch the sun go down from above the clouds, a brilliant mix of reds, oranges, and yellows, just like the male hummingbird’s throats. The throats, called gorgets, have millions of microscopic bubbles that reflect light coming from certain angles. Allen’s hummingbirds also have emerald green backs, covered with scale-like feathers and a light brown underbelly.
One morning at my grandparent’s house, I watched a hummingbird land on a monkey flower in the yard. A hummingbird can lap nectar up to eighteen times a second. The nectar goes into the small grooves in the hummingbird’s tongue, and then the nectar is forced into its throat. Hummingbirds also need protein. The Allen’s hummingbird can catch insects mid-air with its beak.
My grandparents’ yard is a hummingbird feeding ground. A hummingbird is like a strong metal shield because they can aggressively defend their feeding and nesting ground. Female Allen’s hummingbirds can nest in trees up to fifty feet in the air. A hummingbird’s nest is constructed out of soft plant material and spider webs wrapped in lichen. To make her nest the perfect shape, a female Allen’s hummingbird will sit in her nest. A hummingbird can lay two eggs during each brood and has one to three broods each year. Although the chicks stay in their nest for three weeks, their mother feeds them for up to six weeks. The average Allen’s hummingbird lives up to five years.
After I had watched the hummingbird in my grandparents’ yard, we went to Kennywood, an amusement park in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania. At Kennywood, I rode all of the roller coasters except one.
“Would you like to ride the Steel Curtain?” my mom asked, as it was the only roller coaster I had not yet ridden. It looked crazy because it had nine loop-de-loops and went 220 feet in the air, but I chose to ride it. I decided to be more like a hummingbird, who is not afraid of anything.
An Allen’s hummingbird has only three main predators, a domestic house cat, snakes, and praying mantises. hummingbirds are not very scared of any of those. Allen’s hummingbirds have also adapted to humans and can coexist with them. They build their nests in sheds and other places near humans.
I really like watching Allen’s hummingbirds from the swing in my yard, and I am excited to watch them come back to my yard in the spring.
The throats, called gorgets, have millions of microscopic bubbles that reflect light coming from certain angles.
American Barn Owl (Tyto furcata)
BY AVNEESH G.
A year ago, I was trying to catch a wink of sleep in my house in Redwood City when I heard a long, harsh scream that lasted about two seconds. I shot straight up when I heard the noise again. I crept to the window and peered out. I was confused when I saw nothing. I rubbed my eyes and observed a pair of black eyes peeking out of the wisteria. I shifted my gaze toward the deck floor. Squinting, I noticed multiple white splotches that I had not seen before. In the morning, when I showed my parents, they said that the only possible explanation was an owl was living in the rafters and had pooped onto the deck.
I was the only one happy in the house; I read so many books about owls and decided that this was the coolest thing ever. I showed my sister the owl, gladly teaching her about it. The owl looked as brown as a chocolate brownie, which was one of my favorite foods at the time. Just looking at a chocolate brownie made my mouth water. I was surprised that the owl was nesting in our backyard.
Even though I knew that the owl could not understand me, I still tried talking to it as if it were a person. I read some of my favorite books aloud to it, especially stories about owls. My sister and I treated the owl as if it was our sibling. When my sister and I went to the library, I picked up a book on owls to help me understand more about the owl. For example, I realized all our problems with rodents were disappearing because of the owl. I developed a deep bond with the owl that I hold to this day. The grin on my face was shining when I laid my head on the pillow.
The next day, I proudly walked into school with my chest held high and a smirk on my face, bragging about the owl in my backyard. The owl was the friend I needed since I had just moved and was looking for new friends. Not only was the owl my companion, but its story helped me make new friends. Everybody at school wanted to be my friend when I told them about the owl.
When the first-grade teacher gave us an assignment to draw an animal and write about it, it was not even a question as to what I would choose. I selected my new favorite animal, the owl. When it was time to present, I told the story of the most special animal I have ever known. I could tell that everybody was intrigued, for they were focused and listening.
I hope this story has a similar effect, and shows how animals can help humans. Even in fifth grade, having moved from my home with the owl, I will never forget the memory of the owl as well as the happiness it brought me. Two weeks later as I lay in bed, I realized that the sound of the owl had turned from confusion into comfort.
American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos)
BY DAWSON Z.
I was bird-watching at Monterey Bay in the late summer of 2019. I remember seeing a flock of huge, graceful, white birds, American white pelicans, soaring over the shimmering water, from the observatory where I was standing. On the cliff, I saw a nest of bustling little chicks cheerfully roughhousing. I was afraid of them despite their astounding beauty, but I bravely stepped forward. A huge, grayish bird swooped down towards the open-topped platform and landed right in the middle of it. My five-year-old brain was stunned, forgetting that my stuffy snake was slowly falling over the edge of the observatory. Imagining a white pelican now, I imagine a cute, long-beaked bird with white feathers that gleam in the sunlight, contrasting sharply with their dark wing tips. As a small child, the huge bird looked intimidating and menacing. As I grew older, my fascination for white pelicans increased, leading me to study more about these birds.
An adult white pelican grows to about four feet tall and has a wingspan which is nine feet long. The broad wingspan of an American white pelican stabilizes them in the air and provides safety from predators by acting like a powdery white blanket. I have seen them prey on various types of colorful fish before, but they especially enjoy tuna. It fascinates me how they eat, scooping the fish into their pouches, squeezing the water out, and swallowing their catch.
Chickie, the white pelican, happily gulped down the herring that its trainer gave it. Chickie’s eyes were as sharp as an eagle. He spotted my stuffy falling off the ledge and started walking faster and faster until it took off and flew towards the cliff. Chickie flew after my snake, but quickly, my stuffy had been rescued and Chickie landed back onto the platform. I ran up to the pelican, pet its fluffy body, and imagined it hugged me, wrapping its sleek wings around my waist.
American white pelicans are a species of highly social birds, often working together with different pelican species to catch prey. Scientists classify them as birds with kleptoparasitism, meaning that they steal food and resources from other animals. Many people have bad impressions of them, but to me, they are simply trying to survive and collect enough food for their young.
A common stereotype about pelicans is that they dive into the water to catch their prey. Only brown pelicans, the smallest yet most famous species of the eight different species of pelicans, do this. All other species float on the surface of the water, waiting for their prey to surface. White pelicans are also very persistent animals. They often fly more than two hundred miles to reach better breeding grounds and climate. Oils that leak into the ocean can cause the bird’s feathers to lose their waterproof quality, which leads to drowning and hyperthermia.
I have to say goodbye to Chickie, imagining one last hug from him before I watch him soar into the horizon.
Four years later, my little brother Bennett was born. When he toddled around, I saw Chickie, curious and lively. Watching him point out pelicans in Oakland, I realized the lessons that the Chickie taught me about reaching my full potential and looking at the full picture before taking action. Chickie’s rescue of my stuffed snake also taught me about unexpected kindnesses and to look beyond appearances.
I went to Monterey Bay in the late summer of 2024. I climbed out of the car, and a bird flew down to greet me. I did not recognize it at first, looking at its broad white wings and sleek gray body. A tour guide gave the bird a giant slippery-looking herring, and the bird happily gulped it down whole. “Chickie!”
American white pelicans are a species of highly social birds, often working together with different pelican species to catch prey.
and emerald back glinting in the
Anna’s Hummingbird (Calypte anna)
BY ADDY L.
Smash! The baton hit the lollipop-shaped pinata, sending confetti dancing into my face. My family around me laughed as we gathered up the confetti that scattered around our backyard.
“Hey, wait... Is that a hummingbird nest?” my dad said, glancing at a tree. We gathered around him, blinking up in awe. A delicate bird was perched in the tree, its silver-grey breast and emerald back glinting in the sunlight. It had a long, curving beak, perfect for reaching into flowers to swallow the pollen and spearing through flies and bugs in flight. The bird shifted its ping-pong ball-sized body towards us, blinking its beady eyes. It was an Anna’s hummingbird or Calypte anna. This one was perched on a delicately crafted nest, which the hummingbird made by carefully wrapping moss and lichen in thick, sticky cobwebs.
“Wow!” I said, smiling up at it. My mom touched my hand and ushered me inside, saying we should leave the bird in peace.
Within a few weeks, the bird, which we had named Humbingburtger, had two chicks, Zoebertger and Addybertger, which we named after my sister Zoe and me. Humbingburtger was often away, gathering nectar and catching bugs to feed to her chicks. On a rare occasion, we would catch a glimpse of Humbingburtger feeding her chicks, dipping her graceful beak into the chicks’ mouths and regurgitating the food she gathered for the chicks to eat. She was always caring for them, feeding them. Watching her, it reminded me of my own mom, who was always thinking about my sister and me. Humbingburtger squeezed in beside the tiny birds when it was time to sleep, like when I was younger, my mom cradled me in her arms and soothed me to sleep. My mom was always thinking about us, and Humbingburtger was always thinking about her chicks.
I frequently wondered who the delicate chick’s dad was, and after my mom did a bit of research, we realized that the males had patches of shining red around their heads, called gorgets. Oftentimes, we saw the males swooping around our backyard. Their ruby-encrusted feathers were not just a stunning sight, but they were a way to attract females and defend their territory. If their gorgets were brighter, that meant that they were more dominant and more likely to attract females. Their throats flashed like knights in striking red armor, flickering across the sky and fending off others who threatened their homes. To attract females during the mating season, they flew to startling heights and dove almost 130 feet down. Next, they splayed out their scarlet feathers and shimmied side to side in a “shuttle display.” Sometimes I saw hummingbirds with scarlet gorgets flitting around, and I smiled, thinking of the birds that nested in our tree and if one of the red-throated birds was their father.
The day the hummingbirds left their nest, I did not see them. The last I saw of the chicks was when they were nervously fluttering around the tree, extending their wings for the first time. Then our bags were packed, and we stepped into the van, driving away. When we arrived home from our trip to Yellowstone, we rushed into the backyard to find a deserted nest, a lonely feather fluttering in the middle. We sighed, but in that bittersweet moment, we would always remember them. I smiled, remembering the milestones of their childhood. From that day on, I will fall silent when hummingbirds fly by, trying not to frighten the beautiful creatures.
To this day, those birds are still fresh in my memory. I remember each flickering feather on the birds, each flutter of their wings. I hope that I continue to see these beautiful birds and can marvel at their beauty.
Bat Ray (Myliobatis californica)
BY BRADLEY C.
“Jump in!” my dad says. When I jump into the water, it is not as cold as I thought it would be. Luckily, the thick wetsuit covers me and keeps me warm. I follow my friends to a big, floating pad which we all grab onto. With the pool noodle under my legs, I stay afloat better. Now that my snorkel mask is on, I can look down at the dark seafloor, waiting for a manta ray to swim under us.
I look at my friends until I hear someone shout, “Manta ray! One coming under us!” I look back down and see a manta ray swimming under us. Tiny plankton are coming out of a machine on the bottom of the pad we lay on. This causes the manta ray to swim close to us so they can eat the plankton. The rays see the food and start to swim in circles like a Ferris wheel, doing somersaults.
Bat rays are different than manta rays. The manta rays don’t care about the food hidden under sand. The bat ray can find the little clams under the sand. The bat ray can find hidden crabs by flapping their fins in the sand to expose hidden crustaceans. Once a bat ray finds these crustaceans, they use their plate-like teeth to crush them. Then, they sort out the edible bits of food and spit out the inedible parts. Similarly, when my room is messy, I try to find things that are messy and clean them. I keep the good things, and throw away things like bad drawings.
Bat rays can not see what they are eating because they have their mouths on their underside. Their eyes are located on the top of their bodies so they employ a unique sensory system. The sensory system allows the rays to sense pulses of water expelled by prey. Bat rays have the name “bat” because their fins look something like a real bat’s wings. They also have a venomous spine (barb) at the end of their bodies, which acts like a tail. While the sting may be painful, it is not usually deadly. The pain can last twenty minutes.
Bat rays tend to stick on the seafloor though they swim up, too. Their colors help camouflage them because their belly is white, so that if a predator were to look up, they would see a white sky. Bat rays have a dark, olive back, so that looking down, predators see total abyss. They are able to be hidden in the sand. To avoid being stung by one while walking on the seafloor, people can move their feet to expose hidden bat rays.
Bat rays mate in the spring or summer with a litter of two to ten pups. Females are typically larger than males and have been found weighing up to two hundred pounds. Bat rays are usually born measuring 11.4 inches and can grow to reach 5.9 feet.
With a manta ray close to me, I can really see the details. Their wingspan is longer than my height. With them circling up close to the floating pad, they get close. It is almost as though the manta rays are dancing in front of us. I am so amazed by this that I do not know it was time to swim back to the boat. As I am swimming back, I wave to the manta rays and they swim away.
I now appreciate my time with the manta rays even more now that I have researched and learned more about bat rays and rays in general. It was so wonderful to learn about these amazing species and to experience them in real life too. One day I hope to see a bat ray in real life to share the same amazing experience with the manta rays.
their fins in the sand to expose hidden crustaceans.
The thorax, where the wings
Blue Dasher Dragonfly (Pachydiplax longipennis)
BY ROHAN K.
I have always been good at hide-and-seek tag. If I see a seeker, I quickly find a different path. I know of at least three unknown passages on the Nueva campus. Blue dasher dragonflies are also great at maneuvering. If they see a predator, they steer themselves away and take a different path or quickly fly around the predator. The structure of their wings, made of almost entirely veins and membranes, helps with this skill.
The blue dasher, scientifically known as the Pachydiplax longipennis, is the only insect with the genus Pachydiplax. The blue dasher is beautiful, shining, glimmering, and hangs like a Christmas ornament in midair. Blue dashers are known for their metallic, sky-blue abdomen. The female blue dasher is yellow with black stripes and green eyes. The male blue dasher is sky blue and black at its thorax. The wings of a blue dasher look like bubbles grouped together into a complex shape, a shiny rainbow in the sun. The wings of a blue dasher are extremely sturdy for something so thin. The thorax, where the wings connect to the body above the abdomen, looks like a sapphire, diamond, or blue topaz. It looks cut like an emerald.
A blue dasher nymph, the first stage of the life cycle (other than in the egg), can stay in that stage for almost four years. This is extremely long for an insect, which normally lives for just a few hours to a day. Blue dashers are one of the only insects that can do this. After four years, they go into metamorphosis, the stage where they transition from nymphs to adults.
They are endangered because of pollution, even though they are very tolerant of pollution. Now, however, there are thousands of big factories emitting smoke, which causes pollution. Sometimes they die from breathing polluted air. Sometimes their abdomen or wings can be caught in trash, causing them to lose their ability to turn quickly.
A blue dasher can fly quickly, slowly, or simply stay in the same place. Although they do not pollinate plants, they are very important to the ecosystem. This is because they eat hundreds of insects daily, and if they did not, the world might be populated by fruit flies. We do not want that. A blue dasher weaves its needle-thin legs into small baskets to catch hundreds of insects. It can catch them like this because it flies faster than other insects, so it can scoop them up into the basket, and eat them. It does this while flying to move as efficiently as possible.
I have seen dragonflies, birds, and bugs, but none are quite as pretty as the blue dasher. I am very good at multitasking, going so quickly that all my work just flies away. Blue dashers have that skill, a skill not many people have. They fly away like clouds in the background of a blue sky. It flies flawlessly. A blue dasher flies gracefully as if it were floating high above the ground.
Bobcat (Lynx rufus)
BY RHYS Y.
The ball was in my hands as I stood below the basketball hoop. We were losing, but not by much. If we wanted to start winning, we had to score points quickly. I heard people shouting, “Pass the ball!” but I did not listen. I had to make a decision; I could pass it to a teammate, I could try to make the shot which might give us two points, or I could dribble out to make space for a clearer shot. It took a split second to decide what to do. I faked the pass, then shot it. SWISH! It fell through the net, awarding my team with two points.
I ran back on defense, hoping to steal the ball from the other team, run down the court, and make a layup, which would give us enough points to win the game. We did not manage to stop them on defense, and we lost the game. After the game, my mom talked to me about it in the car. “Think fast, move fast.” She is always encouraging me to make quick decisions and be strategic. My basketball team practices plays to throw off the opponent and have more chances to shoot the ball. When playing sports, I have to be as strategic as a bobcat while hunting. Bobcats strategically try to kill their prey with a bite to the back of the neck or throat.
Bobcats are a type of lynx who live in forests, swamps, and deserts. They are carnivores who eat mice, rabbits, and small deer. Bobcats live for five to fifteen years when caring for themselves in the wild. When they have an owner, they live for about eighteen years. They have brown coats with dark brown or black stripes and spots. Some of their predators are red foxes, coyotes, and large owls.
When I return to my house after school, sports practices, or events, I sometimes have to stay in my grandmother’s room to keep her company. When I do, I need to remind my grandmother of things such as where my family members are and who her caregiver will be. I have to repeat sentences to her because she forgets quickly and cannot hear well. Just like a bobcat, which can spend twenty to thirty minutes standing and waiting for the perfect time to pounce on prey, I have to always be patient with her.
“Everybody, get ready to run a lap around the school,” my PE teacher shouted at the whole class. His sentence was met with groans from my classmates.“Three, two, one, …go!” I bolted past everybody else, easily making my way to the front of the hoard of students. I smiled, ecstatic no one could catch up to me. I felt like a bobcat, sprinting past everyone. Bobcats can run up to thirty miles per hour and can travel up to seven miles each day.
While researching the bobcat, I realized I am similar to it in many different ways, including how my speed, patience, and my strategicness are all close to a bobcat’s characteristics.
Bobcats strategically try to kill their prey with a bite to the back of the neck or throat.
Time and time again it seems that we are faced
Broadnose Sevengill Shark (Notorynchus cepedianus)
BY ENZO C.
Time and time again it seems that we are faced with the impossible when all odds are against us and reality seems like it is begging us to lose. We all have times when we are forced to fail, and it feels like we will never win. The easiest solution is often to quit and give up. Give up on your problems and never have to worry about it ever again. But you will never accomplish anything. The other option is to not embrace defeat and keep going. Many people feel like they cannot accomplish anything, so the vast majority of people quit. It is a choice that must be made, quitting and throwing your stress away, to not accomplish anything or decide it is worth the perseverance. This dilemma became evident as I was solving math on a rainy weekend. It was one of those frustratingly hard problems, forcing me to give time to it. This excruciating problem was my final assignment before I could enjoy the weekend. As I began to work on it, it seemed like my chance of some weekend freedom was disappearing.
This day reminds me of the persistent nature that is most memorable when thinking about the broadnose sevengill shark. The broadnose sevengill shark is an opportunistic predator. This predator stalks its prey like a hunter, cunningly watching it with an expert eye, and waits for an opportunity to attack. The sevengill slowly creeps up to its prey, swimming to it a little bit at a time, so the prey does not suspect something is happening. The predator then strikes. By the time the prey notices, it is already too late. The attacker makes their move and swiftly snatches the prey out of the water and into the shark’s mouth.
Its powerful jaws house several rows of teeth before ending the head in a blunt snout. The teeth on the bottom of its jaw are comb-shaped, while the teeth on the upper jaw are jagged. The sevengill hooks onto its prey with its lower teeth at contact. Once the lower jaw is secured, the upper jaw uses its jagged teeth to sever the flesh. The shark shows no mercy in butchering its prey. Even if the prey fights back or shows resistance, the sevengill attacks until it has succumbed to its wounds.
The sevengill’s body is the makeup of a monster. Its body is a streamlined torpedo, with grey and olive skin speckled with black spots. It has a powerful tail to propel itself forward and a singular dorsal fin protruding from its round backside.
The sevengill is a solitary creature that rarely comes into contact with other individuals of its kind. It has been reported that it is cannibalistic and is known to eat its own kind. It may occasionally hunt with many other sharks to take down larger prey.
As time ominously ticked away, looking at the math problem became unbearable. I wanted to quit, I wanted to give up, and I realized that if I quit, I would not go through the pain of solving it. It would not earn me some free time either. Sticking with the problem was horrifying to me, but for some reason, I kept proceeding. I tried until I finally finished the problem. The joy that filled me was not intense, but short and sweet, as I had been working on this one problem for an hour. The feeling of success that I received from solving the problem was just a bundle with earning my free time. I earned pride and confidence. So if anybody ever tells me that I cannot follow through, cannot complete the math problem, and cannot do anything, I will not listen to them. I am better than that.
Brush Rabbit (Sylvilagus bachmani)
BY LUCY F.
“Look!” my dad said, “The rabbits are out!” I ran to the window and looked for the round, fuzzy balls of light, grayish-brown fur. I noticed the minute details of their eyes, flecked with different shades of brown. Their ears looked like old rowboats, except a little smaller with a slight point on top. I always saw the rabbits around the birdbath, hopping up and down, scaring off the birds. I once saw a rabbit inside the birdbath, but I have never seen another rabbit inside the birdbath since then.
Brush rabbits usually eat grasses and forbs (flowering plants), such as green clover; although, they sometimes eat different plants like berries. They also live in other animals’ abandoned dens, instead of building their own. Brush rabbits live in chaparral vegetation. Chaparral vegetation is composed of broad-leaved, evergreen shrubs, bushes, and small trees. They also inhabit areas with dense, brushy cover.
The brush rabbit has many escape strategies when it is being hunted. One of which is running in zig-zag patterns to throw off their hunters. They usually do this when they are being chased in large, open spaces. Some of their most common predators include coyotes, foxes, and bobcats.
I use the same strategy of running in zig-zag patterns in soccer. I do this when I am dribbling around defenders in my soccer games. I have been playing soccer for a long time, and have always used this zig-zag strategy in order to run away from others.
One time my dad was looking out the window and saw a bobcat in our backyard. The bobcat started pacing around and then went after the rabbits. Sadly, one of the rabbits was killed. My dad took a picture of the bobcat, but it mostly just looked like a blackish-brown blob.
Brush rabbits are smaller than most other cottontails, and adults measure anywhere from twelve to fourteen inches and weigh about two pounds. A group of rabbits is called a fluffle; although, they are mostly solitary animals.
In May of 2020, the first case of RHDV2, a disease that is very dangerous to rabbits, was detected in Riverside, California. RHDV2 only affects rabbits and can be carried by birds or insects. Once a rabbit contracts RHDV2, it can take only days for the rabbit to die from the disease. The disease spreads through direct contact with infected rabbits or indirectly through infected carcasses, blood, urine, feces, as well as contaminated food, water, and vegetation.
Brush rabbits are herbivores, meaning that they only eat plants and not meat. They also only live for about two years.
My favorite time to see the brush rabbits is when they are in the yard at sunset or sunrise. They are just little, round fluff balls on our lawn. This is my favorite time to see the brush rabbits because the lighting makes their fur glow. It also reminds me of my beach house and watching the sunset because the sunset there is very beautiful. Also, they look so cute, just sitting there on the lawn and munching on grass.
I always saw the rabbits around the birdbath,
only their mottled gray and brown fur and question mark shaped tails whisk across the grass.
California Ground Squirrel (Otospermophilus beecheyi)
LANA Y.
When I sit down in the morning at my kitchen table, I see squirrels chasing each other around. They run so quickly over the ground, only their mottled gray and brown fur and question mark shaped tails whisk across the grass. Every day, I see them run, occasionally pausing to breathe in the crisp autumn air or shake their bushy tails as if there was a pesky fly resting on them. Oftentimes, they camouflage themselves with the landscape so well that I do not see them at all. I know that the squirrels linger, for they rustle the leaves just enough for my eyes to notice and for my ears to discern through the window.
After the squirrels are done with their speedy chase, they disappear down a hidden hole in the leaf-covered ground. Below these secret entrances, there are thousands of tunnels where squirrels reside. Ground squirrels’ burrows can be up to six feet deep and more than thirty-five feet long, housing many generations of squirrels in these giant colonies. Ground squirrels are always ready to fight a predator looking for a snack. They will stand their ground in the face of another animal and will not give away the corridor leading to the room where the pups are hiding. Sometimes, the squirrels wave their tails in circular motions, like a lasso or a helicopter blade, before they scurry down into the safety of their burrow. When they do this, it is to warn others where the danger is, perhaps a snake, a large bird, or a human. This is not the only way they evade predators. Another clever method is using rattlesnake skins. By chewing on the snakeskin and licking their babies, they disguise their scents so both snakes and other predators stay away. Ground squirrels become like the predator in order to blend in, like people finding a place they fit in. We are like a stone trying to stay afloat in the sea of existence.
My friends and I want the people around us, especially people who are new, to know what is dangerous and what is safe. We want them to know how to not fight the predator of social life, but instead become like the predator, and find similar people to blend in with. I wish we had our own burrows where we could hide away, our own secret entrance to a safe space far away from the dangers of life.
At the table again, I see the ground squirrels chasing each other in swooping figure eights. Suddenly, they stop and dash as quickly as they can to their burrows, concluding their wild pursuit instantly. They sensed the huge hawk flying above, and before I realized the cause of their rush, they waved their tails and disappeared into the ground.
California Kingsnake (Lampropeltis californiae)
BY CYRUS S.
To humans, the coloration of the kingsnake is something that humans are fond of. For other animals in the forest, it’s a sign that tells them to back off, and if the other animals attack a kingsnake, they are brutally punished. Kingsnakes are stealthy as ninjas as they hunt down their prey. As the kingsnakes approach their prey, they camouflage themselves with the woods so their prey is not expecting an attack. This prey can be anything from other snakes to small rodents like rats and mice.
In more heated temperatures, these creatures are nocturnal and sleep during the day under a log or big bush. Although in hot temperatures the snakes are nocturnal, in cooler temperatures, they are crepuscular. Being crepuscular is when an animal is active at dawn and dusk. Humans are one example of a crepuscular animal. Our brains send signals to the rest of our body to sleep when the sun is down and to stay active when the sun is up. When a California kingsnake wakes up, they usually hunt for food. When they are ready to lay their eggs, they do that in the morning, too.
Although kingsnakes have sharp fangs and they can kill many animals with them, their fangs are not venomous; however, it is dangerous to be bitten by a California kingsnake because you can feel a lot of pain and you might get an infection. As the day goes on, the snakes hunt and they sleep in a cycle over and over again. Both of these are survival skills, and kingsnakes must sustain them to have a long, sustained life. This also helps the ecosystem they live in, for they must eat some animals and be eaten by other animals.
Another very important skill that kingsnakes need to learn from a young age is how to be solitary. From the moment they are born, they have to live alone, without family or friends and just rely on their strong brain signals that tell them how to eat, sleep, and sunbathe. On certain days they must camouflage themselves so that predators can not see them, and on other days, they eat other animals who cannot protect themselves. They have to balance their daily lives between aggressiveness and safety. This is how their entire life goes.
The majestic features that nature can give this species is jaw dropping. The stripes look like yellow lane lines in the middle of the road. Find out more about this majestic, and intimidating creature.
The little cups of petals represent
California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica)
BY ROBIN Q.
Who on Earth wants to play soccer in the rain and wind on a cold, winter day? The moment I realized the rain was coming down in sheets, my heart sank. Still, I knew I had to persevere through the game despite my hatred toward extremely cold weather. When the referee blew the final whistle, everyone on the field was drenched from head to toe.
That was a few years ago. I learned how to take advantage of the winter weather, even when it feels as if I am in Antarctica. On the slippery field, as I swiped the water away from my eyes, I knew exactly what to do; however, just because I knew the tips and tricks to soccer like the back of my hand, it did not mean I enjoyed running around in the rain and wind.
The California poppy, however, has its own tactics for winter weather. This resilient plant prefers to close up its vibrant petals and hide away in dark, stormy winters. Almost as if it is saying to the other plants, “When you are all out there suffering the rain, I have my own little umbrella.” That is one reason why this plant can persevere year-long. Its survival skills through the warmest temperatures and coldest winters make it one of the most adaptable plants in California. In the summertime, to prevent itself from drying out, the poppy becomes dormant and waits until winter rolls around. They are also highly independent. Surprisingly, they do not need supplemental watering. Their deep roots make them suitable in the dry California climate with little to no moisture.
The color of the flower symbolizes the Golden State. The little cups of petals represent the Gold Rush, an important piece of California’s history. If I look at each poppy closely, I realize that they are more colorful than I imagined. Wild poppies can come in a wide variety of colors, including different shades of orange, red, yellow, and sometimes even pink.
Although their petals are beautiful to the eye, some animals do not feel that way. Critters, such as squirrels, savor the young shoots of this flower. Once the poppy matures, the animals leave the flowers alone. When someone picks a California poppy, their petals typically fall off immediately, as if they are telling them, “Don’t pick me. You will be disappointed.” When someone “plucks” me away from my comfort zone, I often do not feel like myself anymore, and it takes me some time to adjust.
Because of this poppy’s highly resilient and independent survival skills, it is able to survive in the climate of California. The characteristics of the California poppy will keep it alive for a very long time, as it is an annual plant. Just like this poppy, I will never stop persevering through the difficult times in life, always figuring out new ways to work through a challenge. The poppy’s way of living is what makes it such an interesting plant. Sometimes, all I have to do is dig deeper to find out my own interests and characteristics that may not be the most obvious to others or even myself.
California Quail (Callipepla california)
BY ALEXANDRA C.
The California quail is one of California’s many native wildlife species, and I am lucky to see them almost every day. I live in the Santa Cruz Mountains above Half Moon Bay. Every morning on the way to school, I look out the window of the car and see the amazing wilderness. There are towering coastal redwood trees, often dripping with water brought in by the fog. There are also many different types of wildlife near my house. We often see rabbits, deer, lizards, and hawks, and sometimes we see skinks, snakes, bobcats, owls, skunks, and raccoons, too. By far, the most common animal we see is the California quail.
The California quail is a social animal. They live in wooded, grassy areas with water sources nearby. The shape of a quail is like that of a small football, and they have a head plume like the light of angler fish. California quail are black or brown with white streaks, but their bellies are different colors ranging from bluish-grey to light yellow. They can grow up to 25 centimeters long. They do not fly much, except for when they are startled, and they will take a short and fast flight, known as flushing. More often, they walk or run with their heads bobbing. It seems like they run faster than a speeding train! They also egg dump, where they lay their eggs in an already-occupied nest of another quail. In the fall, California quail come together in large groups to pick their mating partners. The males call out loudly to the females, advertising their territory and hoping to attract females. In the spring, quail split off in pairs and start their own families.
The mating behaviors of the California quail resemble the way friendship groups form at school. At the beginning of the school year in the fall, we all come together in a big pod. Some people are new to our school, while others have been there for a while. All the preexisting friend groups call out to the new students, hoping to draw more people into their friend groups. At the beginning of the school year, not only are the new students socializing with everyone, but students who have been at Nueva for a while have changed over the summer. During the early part of the year, most students are friendly with each other. As the school year progresses, students assess each other’s personalities and interests. By spring, students have figured out the other children they fit in with and who shares their common interests. Students split off in separate friend groups and pursue their own favorite activities during recess and outside of school.
I am very grateful that I researched the California quail, and I enjoyed diving deeper into the world of this amazing animal. I will appreciate every special morning when I see this Bay Area wonder.
I will appreciate every special morning when I see this Bay Area Wonder.
The California Red-legged Frog really fits their name and is in fact, red all over.
California Red-legged Frog (Rana draytonii)
BY ANSEL H.
I am unpacking because I just moved to Hillsborough; however, I keep moving around the house instead of unpacking. I am jumping around and running just like the California red-legged frog does. I am running around and exploring because I feel that I need to move around and I am too curious. Mom says, “Come back! Finish unpacking!” Sure, I hear her, but now is not the time to go back to something so boring.
I am already picking rooms with my sister. “Move! That is my room!” my sister says. I move like the California red-legged frog because I do not want to be dragged into a fight. The California red-legged frog must constantly move due to predators, hunting, and loss of habitat. I think that the first bedroom is mine, but I guess I need to move now because my sister comes in and takes it from me. So, I ask myself if I want to be the California red-legged frog. At first, my answer was a straight no, but then I would have learned something else.
The California red-legged frog has to move once every two to three years. They also have a strong sense of touch and very sticky feet. Their feet are sticky enough that they can climb on walls and rocks!
I like eating, but the California red-legged frog eats even more than I do! I know that the California red-legged frog does not want to eat the same thing as you do. The California red-legged frog likes to eat algae. They scrape it with their bellies to take it off the rocks. Then, they eat it. I know that no human does what the California red-legged frog does to eat. The California red-legged frog really fits their name and is in fact, red all over.
When I run, I try to run faster by pretending that an animal is chasing me. Now, imagine that there was actually a predator chasing you. That is a California red-legged frog almost every day! Furthermore, every two to three years, there is a mass chasing of many frogs and this is when they need to migrate. That is scary.
I do not like being at high elevations. I usually do not like it above three thousand feet of elevation. The California red-legged frog likes being at around 5,200 feet of elevation! I am not sure how the California red-legged frog survives on top of all the other things that they need to go through!
Only one to two percent of their eggs hatch. This forces them to lay 750-4000 eggs every time. If they need to do this, they will have to spend so much more energy than if they had a greater percentage of hatching and surviving.
Moving from house to house is quite similar to the California red-legged frog in my experience. After a couple of weeks of living in Hillsborough, I have done many things like California red-legged frogs do. It is interesting to think about how the California red-legged frog withstands all these obstacles. The California red-legged frog helps us by showing us ways to move around some of these common obstacles. So, why are we hunting them? We do not even go near the 80,000 California red-legged frogs that were once hunted for their legs.
California Scrub Jay (Aphelocoma californica)
BY KAITLYN W.
“Squawk, squawk!” When I was in third grade, I went hiking in the woods and a bird flew by, screeching. I stared at it in awe. I thought it was very pretty with its gray-blue body and a head as white as snow. When I looked away for a second, it swooped high up into the trees to feed its babies. I stood by for some time, but the bird did not come back. I wished it would return so I could see those bright colors again.
California scrub jays are amazing creatures. They live from Washington state all the way down to Baja, California. They are quite mischievous, as they sometimes steal acorns from the nests of other scrub jays. They are even brave enough to steal food from nests of larger birds. These birds are also very clever. While stealing the food, they check their surroundings to see if anyone is looking, moving stealthily like a child stealing from a cookie jar, and only after checking for predators do they take action.
California scrub jays eat a wide variety of food, such as spiders, snails, and other insects. They are known to eat the eggs of other animals, tiny reptiles, amphibians, and even the babies of other birds. In the winter, they feast on acorns, nuts, and berries. Actually, by eating bugs, they also help other animals. For instance, the bird feasts on parasites that reside on the backs of mule deer, and the deer, in return, receive a free cleaning; this is called symbiosis. California scrub jays have many predators, such as snakes, weasels, raccoons, and bobcats. Their lives are hard. In order to survive, they must constantly be alert for predators. California scrub jays can plan for the future. They store acorns for winter because they know it will be hard to find food at that time. This feature is called metacognition. They are very thoughtful planners. Knowing that other birds might steal their acorns, they take precautions by looking around to make sure no animals are watching when they bury their food in the soil.
Also, California scrub jays’ memories are excellent. They store their food in many different places and can remember up to two hundred locations. This is yet another reason they are thoughtful; if an animal finds one of their buried acorns, the jays still have many more left. Of course, they cannot remember everything. Some acorns stay buried in the ground and eventually grow into trees. This may be why the Miwok Native Americans called them “The Ones Who Plant Oaks.”
After my short encounter with that California scrub jay, I was intent on finding more. On every trail I hiked, I looked around desperately, searching for those beautiful birds. Learning about the California scrub jay made me realize how all creatures are closely connected to each other in the ecosystem and each plays an important role. They act for their own benefit, but they help the world. In the future, as a part of the ecosystem myself, I want to do my job to protect the well-being of all creatures and help them thrive.
They act for their own benefit, but they help the world.
The California sea lion is one of my favorite creatures. I love seeing them in San Diego with my grandparents. These sea lions can be seen at my grandparent' s apartment right out of the window.
California Sea Lion (Zalophus californianus)
BY AVI T.
California sea lions are native to the West Coast of North America. The California sea lion is one of my favorite creatures. I love seeing them in San Diego with my grandparents, and we can see the sea lions right out the window of my grandparents’ apartment. From the apartment, I can hear them splashing in the water. In addition, just a short walk away is a cove where many sea lions live. The boisterous sea lions are as playful and social as a lively group of friends enjoying a summer day!
One day, we walked down to the beach at sunset and watched the strong and playful seal lions resting, lying on top of each other, and wrestling. The California sea lion has grey skin with cute fluttering whiskers that make me laugh. It is a spectacular creature that looks breathtaking. The sea lions weigh between four hundred and six hundred pounds. I love the California sea lion, as the blubber on its skin is so thick, and it is a beautiful goldish-gray. Many people agree that sea lions are beautiful.
In addition to San Diego, I have seen the sea lions in San Francisco, California, at Pier 39 where there are hundreds of these beautiful creatures resting on the piers. Walking out onto the pier, jovial barking can be heard from the sea lions before seeing them. Do not harm sea lions or get too close as they might attack and cause injuries. Sea lions might feel threatened by people getting close to them and taking photos. The sea lions will respond by possibly biting the intruder. My family hates for any animal, including sea lions, to be harmed, abused, or killed. Sadly, every day on the news someone reports some type of animal abuse occurring.
There are about 300,000 sea lions in California. One of the weird things about sea lions is dogs should not be near sea lions. There is a bacteria called Leptospirosis that can kill sea lions. It is common for dogs to carry this. Dogs being near sea lions should not happen, so please help make this a less common issue.
When sea lions are born, they are adorable. They are as beautiful as a ray of sunshine. Sea lions are on the beach chilling like kids on vacation, while the mom is hunting for their food. The sea lions are there for two-three years while they are grown up. They learn how to swim, stay away from sharks, survive storms at sea, and learn how to catch small fish to eat.
Smart sea lions have been on Earth throughout the ages! The Earth has been home to many animals, including sea lions, for so long. It is sad when humans negatively impact the sea lions’ environment. That is why it is very important to make sure we take care of all creatures. Let us all work together to make this a good calm environment for sea lions. I love sea lions because they are very social and loving creatures but can be persistent, too. I love that they are in the area I live in! I adore sea lions!
Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha)
BY EVAN F.
It was a beautiful summer day. My grandpa and I were fishing. We had already caught a few small fish and were about to head home. As we were walking back from the creek, a large salmon flew out of the water, its silver and red color shining in the sun. The salmon’s slender body was quite a sight to see. As I saw the salmon, I began to wonder what it would be like to be a salmon.
As it turns out, the salmon’s life cycle is very interesting. First, they start as fry. These fry, or adolescents, have striped and spotted bodies called parr marks. These allow them to camouflage into grass and hide from mackerel or birds, their primary predators. The young salmon eat amphipods, insects, and other crustaceans. They start their lives in freshwater lakes, rivers, and creeks, but migrate to the ocean when they are old enough. Before they migrate, they lose their parr marks and gain the dark back and light belly of the fish that live in open water.
As adults, chinook salmon eat other fish such as sand lance and herring. Some of their predators are orcas, sea lions, and sharks. While in the ocean, adult salmon are blue-green on the back and top of their head with silvery sides and white bellies.
These adult salmon stay in the ocean for three to four years before migrating upstream for spawning season. Chinook salmon migrate back to the streams and lakes they grew up in to spawn by developing a smell memory bank. This allows them to remember what lake or river they came from. Once they arrive, they dig gravel nests (redds) on the bottom of streams to lay their eggs. Typically, during spawning, male salmon turn a bright shade of olive brown, red, or purple.
Immediately after spawning, the chinook salmon die. Their floating carcasses improve newly hatched salmon growth by providing nutrients to the streams.
When I think of a salmon, I think of resilience. In every sport I have played, resilience is a key quality to winning. There have been times when my soccer team won after being destroyed in the first half 3 to 0. We ended up winning because nobody on my team lost hope. I like to think of us as salmon because salmon are anadromous, which means that they migrate upstream. They have to deal with predators such as grizzly bears and fight strong currents to arrive back to spawning grounds. It has always amazed me how resilient they are.
Chinook salmon are also the most culinary-prized salmon because they have dark red meat instead of pink meat like other salmon. Chinook salmon are known for their rich, buttery, and smooth taste. In addition to being tasty, Chinook salmon are also a very healthy food choice because they provide omega-3 fatty acids, niacin, vitamin B-12, protein, and selenium.
While in the ocean, adult salmon are blue-green on the back and top of their head with silvery sides and white bellies.
Now, only 5% of the species are left, leaving many animals without a home.
Coast Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens)
BY SHRIYA V.
When I was younger, I used to go to a park that was near my house called Shoup Park. When I entered, I immediately noticed the fifty-foot-tall redwood trees. These trees were so tall I could barely see their tops. The redwoods made nice shady spots with their needle-like leaves.
Sometimes when it rained, my sister and I would go outside. We became soggy, like a cloth being drowned in water, while our mom took videos and pictures. Redwood trees do not need rain to help them get water to their roots. They can create their own “rain” by collecting moist air high up in the sky and dropping it to their roots in the form of water. This happens because as the redwood goes higher into the atmosphere, the air becomes colder, and when they bundle the moist air, it forms water. Redwoods can also intertwine their roots with other redwood trees and pass nutrients and water back and forth. They are able to do this because their roots can go outwards for one hundred meters.
Redwoods can also grow about two to five feet per year, and they live for two thousand years. This reminds me of when my mom would make my sister and me stand against a wall. She would draw a line right over our heads marking our height, and each year we would grow just a little bit taller than we were the year before. Redwoods are so old that it is said redwoods are as old as dinosaurs. People look for fossils and objects from thousands of years ago, but there were trees right in front of them that date back to that time.
As strong as redwood trees might be, predators will still try to attack. Raccoons and black bears love to chew on redwood trees. This is why redwoods have thick, red bark to protect themselves. However, animals are not the only predators to redwood trees. Climate change and severe weather can be big threats to redwoods, as well. One of their main enemies are wildfires. When a wildfire comes, it burns with fury.
Redwood forests create habitats for all sorts of animals and plants, including mountain lions, coyotes, coho salmon, bobcats, wildflowers, and the marbled murrelet. Many animals live in redwood forests because redwood trees produce fresher and cleaner air than most trees. Many species rely on redwood trees like humans rely on technology. Redwoods are cut down and dying because of climate change and humans. Now, only 5% of the species are left, leaving many animals without a home. Redwoods grow naturally along the California coastline to Southern Oregon, but these days, people plant redwood trees in their backyard, parks, hiking trails, and national forests all around the world, which makes it harder for redwood trees to fend for themselves because the environment is not their natural habitat so they can’t find the nutrients they need. Now, when I pass by redwood trees and at them, I remember the nice moments I had with them in Shoup Park and what they do for this world.
Coyote (Canis latrans)
BY SHUXIAN D.
I am pretty good at surprising others. I know how to sneak, and I can suddenly jump at other people like a coyote. The coyote is good at sneaking and staying low until suddenly, BAM! They pounce on their prey with lightning-fast speed. Coyotes are skilled hunters, able to sneak up on their prey. They run with their tail down to make as little noise as possible. A coyote generally looks like a wolf, but it is smaller, quicker, and has thinner fur. Coyotes can adapt to living in many different places, including marshes, forests, fields, deserts, mountains, and arctic areas. Some coyotes have even adapted to living in urban areas such as Chicago or Los Angeles!
When I was younger, I was on a hike with my friend when I saw a field with a pack of coyotes, but I did not know what they were. I thought they were some sort of dog. Coyotes can run at alarmingly fast speeds of up to sixty-four miles per hour.
Coyotes are feared by some humans, so they are often hunted. They are also hunted by humans because coyotes eat their livestock. Despite this, coyotes are still abundant in the wild, and the coyote population is slowly increasing. During the coyote’s breeding season, they usually have four to seven pups. I thought my two siblings were enough. Imagine having three siblings or even six siblings. Coyotes may be strong, but their pups are not. The pups are born blind and helpless, but the parents help take care of the pups. When the pups are six to nine months old, they are released into the wild. A coyote grows from a blind and helpless pup to a menacing predator!
Additionally, coyotes are hunters and scavengers. Their keen senses help them to hunt their prey. Sometimes they hunt in packs, which often is more successful than hunting alone. A coyote’s diet mainly consists of meat, like hares, deer, rodents, and other animals, but they can also eat plants. They can eat things like fruits, berries, vegetables, insects, and even carrion when meat is limited, which shows how adaptive coyotes can be. The coyote is nocturnal. I am also partially nocturnal because I am more active at night.
Coyotes have many different sounds like barks, growls, yips, whines, and howls. They use their howls to communicate with other coyotes, like to call other members of their pack, or to defend their territory against other coyotes and their packs.
Coyotes prefer wide open areas to live because they do not want to hunt in a crowded forest. Coyotes can easily hunt down their prey in open areas, but in forests, prey can escape into undergrowth or roots. Coyotes tend to prefer areas like fields and deserts. Many animals build their own homes, but a coyote usually tries to look for an abandoned fox or badger den to live in. They usually only use their dens when they have pups, as they prefer to sleep in the open.
A few years after the first time I saw a coyote, I saw another big field with a pack of coyotes. I was very excited to see coyotes again, and now I still hope to see more coyotes in the future.
Douglas Iris (Iris douglasiana)
BY SADIE D.
A few years ago during the pandemic, I remember walking down the trail at Fort Funston. I went to San Francisco with my neighbors, who had two children and two dogs. I remember walking down the path and then looking down at the ground for a quick second. I saw a few clumps of purple flowers in small patches of sunlight.
“Look!” I exclaimed, pointing at the flowers, which I did not know were called the Douglas iris. We all bent down to look at them for a while before continuing on the trail. As we kept walking, the flowers popped up along the path for a few more feet before they stopped appearing on the trail.
The Douglas iris was discovered in the 19th century by botanist David Douglas, who named it after himself. David Douglas also discovered the Douglas fir, which he also named after himself. The Douglas iris prefers heavy soil with organic matter. It was used by Native Americans for medicine, food, and as fibers for rope. The Douglas iris can be a range of colors from light yellow to dark blue and purple. It also likes to have water every two to four weeks, and it is most commonly found in grasslands near the coast. The flower usually blooms in March, April, May, June, and July.
This flower is toxic to cats, dogs, and horses, and it is deer-resistant. No animals like to eat them because of their bitter taste. They are easy to grow in dry meadows and coastal gardens because the flower prefers full or partial shade and rich soil. It is also native to Santa Barbara and is a slow-spreading evergreen, which is a type of plant that will have green leaves all year long. The Douglas iris needs little maintenance and naturalizes easily.
The flower has soft purple petals that are like purple lace. The iris is six-peat symmetrical; there is balance on both sides of the flower. Its broad leaves remind me of those tiny little umbrellas people put in your drink. The flower is a fast-growing plant as if it is a bike going downhill. The Douglas iris attracts hummingbirds and other insects, which reminds me of bait that people lay out for animals.
That day in San Francisco when I saw the Douglas iris for the first time, I referred to it as “that purple flower.” Now, years later, I know I saw a Douglas iris. I do not usually recognize it right away, but I know I have seen it before. I know the flower’s name. I have done research on it.
I saw a few clumps of purple flowers in small patches of sunlight. ‘Look!’ I exclaimed, pointing at the flowers,
Overall, the fly agaric is an outstanding fungus because it is one of the most poisonous.
Fly Agaric (Amanita muscaria)
BY EMILY L.
Once, when I was little, I was hiking and saw a bright red mushroom with white spots on it that looked like perfect, stained glass artwork. I reached out to grab it until my mom stopped me from doing so. Only later did I learn that the pretty mushroom was called a fly agaric and had dangerous chemicals that were poisonous.
A few years later, I was playing Super Mario Bros and noticed a slightly orange fly agaric on the screen. This time, however, I did not try to pick it up from the TV screen. I did some light research and found that fly agarics are yellow, red, pink, and blood-orange, the most common colors of stained glass.
The fly agaric synthesizes ibotenic acid and muscimol, which are both poisonous and psychoactive. As poisonous as these acids are, fly agarics still have predators like red squirrels, slugs, and fungus gnats. Similarly, African wild dogs are one of the most dangerous animals in the world, but they can be killed by humans. Fly agarics are similar to African wild dogs because they are both very powerful; one is a highly feared predator in Africa, while the other is highly poisonous throughout the world. However, both have weaknesses and can always be defeated by another organism; African wild dogs can be hunted down by humans, while the fly agaric can be defeated by squirrels, some slugs (such as the banana slug), and fungus gnats.
I do not like milk, and I have a good reason for it. The name of the mushroom, “fly agaric,” comes from the mushroom’s ability to catch flies; apparently, if one puts pieces of it in milk, flies will come for a sip, get intoxicated, and become unable to fly away. Even if I am not a fly, I will be intoxicated if I eat this mushroom. The moral is to never drink milk with fly agaric chunks in it or you will be intoxicated. Fly agarics are also around twenty centimeters across and thirty centimeters tall.
I absolutely hit the jackpot with the family that I have. In my opinion, I live with the smartest parents in the world, along with a little brother. Likewise, fly agarics are related to the two deadliest mushrooms on the planet: the death cap (Amanita phalloides), and the fallen angel or the eastern destroying angel (Amanita bisporigera). Unlike this, my parents are the opposite: smart, caring, and compassionate.
If someone possesses the fly agaric in the wrong way, for example, baking cookies with it, drinking milk with fly agarics, or eating it head-on without getting the poison removed properly, they would end up with vomiting, dizziness, hallucinations, fainting, passing out, or worse.
Overall, the fly agaric is an outstanding fungus because it is one of the most poisonous. Though the fly agaric is not the most poisonous mushroom on the planet, people have to think twice before messing with it!
Giant Pacific Octopus (Enteroctopus dofleini)
BY MILLIE L.
I have always loved octopuses, especially the ones that live nearby like the giant Pacific octopus. Although they have eight tentacles and live underwater, they are very similar to humans. In fact, we share sixty to seventy percent of our DNA with them. I read an article about them too, which helped me learn how octopuses solve puzzles. I also love solving different types of puzzles, like them. One time I read about an octopus that was bothered by a light in the aquarium, so every night it would spray water at the light to turn it off. That article sparked my curiosity about these sea creatures and how they became so intelligent. Some people even think that octopuses are like aliens! Octopuses in aquariums make friends with their caretakers; some wild ones even become friends with scuba divers.
Giant Pacific octopuses have many clever defenses they use when they are scared. Sometimes they will squeeze their infinite supply of chromatophores to camouflage into rocks or shoot ink at their predators, blinding them while the octopus escapes. Some octopuses are able to escape through holes the size of pennies because they are flexible like pizza dough. The only thing stopping them from going through even smaller spaces than a quarter is their beaks. Unlike us, their mouths are not directly on their head. Their mouths are in the center of their arms. Their beaks are between 2.2 and 12.9 millimeters wide, which is very small.
Giant Pacific octopuses like to travel to different places, like me. Other than the Bay Area, they can also be found all the way in Alaska and Japan. Although the giant Pacific octopus is native to the Bay Area, there are other types of octopuses in different parts of the world, like the Galapagos Islands or Antarctica. Even though giant Pacific octopuses are in many different places, they are rare to find. I have only seen one at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Some octopuses have evolved to become more social than others. There is only one at that aquarium because octopuses are mostly solitary their whole entire lives until they are about to die.
Octopuses like to have fun, too. Sometimes they will randomly slap a fish that passes by for no reason. Like a giant Pacific octopus, I also like to surprise people from behind. Octopuses do the same thing, but they surprise and eat their prey, instead of just surprising their friends.
The article I read was very interesting, and it inspired me to learn even more about giant Pacific octopuses. In fact, I would love to study octopuses as a marine biologist in the future, and I would be fascinated to find out why these creatures became so intelligent, why they are so similar to humans, or why they look like aliens to some people. Giant Pacific octopuses are such interesting creatures, and they are so amazing to learn about.
Sometimes they will randomly slap a fish that passes by for no reason.
The giant phantom jelly is bright, crimson red, and thirty-three feet long.
Giant Phantom Jelly (Stygiomedusa gigantea)
BY JOSH B.
I remember the first time I heard about the giant phantom jelly. It was a few years back, and I was visiting the Monterey Bay Aquarium. I was looking at the aquarium map and saw “The Deep Zone.” Man, that sounded cool. My family went over there, and there were all kinds of cool deep-sea creatures. It was fascinating. When we arrived back at the hotel room, I looked at the deep-sea creature website from the Monterey Bay Aquarium. There it was. Smack in the middle of a page it said “giant phantom jelly.” I clicked on the link. I realized just how cool this creature was, and still is.
The Stygiomedusa gigantea lives in the midnight zone, a region in the depths of the ocean as dark as space. It can survive so deep because jellyfish’s bodies are made of jelly, and absorb pressure. It is either shy, rare, or both. In total, these creatures have only been spotted 126 times since 1910. It has been seen seven to twenty-nine times by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, although it has only been seen around once a year worldwide, except in the Arctic Ocean. Why it lives in Antarctic waters but not in the Arctic is unknown. Giant phantom jellyfish live in hydrothermal areas because of the heat the vents give off. This provides a theory as to why they do not live in the Arctic Ocean. Jellyfish are phantoms for a reason!
The giant phantom jelly is bright, crimson red, and thirty-three feet long. Because they live so deep in the ocean where light cannot penetrate, they appear invisible to predators. Its bell is three feet wide, making it truly giant. Their four arms are kite-like shaped. The giant phantom jelly lives deep in the ocean and is rare; therefore, these jellyfish cannot be found in any aquarium. It is one of the few jellyfish to have no stingers. It only poses a threat to plankton, krill, or small fish. The jellyfish ensnares them in its tentacles before it drags them into its mouth.
I am particularly interested in this species of jellyfish because they are so mysterious. Who does not enjoy a good mystery? Everyone is unique, and this is the same for the giant phantom jelly as they are few and far between like diamonds. I hope we can find and learn more about these elusive and mysterious jellyfish.
Gray Fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus)
BY LILY K.
The gray fox is never pleased when its pelt is taken away. Once this happens, the fox is never the same. That is how I felt when my coat disappeared out of thin air, without a trace. I scrambled for hours upon hours searching for it. When I walked through the halls, crying on the inside, I thought about how much my furry jacket meant to me. Fluffy and soft, it felt like a second skin, a gift from my grandmother, and I was devastated to lose it. I led a tiring search to find it and finished without success. Just like that, it was gone. Like the fox, I was never the same. I still remember the warm llama-like fluff coat, and I am embarrassed that I had lost it. Now, I felt pink and vulnerable like a cat with no fur.
The foxes are known for their amazing ability to climb trees, skillfully rotating their claws to hook onto the wobbly branches. Unlike red foxes, gray foxes are one of the few canines capable of climbing. Quickly climbing into my favorite tree, I watched everyone play during recess. I watched the cheery third and happy fourth graders on the basketball court with beautiful jackets. I felt so lost and afraid; however, resilience was another value from my end. When someone like the red fox casts the foxes down by stealing their prey or their territory, they never stop fighting. I breathed in and out, knowing that I could find a way through this. I could buy a new jacket, maybe even fluffier than the last. I envied the fox. They were always prepared, and they had a fulfilling life.
Gray foxes are elusive creatures, quick to defend themselves when in danger. Their acute senses of hearing and smell allow them to detect threats long before they become dangerous so they can run away quickly and stay safe. They are mostly nocturnal, so they prefer to move under the peaceful cover of darkness.
Three years later, I bought the same coat. I had it back, and I was as joyful as a ten-year-old could be, wearing it now and then. I felt so alive again, like the fox; however this time, I decided to wear it less often, so I would not lose it again. Sometime later, I received news that my coat had been found in one of the bathrooms in the lower school, flushed in water. I was angry at first, but it was okay in the end. You could say that I learned that what truly matters is not what is worn, but the strength that resides within.
What truly matters is not what is worn, but the strength that resides within.
At ten thousand miles, gray whales make one of the longest migrations every year.
Gray Whale (Eschrichtius robustus)
BY ALEXA T.
What was life like for gray whales? For several hundred years, gray whales have been hunted by whalers for their oil, meat, and blubber. After people stopped hunting them, gray whales have gradually become more friendly and curious towards humans. Understandably, they keep their calves close at all times, still having to fear predators such as orcas and polar bears. In order to protect themselves, they travel in pods, typically in groups of four and five, to look intimidating to predators.
My family is like a pod. When I am with my family, I feel safe with them, wherever I am. One night, not long ago, my parents were going out and they could not find a babysitter, which meant I had to babysit my little sister for eight hours at night. When my parents left, my sister started crying and I had to calm her down. I immediately started to worry. What if something bad happened? What if someone tried to break in, or a fire started? Outside, I could hear the trees howling. The evening went by, and nothing out of the ordinary happened. I felt calmer throughout the night. Now, I look back on that night with more knowledge. Gray whales only travel with their mothers for about eight months. The next time I have to babysit, I am going to remember that, and I will not feel as scared.
At ten thousand miles, gray whales make one of the longest migrations every year. During the summer, they migrate to Alaska. Gray whales, like other whales, are slow. They travel at around three to five miles per hour, making their migration long. When gray whales migrate, they eat very little, but when they do, they eat shrimp, squid, and krill. If the gray whales are with their calves during the migration, they travel in shallower, warmer waters to help their calves.
When I was five years old, I was just learning how to ride a bike. I was not ready to bike on the road yet, so my dad biked with me on the sidewalk, until a couple of months later when I was ready to bike on the street with him, which is similar to how the gray whales temporarily adapt to fit the needs of their calves.
When calves are born, they are as long as three bathtubs, lined up end to end at fifteen feet long. They can grow up to be between forty to fifty feet long in adulthood. The average lifespan of gray whales is around fifty-five years. The mother and calf can communicate by using clicks underwater like a clock. The clicks can be loud or soft, long or short. In many ways, it is similar to how humans communicate with each other.
The personality of a gray whale can vary in different situations. In warmer waters, they become friendlier, allowing people to touch them. At the same time, they are very protective of their calves and keep them away from boats. Gray whales are friendly, in general, but this was not always the case. In the early twentieth century, their aggressive behavior toward whalers earned them the name “Devil Fish.”
The next time I ever feel scared, I am going to imagine what life is like for gray whale calves and that will make it feel like nothing at all.
Great White Shark (Carcharodon carcharias)
BY ANNABELLE F.
For the past three summers, my family and I have gone to Santa Barbara, a city with warm weather and beautiful beaches. There is a surfing camp that my siblings and I used to go to. One morning, just like any other, we changed, ate breakfast, grabbed our wetsuits and sunscreen, and put everything in the car. We drove to the railroad track where we stepped out and carefully crossed the track. Every day we placed a penny on the railroad track, and in the afternoon, we checked to see if the squished penny was still there.
Next, we walked to the tent where we were assigned a group based on age, and hopped into the water. Every time we walked in the water, the instructors reminded us to shuffle our feet around so none of us would have stings from stingrays. We hopped on our boards and started paddling out to find the perfect wave. I was waiting with one of my friends and an instructor. We were just talking and having fun when a baby great white shark came up to us. I could see the dorsal fin poking out of the water. Our instructor told us not to worry and blew his whistle to direct everyone in the water to come to the beach. With no waves coming, our instructor pushed my friend and me to the beach.
Since the great white shark was just a baby, it was smaller than the instructor. They are born four feet long; however, they can grow to twenty feet long. There was also no mother in sight because great white sharks are solitary creatures, and once they are born, they leave their mothers right away.
Great white sharks keep their teeth as sharp as knives by having excellent dental hygiene, which helps scare away predators. Great white sharks do not actually clean their teeth, but fluoride can be found surrounding their teeth which protects their teeth from acids and alkalis. Also, great white sharks can have up to three hundred teeth at a time and can lose up to 50,000 teeth throughout their lifetime. Whenever they lose teeth, new ones can grow in, which is why they can lose up to 50,000 teeth. Even though great white sharks have many teeth, most of them are not used for biting. For example, great white sharks use their teeth to feel objects because they can not use their fins to do so.
When great white sharks are young, not all of their teeth have grown yet, so they like to eat smaller fish. When they age, they eat more mammals including seals and sea lions, which explains why the baby great white shark was so close to the shore. Some sharks have also been on Earth longer than trees, so great white sharks have had many, many years to adapt.
Next time I hop in the ocean, I will be looking out for the great white sharks, and maybe I will try to find some of the aspects of the great white shark that I learned about. For example, how long it is, if I can see their teeth, and if there are any other great white sharks around. Great white sharks are an amazing animal, and I will keep learning about them.
I could see the dorsal fin poking out of the water.
Harbor seals are a common sight as they have the largest geographical range.
Harbor Seal (Phoca vitulina)
BY RUHAAN G.
Harbor seals always come up to my boat when I am sailing. Once, my boat even flipped over, and a harbor seal touched me when I was in the water. I named the harbor seal Jerry. It was really exciting to see these animals in the ocean and not in captivity. Harbor seals are very curious, so they come up to my boat often. They are like boat inspectors.
Sometimes, a shy harbor seal will stay underwater for a very long time because they are scared. They can do this because rather than inhaling before diving, they exhale before diving and then stop breathing underwater. Their heart rate slows, resulting in the conservation of oxygen.
Their sleek and dynamic bodies are like a submarine. This is because they can go as deep as 427 meters. Harbor seals eat fish and invertebrates like shellfish. The seal’s mouth looks like a hook at the end of a fishing rod’s string. Harbor seals’ short snouts are a lot like a dog’s snout. Their bodies grow about five to six feet.
Harbor seals are light tan, silver, or blue-gray with dark speckling or spots and a dark background with light rings. Harbor seals also molt every summer.
Harbor seals are a common sight as they have the largest geographical range. They are also typically seen near piers and beaches, as well as on intercoastal islands. Harbor seals enter the water in groups of a few to a thousand. They are like me; I never go out on the water alone. Harbor seals are very gentle unless they are scared. If scared, they may growl or act violently.
Harbor seals are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. This means that nobody is allowed to hurt this animal. It also protects the harbor seal from other dangers.
Harbor seals are also very curious. This quality urges them to go to boats, piers, and many different new places. If I see something interesting to me, I feel the urge to explore it. Harbor seals use their sensitive whiskers to detect vibrations such as fish swimming nearby. Seals thrust their whiskers in a sweeping movement by pushing their mobile upper lip in and out. A harbor seal does not chew its food as it swallows it whole. The vibrations detected by their whiskers help harbor seals to find prey in dark or murky water. Never enter the ocean at night, as a harbor seal could feel territorial and attack.
Harbor seals haul out of the water onto rocks, reefs, beaches, and drifting glacial ice when they are not traveling at sea. They come out of the water to regulate their body temperature, molt, interact with other seals, give birth, and nurse their pups. In spring and summer, they spend more time outside the water during pupping and molting season.
Harbor seals are amazing and unique animals. I hope they continue coming to my boat when I sail.
Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae)
BY LARA K.
He is dribbling a ball with curved lines marked on it like squid ink to the three-point line with the Sacramento Kings’ defense following his every move. Aside from the upbeat music blasting from the speakers, there is a tense silence, a wind change, a premonition. The hoop’s hushed, whispery voice cheers, Curry! Curry! Curry! He steps back, lifts a ball the color of the three thousand pounds of krill and small fish that humpback whales eat every day, thrusts his arms up, and lets the ball streak through the grasp of the defenders, soar over their heads, and make its way towards the hoop. The audience suddenly erupts into cheers. I look up from my s’more, fries, and burger dog to see the ball swish through the net. I am on my feet immediately, clapping as hard as I can, my palms stinging. I put my thumb and my forefinger together in the “three” sign, yelling as loud as I could, practically losing my voice. The rest of my praise catches in my throat.
I squeeze my blue and yellow Golden State Warriors stuffed dragon nestled in my new navy blue Warriors sweatshirt, elated. In the end, the Golden State Warriors’ hard work does not pay off, and the Kings celebrate their game seven playoff triumph. I shrug listlessly, wishing for the paper ribbons that stream from the ceiling on the rare occasion that I get the chance to go to a game and the Warriors win.
Humpback whales are a type of baleen (toothless) whale that are mainly black in color, but some individual whales have more white. For example, Southern hemisphere humpback whales tend to have more white markings than Northern hemisphere whales. Just like our fingerprints, snowflakes, or patterns on a butterfly’s wing, each whale’s tail is unique. It can grow up to eighteen feet wide and has small serrations. In their eighty to ninety-year lifespan, they can grow up to sixty feet long and weigh up to forty tons.
One of the rarer displays of the humpback whale is when they flap their pectoral fins like wings. Their scientific name is Megaptera novaeangliae. Megaptera, a Latin word, translates to “big winged” (Mega means “big” and Ptera means “winged”). Novaeangliae means “New England,” in reference to where European whalers first spotted them. Pectoral fin flapping is a form of communication, like how the stadium erupts into screams and applause when Steph Curry scores a three-pointer. Just like this magnificent whale flaps its fins and splashes, fans throw their hands in the air and clap as hard as they can, cheers filling the stadium. The audience stands up one after another and sits back down, doing the wave. This is similar to the towering tides created when humpbacks breach (jump out of) the water.
The standing ovation of the crowd leaves one with their ears ringing and a sense of exhilaration after leaving the stadium. What does everyone love about basketball games? Is it the feeling of satisfaction when their team wins? Is it the dessert that they eat too much of? The game is only exciting when the players make a splash that a humpback whale would approve of.
One of the rarer displays of the humpback whale is when they flap their pectoral fins like wings.
When I looked in the tank, I saw a few leopard sharks, and I felt an instant connection.
Leopard Shark (Triakis semifasciata)
BY RAY R.
When children in my sister’s kindergarten class have birthday parties, I always feel like the parties are a waste of time, but not this time. When we climbed out of the car at the Marine Science Institute in Foster City, I was thinking, Ugh, how will I survive through this? When we started the activities, I thought this actually might be fun. For the last activity, we went into a room with one large tank and a few smaller tanks. The instructor told us to look in the large tank. When I looked in the tank, I saw a few leopard sharks, and I felt an instant connection.
The leopard shark is the most common shark species in San Francisco Bay. The Marine Science Institute is essentially on the Bay, so many leopard sharks swim to the Institute. The instructor picked up the shark and hung the shark upside-down with its head in the water. This is a way to put a shark to sleep. The instructor showed us the shark’s mouth, which is where its chin would be if it were a human. The leopard shark waits on the ocean floor and when it spots food, such as an innkeeper worm, the shark pulls the worm off the ocean floor and eats it. If the shark is lucky enough to find food, it will retrieve a filling meal to enjoy. Leopard sharks eat clams, fish eggs, fat innkeeper worms, crabs, fish, and occasionally the fry of various fish (i.e. herring, topsmelt, jacksmelt, and midshipmen).
While the instructor explained the shark to us, I noticed some holes near its mouth. Those holes are like a “sixth sense.” The holes are called the Ampullae of Lorenzini, and they detect electrical fields. This is important because it helps the shark find prey to eat.
Leopard sharks have been observed doing some very strange activities. One memorable day in 1965, a diver in Trinidad Bay, California, was in an unprovoked attack by a leopard shark. That was the only documented case of a leopard shark attack ever. Leopard sharks are known for being very docile, but they can occasionally do strange things. For example, within a hollow bridge support structure located in San Francisco Bay, leopard sharks, and piked dogfish have been observed engaging in a unique feeding strategy. The two shark species will swim at the surface with mouths open in a counter-clockwise direction. At the same time, densely packed schools of anchovies gather at the surface and swim in a clockwise direction. While the sharks do not exhibit any specific hunting behavior or directed movements toward the oncoming anchovies, the sharks’ posture and movement do result in the sharks eating the anchovies accidentally.
Leopard sharks are very fast and agile, reaching speeds of up to eight miles per hour. I am a track and field and cross-country runner, and I am very fast.
Leopard sharks have spots on them that turn darker as they age, and they are tan-colored with white undersides. The bottom of them resembles the cake we were eating at the birthday party. After we devoured the cake and left, I wished I could stay longer with the leopard sharks. I even wished I could have one as a pet! While we were driving in the car, I thought, Maybe, just maybe, I like kindergarten birthday parties.
Little Brown Bat (Myotis lucifugus)
BY SAMIT K.
The 2020 pandemic was a harsh time for most youth. Six-year-olds like me usually stayed inside a house for twenty-two hours a day, looking at a small screen for an hour straight, and being cautious every time we stepped outside. Stay six feet apart signs and stickers at our feet ordered us to keep our distance from each other. At that time, I was jealous of how birds and bats were free to roam the sky to their heart’s content; however, like most other people, I was not aware of white-nose fungus, the little brown bat’s equivalent of COVID-19. The fungus increased their ranking on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s “red list” drastically; little brown bats dropped down to the ‘endangered’ rank. Little brown bats may be going extinct, and humans are the only animals that can save them.
Myotis lucifugus are small, furry, brown bats (with the occasional albinos), as their common name suggests. They wake up at night to feast on one thousand insects for four hours, keeping the population of minute-sized critters in check. I am also a ferocious eater. Give me two donuts and they will be gone in a flash.
Little brown bats cruise through the night sky at fifteen miles per hour, but when chased by predators—mostly owls—the tiny bats can accelerate to twenty-two miles per hour, whizzing away, like a football being thrown to an open receiver. Their wings flap fifteen times per second, meaning that they average nine hundred flaps a minute. I also share this habit of only moving fast when I need to with these bats, for I usually jog or walk when I do not need to run.
In the winter, some bats find buildings or caves to hibernate in. Other bats migrate to warmer places. I have observed that humans do this, too. Some people stay at home for winter break and chill (figuratively and literally), and some people go on vacations to warmer climates.
Like most bats, little brown bats use echolocation, a series of sounds to “see” in the night. These noisy, highpitched clicks bounce off objects and bounce back to the bat. Throughout the night, they will make repetitive clicking sounds similar to the bloop, bloop, bloop of a submarine. This gives the bat a mind map of everything around it.
A little brown bat’s gestation period is fifty to sixty days, and four weeks after the bat pup is born, they can start flying. A little brown bat’s average lifespan is six to seven years, but one time, a thirty-one-year-old little brown bat was found in the wild.
I look back to the times of the pandemic and am grateful that COVID-19 is less of a problem now; however, little brown bats are still threatened by the menacing white-nose syndrome. It would be depressing to see yet another species of animal go extinct. Myotis lucifugus, along with many other bats, need help to survive, and we are one of the only species in the world that can help them. The little brown bat is a truly amazing, unique, and dynamic creature that doesn’t deserve to go extinct.
Little brown bats may be going extinct, and humans are the only animals that can save them.
Merriam's Chipmunk (Tamias merriami)
BY AANYA T.
The Merriam’s chipmunk is a berry-loving, tree-climbing animal who is small yet has a big personality. These chipmunks are full of energy and beautiful to watch when you take the time. I used to hand feed these chipmunks from the small berry plant right next to my house.
Chipmunks mainly live in forests and have fur that helps them blend in with their surroundings. With red, white, brown, and black fur, the only part of them that might not look like a leaf or bark, would be their fluffy tail. Because of this, I almost did not notice the chipmunk in my first encounter with them.
I was in my front yard when I thought I saw a pampas plant move. The wide, brush-like plant kept skittering on my lawn until I realized it was not a plant at all. It was a chipmunk! I picked up a berry from the plant next to my house and fed it to the small animal. The chipmunk—who I named Coco— reluctantly took it after a bit of coaxing. I recognized Coco from the thin black stripes and a larger white stripe running down her rump. Although Merriam’s chipmunks are considered solitary animals, Coco warmed up to me and spent a few days coming back to my house to be fed. After a while, Coco had to find another place to live, due to their habit of moving frequently between dens.
These kinds of chipmunks have four toes on their front feet and five on their back, which reminds me of being a clutz, which I am. Their uneven amount of toes reminds me of saying that I have two left feet. A fifteen-minute mating call for a female reminds me of my passion for singing and their high chirps and squeaks remind me of how I like debating, as it is a verbal activity.
Merriam’s chipmunks are not just visitors to our backyards, but they are also excellent seed dispersers. By burying seeds and nuts as part of their food storage, they unintentionally plant trees and other greenery. This can help the ecosystem, as they are planting more wildlife, which helps fight climate change. This habit also supports other animals who depend on these trees and plants for food or shelter.
Coco lived in a burrow near a tree close to the cul de sac that my family and I live in. Coco made me appreciate the unique species of Merriam’s chipmunk even more, as she was an example of the hard parts of being a wild animal, especially the small ones. She made me realize how important it is to care for animals.
This unique animal is a bundle of joy, with enough chutzpah to forage for food in human-inhabited areas. Seeds, baby lizards, and small berries are a perfect meal for them.
I see the Merriam’s chipmunks everywhere, and I remember how I used to feed them. I find these chipmunks wondrous and fascinating, as they have many fun qualities about them.
Monarch Butterfly (Danaus plexippus)
BY ADRIANA P.
I watch the bus arrive at the bus stop. “Why do I have to go on the long bus ride? Can you drive me?” I ask my mom, very tired. I know that she cannot, so I slowly walk onto the bus. I sit down in the back, right next to all my friends. Even though I do not like the long bus ride, we all go on the journey together. Thinking of our long journey reminds me of monarch butterflies. Monarch butterflies migrate every fall from California to Mexico. Thousands of them take the long migration together.
I lean my head against the window and think back to the long car rides in Mexico. I remember looking out the window at the monarch butterflies. There were so many in the sky, and I loved the pretty designs on them. One of my favorite things about them was the pop of color on their wings. Their bright orange wings warn predators to stay away like a stop sign.
The monarch butterflies fly down next to the car. They are so close I can almost grab them. One of them flies to my window, and it looks like it is smiling at me.
I finally arrive at my destination, and my mom’s family comes out to greet us. They start to talk with me, but the butterflies are still on my mind. The monarch butterflies fill the sky like little orange specks. While they are migrating, they can travel over one hundred miles each day at 800 to 1,200 feet high. In total, they can fly up to 2,500 or sometimes even 3,000 miles in the entire trip.
Back on the bus, my friend starts to talk to me, and I bring myself out of my thoughts. After what feels like ten years, we finally arrive at school. I hate going on this journey every day, but if the monarch butterflies can do their long journey, so can I.
A mountain lion sleeps twenty-one hours a day and bathes in the shade during their long nap.
Mountain Lion (Puma concolor)
BY ANNABELLE T.
The animal, the mountain lion. I remember living in our old house on a hill. There were reportedly mountain lions living in that area. My mom showed me a recording that our neighbors shared with us of a mountain lion prowling in their backyard. We were so scared to go outside. I am pretty sure it was drawn to the area because there is a bountiful population of deer and rabbits in the area. I remember when I found a deer carcass near one of our rivers. It was probably a mountain lion that ate it.
A mountain lion sleeps twenty-one hours a day and bathes in the shade during their long naps, wrapping the shade’s cool blanket around themselves. I only sleep for seven or eight hours, maybe nine to thirteen on weekends. Cougars, mountain lions, pumas, panthers, and catamounts are the same species. They just moved into different environments and adapted differently, but they are the same animals. A mountain lion’s enemies are bears, humans, car accidents, diseases, and other mountain lions. Humans are the number one cause of mountain lion deaths because we poison their water with our litter. Mountain lions are usually grayish-tan to dark brown.
Mountain lions are skilled, big mammals and have swords for claws, sinking them into bark of all thicknesses, and balancing on the branches with ease. Mountain lions can also jump higher than humans. The highest a human has ever jumped is eight feet from ground level, while the mountain lions’ record is twenty-three feet from ground level. Mountain lions have powerful legs and use them to jump up to ambush and seize their prey. Mountain lions are like blocks of steel. They are also strong fighters and skillful hunters. All mountain lions are obligate carnivores, meaning that they cannot eat any plants or they become very sick.
There have been only twenty-nine cases of fatal wounds caused by mountain lions since 1868, meaning they do not attack humans often unless provoked. Because of humans, mountain lions are dying. I want to be able to help the mountain lions avoid being poisoned by dirty trash water. This is possible by using less bottled water and throwing our trash into bins. Mountain lions can help regulate prey abundance and behavior, reduce herbivory, reduce the population of invasive species, and limit disease transmission while increasing soil fertility and biodiversity by leaving behind carcasses to fertilize the soil. We need to stop hunting them for sport. They are not officially threatened, but their population is dropping towards the near-threatened status.
The mountain lion species is also very adorable, but they are not up for sale as pets; I am very sad about that because I want a big animal as a pet. Mountain lions are the fourth largest cat species worldwide. Their powerful, hind legs enable them to jump as far as forty to fifty feet in distance. They can sprint up to fifty miles per hour and mountain lions are the largest cats that purr. I always remember wishing there was a mountain lion section in the zoo, but it was too cruel to put them in cages.
Mule Deer (Odocoileus hemionus)
BY ISABEL F-S.
One afternoon, I was in my house when I realized that my cat, Sassy, was outside with a mule deer. The large, reddish-brown creature was approaching my cat very slowly like it was scared. The deer had large ears, a whitetipped tail, and massive antlers like the tips of bare branches in the winter. They reminded me of other species that have antlers like elk, moose, and white-tailed deer.
When Sassy and the deer were almost close enough to touch, they sniffed each other. Suddenly, Sassy sprinted away. Surprised, the mule deer instantly ran away, as well.
As I watched the mule deer run into the bushes, I noticed its abnormal running style. Instead of two feet hitting the ground at the same time like most other deer, mule deer have all four feet hitting the ground at the same time. This is called stotting. This interesting type of running is used to jump over obstacles that slow predators down. It reminds me of track runners and how they leap over hurdles while running.
This encounter made me recall the mule deer that liked to come into my yard to eat my mom’s plants. I watched as they carefully picked out the leaves and twigs they wanted to eat and searched around for the berries, fruit, flowers, and herbs that appealed to them, just like how I picked out what I wanted to eat at dinner, not always taking all of the options. This showed me they selected their food carefully, eating smaller and more nutritious plants than large amounts of everything.
My mom has been trying to eat less meat, and she took our family to a vegan restaurant multiple times. They served the most delicious and creative dishes. Maybe mule deer would like the restaurant, seeing as they are herbivores.
During the day, mule deer like to sleep in heavy cover where they feel secure. They shift their head position around while sleeping, just like how I move around in my sleep at night. I like to pick cozy places to relax, especially in the middle of the day when, like the mule deer, I am the least active.
Mule deer are social animals. They like to stay in related, multigenerational groups. In the late summer, mixed family groups often combine into larger groups for protection in the winter. Once the bucks grow older, they leave their families to travel alone. Though mule deer are large animals, about thirty-six inches tall, they still have predators. Bobcats, coyotes, and mountain lions hunt mule deer despite their large size.
Mule deer are typically found in the Rocky Mountains, Pacific coast, Great Plains, and west of the Missouri River. In the 2000s, there were 4.6 million mule deer in the United States. Currently, their numbers have dropped to about 3.4 million.
I have not seen the mule deer that usually come to my yard for a while, but I am sure they will return in the spring when the flowers bloom and the new grass sprouts.
The deer had large ears, a white-tipped tail, and massive antlers like the tips of bare branches in the winter.
and either freezes, so as not to draw attention to itself, or flees, trying to escape confrontation.
Northern Pacific Rattlesnake (Crotalus oreganus)
BY NEEL S.
One day, I was hiking north of Alameda, walking on a normal path. I almost stepped on a tree branch when it started making noises. I realized that it was not a branch. It was a rattlesnake, a northern Pacific rattlesnake. I could tell it was a northern Pacific rattlesnake because its diamond-shaped head was substantially wider than its neck. It started rattling its tail, and my sister freaked out. I told her the rattlesnake would not hurt her, and she was fine.
Northern Pacific rattlesnakes are different, depending on their maturity and age. Juvenile rattlesnakes prefer to eat lizards, and adults eat rodents, lizards, amphibians, and birds. They live lengthy lives, ten to fifteen years in the wild and fifteen to twenty years in human care. A typical rattlesnake lives ten to twenty-five years in the wild, so northern Pacific rattlesnakes live relatively short lives compared to other rattlesnakes. They are crepuscular, which means they are active at dawn and dusk.
The northern Pacific rattlesnake is not aggressive. When encountered, this snake is not aggressive and either freezes, so as not to draw attention to itself, or flees, trying to escape confrontation. They tend to give a dry bite (30-40 percent of venom injected per bite). Adults and baby rattlesnakes’ venom are the same, but adults know how to control their venom, while babies do not.
The northern Pacific rattlesnake was first sighted in 1840 in California. They are around thirty-six inches in length and approximately forty-eight inches wide is huge.
Rattlesnakes, as a whole, are one of the few live-bearing snakes (unlike egg-laying snakes). They acquire a new rattle every time they shed, which is three to four times a year. These snakes leave their mothers after just a few weeks, but they follow their mother’s scent trails and use the same den.
There are so many things this snake can do. They can camouflage. I am astounded by how many interesting things there are about this wonderful creature. It truly is a sensational creature.
Northern Pintail Duck (Anas acuta)
BY NIKKI O.
“Duck! Duck!” Those were the first real words I spoke, the first real words my mother ever heard from one of her children. For the next few months, I called everything “Duck! Duck!” They were quite odd or unconventional things, too. See a random guy at the supermarket? I used to point and say, “Duck! Duck!” It was as cute as it was annoying. In addition to that, I had a semi-serious case of “tiny duck hair.” Tiny duck hair, as my mom called it, was short, yet still sticking up like a pom pom.
My hair stuck up like a pineapple’s crown. Baby duck feathers are puffy and soft yet slightly poofy. Their down is soft like a cloud. As I grew up, I started to have more sleek hair. Looking less poofy as we grow up is how I and the female northern pintail ducks age. I usually make my bed at night and the female pintails usually make their nests. The nest is made by several scrapes in the ground, seven to ten inches wide and two to four inches deep. In each nest, they lay seven to ten pale olive eggs in a shape that is almost basket-like and is where the female incubates her eggs for twenty-one to twenty-five days. Their diet includes crustaceans such as fish and small crabs. I love a tasty crustacean, crab, or lobster, anything that is not a shrimp. Because of their body shape, they have been nicknamed “The Greyhounds of the Air,” which is a very accurate name for a long and slender duck. When they are in the air, wings outstretched, they look like an airplane in flight. They are beautiful wonders of nature in flight. Whether they are resting their wings on the ground, swimming in a lake, hunting for food, or even flying, they look as cute and soft as a new teddy bear.
I truly hope that they stay alive because their populations are declining by 2.6 percent each year. That number may not seem like much, but we are killing thirteen percent of northern pintail ducks every five years. If we do not stop poaching the beautiful northern pintail duck, it will be gone forever. They will just slip from our grasp. Their numbers might just slip from our grasp and fly away.
ground, seven to ten inches wide and two to four inches deep.
I love Northern raccoons' bushy tails covered with black and gray stripes the end of raccoons' tails are always black too.
Northern Raccoon (Procyon lotor)
BY ELLIE W.
When I was little, maybe about two years old, my nanny showed my little brother and me a movie. My brother was unfazed, considering the fact that he was a year old, but I was astonished. I was obsessed with one little character, a raccoon named Meeko. For my third birthday, my nanny bought me a stuffed plushie of the raccoon, Meeko, which lasted for about a year until it suddenly disappeared. I broke down in tears when I could not find it one night. My dad assured me that it was going to be alright while we frantically searched the internet for a similar plushie. We found all sorts of raccoons; big ones, small ones, and even blonde and red ones. Raccoons can be so many different colors. A week without the plushie felt like a year, but my plushie finally arrived. To this day, I still have Meeko and adore raccoons.
I love northern raccoons’ bushy tails covered with black and gray stripes—the end of raccoons’ tails are always black too. Raccoons can open trash cans easily because they have a highly developed sense of touch. Their hands are as fast as a pickpocketer. Raccoons also have over fifty-one vocalizations. That is more than we have letters in the alphabet! The earliest known raccoon ancestors, procyonoides, lived around forty million years ago in Europe. They were small, tree-dwelling mammals that resembled modern-day raccoons. Over time, they migrated to North America and evolved into the raccoons we know today.
European settlers brought raccoons to North America in the 1600s to hunt their fur. As a result, raccoon populations spread rapidly across the continent. They were also valued for their meat and often hunted for food. Raccoons have little black masks under their eyes to reduce glare and help them see better—it is similar to an athlete’s eye black.
Raccoons are similar to humans, too. For example, raccoons sometimes dip their food in water to make it easier to eat like a human washing grapes off the vine. They are not picky eaters so as long as something is edible, raccoons eat it. The little creatures also love to dig through trash to find something to eat.
Something I find so interesting is that they only have their kits (babies) in the winter. Moms also name their baby raccoons. When I am older I would absolutely love to feed and take care of raccoons. I would go into the wild and look for them, and if I found any, I would gladly foster and care for them. Raccoons are fascinating, and I would love to know more about them. I wish everybody would appreciate how awesome and interesting raccoons are. To this day, I still have Meeko, and I still adore raccoons.
Orca Whale (Orcinus orca)
BY JONAH Z.
When I was five years old, I visited SeaWorld in San Diego and saw an orca show. I thought it was so cool, and when I saw all the tricks the orcas did, I clapped and cheered. The orca’s colors were so unique. They were solid black with a few white spots. One of their big white spots looked like an eye, even though their eyes were in a different place.
Six years later, I am learning about orcas and finding out how they are actually treated in the wild and in captivity. Orcas in captivity live in small tanks and are not taken care of properly. In captivity, orcas live for half the time that they would, on average, live in the wild. They are not able to hunt and embrace their true natures like they could in the wild.
In other countries, I learned that there are also amusement parks for orcas and other sea mammals. I watched a film where a few Russians captured an orca. While they were capturing it, the orca became tangled in their net and died. One of the crew members asked what they should do when it became tangled. The captain replied, “We will find another one.” He did not care about the orca. Imagine if someone was walking around and they were just killed while trying to be captured. I feel sad knowing that orcas are treated this way.
Now, people have been protesting against SeaWorld and other amusement parks for large sea animals around the globe. The movie, Blackfish, focuses on making big amusement parks like Seaworld shut down. They tell the world what has happened to the orcas and how they are treated.
Orcas are one of the most intelligent creatures in the world. They have very unique hunting techniques. When some orcas hunt, they kill seals that sleep on the ice. The orcas noticed that the ice was significantly large, so they had to try something new. The orcas rammed the piece of ice to break it into smaller pieces. After that, they broke the ice by pushing the ice into open water. Finally, they hit the ice one more time to startle the seal so it fell off the ice. The orcas then easily devoured the seal.
Another example of their amazing hunting abilities takes place on the shore of an island. A few elephant seal babies live close to shore and in a safe area where larger predators easily become stuck. A mother orca captured one of the baby seals. She waited for the right time when the baby elephant seal went into the water. Bam! The mother orca swam into the deepest part of the water. She went in between rocks and waited for the baby seal to come a little too close… Chomp! No more seal. These abilities show that orcas are intelligent and deserve to live full lives in the wild. We can help by protesting so that they are helped by the government.
Orcas
are one of the most intelligent creatures in the world.
Pacific White-sided Dolphin
(Lagenorhynchus obliquidens)
BY AVA H.
I was on a boat with some friends and family when I saw a Pacific white-sided dolphin out of the corner of my eye. SPLASH! I did not only see one; I saw a big group of them swimming in sync, jumping in and out of the water. They were leaping so high, making splashes as big as the dolphin’s body. I still remember the time when I was able to ride and swim with dolphins in Mexico. When I sat on them, they were so speedy and playful. I was surprised at how well they were trained to be nice to visitors. It felt nice to sit on the cool and rubbery skin of the dolphin. It was like I was in Wonderland, only with dolphins.
I turned backwards and saw my parents. They were chattering about their super boring work. I hurried over to tell them to come and watch the big pod of dolphins swimming near our boat. We watched the big pod of dolphins slowly fade away in the distance. Dolphins swim in sync together side by side to form a bond with one another. Not only do Pacific white-sided dolphins swim in pods of hundreds or even thousands, but most dolphins swim in big pods. Another reason why they swim together is because they can protect one another from being eaten by predators such as sharks. They also swim in pods to hunt for food together as a team. They hunt for a variety of prey such as squid, small schooling fish, and sardines.
When I see these dolphins swimming in pods, they remind me of when I am at the mall. I see big groups of teenagers walking around wearing three different colors, black, white, and gray. These are actually the colors of the dolphin’s body, too. Each and every Pacific white-sided dolphin has a striking white or gray patch on the sides of their body. This makes up their name, the Pacific white-sided dolphin. These dolphins are also known as “Hookfin Porpoises.” These colors remind me of Oreos because they have the same colors except that these dolphins have gray on them too. These species of dolphins look like Oreos with the cookie on top and cream in the middle, just without a bottom cookie.
I saw more dolphins slowly coming through the fog. Even though they swim as fast as lightning and are sometimes chased by sharks, they are still just as graceful as ballerinas. They are truly impressive and are some of the most intelligent marine mammals, compared to goblin sharks.
Thinking about the dolphins the color of Oreos, it makes me really want to eat some Oreos. I go to the pantry and gobble up some Oreos.
Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus)
BY AADYA I.
The peregrine falcon is, what many think, one of nature’s greatest animals. They can dive over two hundred miles per hour with an average flight speed of twenty-four to thirty-three miles per hour. The peregrine falcon’s eyesight is also eight times sharper than humans. Not only do they have many breathtaking physical traits, but their history is a story of struggle and resilience. These intelligent birds thrive in many different environments, showcasing their adaptability.
During a visit to Redwood National Park, I got a small glimpse of a peregrine falcon. Its wings sliced through the air, soaring above the ground looking for prey. It had strong and shallow wing beats. I was fascinated by this extraordinary creature and wanted to learn more about its nesting and migration patterns.
Male peregrine falcons usually choose their nesting sites on cliff ledges but have adjusted to urban environments by nesting on tall buildings as well. Many nesting sites have been used continuously, passed on by their ancestors, and they can be found more than twelve thousand feet above ground. Peregrine falcons are like people with photographic memories, with each of their favorite nesting sites stored in their memory. They thrive where shorebirds are common, and are found everywhere from tundras to deserts, with some birds traveling up to fifteen thousand miles a year in search of breeding grounds and to avoid the harsh winter. Just like peregrine falcons migrate to new lands, I transitioned to Nueva from Springer Elementary, a public school in Los Altos, California. Although the schools were very different, I embraced the change, just like peregrine falcons adjust to unfamiliar skies. Additionally, peregrine falcons have incredible resilience, which allows them to overcome many challenges, some of which are caused by human actions.
Around the mid-twentieth century, the peregrine falcon’s population decreased significantly due to harmful pesticides such as dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane (DDT). After realizing this, captive breeding programs were used to increase the population in the United States and Canada. Pesticide bans also helped increase the population of this extraordinary animal. They made an incredible rebound after DDT poisoning, showcasing their resilience, and in 1966, their population was steady. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the peregrine falcon is their “least concern” for endangerment.
Peregrine falcons are large and powerful, with a typical pointed-wing silhouette, making them one of the fastest birds in the world. Wingspans typically range from twenty-nine inches to forty-seven inches long. Their feathers look quite dark, with blue-gray above and narrowly barred below. The younger birds’ feathers are typically browner than the adults. Also, peregrine falcons have an incredible way to catch prey to feed to their young.
First, they spot their prey with their sharp eyesight. The peregrine falcon’s eyes are like nature’s telescopes, looking at the vast sea of possibilities. They have much better eyesight than humans because their retinas contain more photoreceptor cells, enhancing their ability to detect movement and focus on distant objects. Once they have spotted the prey, they fly above them. When the peregrine falcon is positioned correctly, they go into a quick dive, also known as a stoop, and kill the animals with the impact of their talons. They eat 450 different species of birds, with a diet largely consisting of bats.
The peregrine falcon is an extraordinary creature with many fascinating physical and behavioral traits, including its stunning dives, resilience, and adaptability. All of us are responsible for ensuring that we preserve their natural habitats, reduce the use of harsh pesticides, and allow the peregrine falcons to thrive.
favorite nesting sites stored in their memory.
Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor)
BY CHARLOTTE S.
The pipevine swallowtail is one of the most beautiful swallowtail butterflies on the planet. When I was younger, I went to a school which kept monarch butterflies as pets. I was able to see the entire process of metamorphosis from when they were caterpillars to when they flew out of the cage as beautiful butterflies. I did not really understand what was going on back in preschool, but after studying the pipevine swallowtail, I understand the metamorphosis process in greater depth. When I was in preschool, I thought the cocoon stage was as boring as a snail. Now, I know that the cocoon stage is just the way caterpillars prepare to turn into butterflies. In preschool, I also thought that caterpillars were just like worms, and I did not understand that one day they would turn into much more than worms.
The pipevine swallowtail goes through this same process of metamorphism as the monarch butterflies did when I was in preschool. The pipevine swallowtail is also unique from the monarch in other ways, too. The wingspan of a pipevine swallowtail ranges from two and a half to five inches, while a monarch butterfly’s wingspan ranges from three and a half to four inches. Adult pipevine swallowtails fly quickly and are more easily captured by prey when nectaring at flowers. The caterpillars of pipevine swallowtails are black with red spots. They are as colorful as a ladybug. Meanwhile, monarch caterpillars have black, white, and yellow stripes like a bumble bee. The pipevine swallowtail is black on its top two wings and a teal color with orange and white spots on its two bottom wings.
My family takes trips to Hawaii every summer. When pipevine swallowtails stretch out their wings, the butterflies look as stretched out as a sea star on the beach. Just like the pipevine swallowtail, I have a sweet tooth, and I adore nectar and candy. The pipevine swallowtail flies quickly. I play soccer, so I have to run very quickly on the soccer field. I can connect to the swallowtail’s metamorphosis process, as well, because I have moved houses, schools, and towns, just like how the pipevine swallowtails go from caterpillars to butterflies. Lastly, I like warm weather and the pipevine swallowtails are generally found in warmer habitats foraging in open meadows.
Today, I am on the other side of changes that have happened in my past, just like any other butterfly I see today that has gone from a caterpillar to a butterfly. I also look back on my preschool memories and see how much I have changed since then. Back in preschool, I did not understand that caterpillars turn into butterflies, and when the butterflies flew away, I did not know why or how that happened. Now, I understand that the butterflies went through the metamorphosis process, just like how humans start as babies and grow into adults, but butterflies make much more dramatic changes.
Salt Marsh Harvest Mouse (Reithrodontomys raviventris)
BY GRACE L.
Why do so many animals become endangered? As I open my computer and scroll through the list of endangered animals, I find myself face-to-face with a furry creature that looks like a muffin. The mouse’s long, bicolored tail and large ears match perfectly with its buff and brown body. It seemed like those eyes, as big as a surprised child’s, were looking straight at me! I immediately loved these “tiny brownies” and decided to research salt marsh harvest mice.
Just like their name, salt marsh harvest mice live in the salt water marshes on the coast of the Bay Area, and they are endemic. That means that they only live in one place, the Bay Area. They do not dig their own burrows. Instead, they use other abandoned burrows or bird nests. I can almost hear them squeaking, “No need to work if we can just use other animals’ nests!”
It reminds me of the time when I was in first grade, and my classmates and I ran into the woods and used trees as forts. First, we found pieces of flat, wood planks to create a defensive barrier around the tree that was chosen to be a fort. Then, we find “valuable” things and put them in our forts, for example, pottery. We would take from each other, and we abandoned our used forts to make sure nobody took our pottery. We also find wood and set up traps. Everybody was playing like that, but I was not that kind of person. I did not want to find the world’s best tree to make the best fort. I did not want to steal from other people, either. Instead, I used abandoned forts which somebody left behind and put my pottery in them. Then, when everybody else was blabbering and scuttling about how to build their new forts, I sat back and relaxed. I do not like to build things, so simply taking abandoned forts is perfectly nice as new, clean forts too!
Salt marsh harvest mice might look brittle and weak, but they have really strong swimming and climbing skills. It is straightforward why they have such good talents— there is flooding. In marshes, there are seasonal and tidal floods, so in order to survive those floods, salt marsh harvest mice must know how to swim and climb. These little furred mammals are like athletes. There is a very slight difference between the human athletes and these tiny “muffins.” But what they get is slightly different. The Olympics give athletes medals. What do salt marsh harvest mice receive from the floods? They are trying to live. Besides, they could not escape the floods because they live in flooding areas, which is quite dangerous. Climate change has impacted the sea level of the bay to rise, and that means bigger and more fatal (to the salt marsh harvest mice) floods will come. If there are more floods, the population of salt marsh harvest mice will decrease. Maybe that is why they are endangered.
I sigh, thinking about all the salt marsh harvest mice searching for a home, scuttling around to find their food, and clawing and swimming frantically in a flood. Wow, I think to myself, these little critters really have a hard life. I know that these marsh creatures need to have a population big enough to make sure these little “chocolate brownies” are not endangered anymore. Please, I think to myself as I stretch, let salt marsh harvest mice roam their homes and live peacefully without much danger again!
Salt marsh harvest mice might look brittle and weak, but they have really strong swimming and climbing skills.
The gemstone-like body of a full-grown San Francisco garter snake jutted through the leaves; its malicious eyes glinting in the dim sunlight.
San Francisco Garter Snake (Thamnophis sirtalis tetrataenia)
BY ANTON K.
The gemstone-like body of a full-grown San Francisco garter snake jutted through the leaves; its malicious eyes glinting in the dim sunlight. Once, when I was eight, I went hiking with my parents and sister. There, I saw a San Francisco garter snake. It took me completely by surprise, moving through the grass stealthily, a few inches from my foot.
I still remember the moment when I joined Nueva in second grade. Avoiding bullies, teasing, and lacking friends was my school experience. Now, I am having fun in school. How did I push through all the negative vibes that were coming my way and become happy and content at school? Just look at the San Francisco garter snake. When the hot anger comes my way, I just slither into cool, refreshing, freshwater ponds (or my home) like the San Francisco garter snake. When all the hard comments pierce through my skin, I just glide around them flexibly. This magnificent reptile does this with its thirty-six-inch body, using it to avoid humans capturing it, having its habitat destroyed, or being eaten.
Although it has some great ways to protect itself, the San Francisco garter snake is an endangered species, becoming one right around the time that the Endangered Species Act of March 11, 1967, was passed. However, this endangered animal has quite the appetite. The San Francisco garter snake eats a wide variety of animals, including Pacific tree frogs, California red-legged frogs, baby newts, worms, toads, small fish, and rodents. When does it eat these tiny creatures? During the day, just like us! The San Francisco garter snake is a diurnal snake that is most active during mornings and afternoons. This snake is also endemic, which means that it sticks to the San Mateo and San Francisco county lines.
The San Francisco garter snake lives in aquatic and upland habitats like creeks, marshes, and canals. The San Francisco garter snake has a wide, greenish-yellow stripe that runs the length of its back. The snake also has two red and black stripes that border the yellow scales. Finally, the San Francisco garter snake is equipped with a red head and a vivid bluish-green belly. Do not approach them, though. This snake can emit foul smells when threatened and empty its bowels onto humans. Also, do not capture this pretty creature. The San Francisco garter snake suffers from illegal collection, habitat loss, predators, loss of prey, and changes to its aquatic home, making it endangered.
Additionally, San Francisco garter snakes are one of the rarest snakes in California. There are only one to two thousand remaining in the wild right now. In fact, there are only six significant populations of the San Francisco garter snake living along San Mateo county lines, and four of them have decreased in number over the past decade. These rapid reductions in the San Francisco garter snake’s numbers make it even more surprising that one slid past my foot two years ago.
When I was eight years old, I went hiking with my family in Sonoma. It was a wooded hike, and there was a forest of dense underbrush. It was also damp. We were hiking along a creek. My sister was complaining about how tired she was and how she wanted to go home. Just then, I saw the grass quiver and a red head popped out, slithering through the thick ferns. At the time, I did not know what it was, but the San Francisco garter snake’s distinct features make me certain that it was one all those years ago.
Santa Cruz Clover (Trifolium buckwestiorum)
BY ISHA P.
The Santa Cruz clover has only an estimated seventy-five sightings throughout California. I cannot ever imagine finding one; it’s such a rare species. A quick fact, the odds of this plant being discovered were surprisingly low. What is the story behind this plant? Shockingly, the clover was discovered in a Scott Creek watershed. It was discovered by James A. West.
For me, my obsession with clovers started in Westminster Woods, a place not too far from here. I went there for an overnight camping trip with my fourth-grade class. The guides let us taste a type of clover that tasted amazing. I unfortunately was not told the name of the clover. I want you to imagine it: it tasted like sourgrass, but a little tangier and a little sweeter.
Since then, clovers have been my favorite plant. When I searched “clovers native to the Bay Area,” the first result was the Santa Cruz clover. Most clovers are rich in antioxidants, and many cultures use them in herbal medicine.
The plant has a prickly, hairy texture that reminds me of when I used to have a small terrarium in a glass bowl in my backyard. It was a medium-sized glass bowl. I had it for a few years before a squirrel uprooted the plants.
The unfortunate rarity of this plant is caused by vehicles, development, feral pig activity, and other non-native varieties of plants. Like the Santa Cruz clover, many other plants and animals are becoming rarer and rarer. We humans have the power to save these species.
While some of us are trying our best to prevent extinctions of animals and plants, most of humankind sits by and does not lift a finger to help. Luckily, plants can do something about this. Clovers are excellent weeders. You could even have a clover lawn if you like. They clear weeds so multiple types of plants can grow, which would attract some animals and on goes the food chain.
Clovers, scientifically known as “Trifolium,” are part of the legume family. One of the main reasons that this plant has so few sightings is that its flower is one centimeter long. The stem can range between one to five centimeters. The leaves are up to one and a half centimeters long. We might have seen this plant and stepped right over it.
The clover has a pretty, red stem with green trifoliate leaves and an interesting flowering head outlined in red. The flower head reminds me of red leaves. The flower is, after all, reddish green. The flower’s blooming period is from April to October when red is a featured color.
The clover’s natural habitat is an open prairie, although it also grows in open forest clearings. Contrary to what most people think, the clover does best across the year in indirect sunlight unless you can water it.
A dwarf form of the species is endemic to Monterey County. Fortunately, there is also a very small, vulnerable, population in Pogonip Park. The species can also be found in Monterey, Santa Cruz, Santa Clara, San Mateo, Sonoma, and Mendocino counties.
This clover is a phenomenal species, just like all the other plants and animals out there. This plant may go extinct one day, but I hope it shows everyone that even one plant can make a difference.
difference.
Sea Ottter (Enhydra lutris)
BY LORETTA S.
Sea otters are a wonder of this world. They are fascinating, fun, and playful. How do I know that sea otters are like that? Well, it starts with a trip to the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
At the Monterey Bay Aquarium, my family and I went to the sea otter feeding. We saw them at feeding time, cracking open oysters and shells with rocks. Under a sea otter’s arm is some baggy skin, and the sea otters use it like a pocket, storing food and other important items. They store food to use later and their favorite rocks for cracking open food. The furry creatures swim around in their tank, adorable and graceful. What is not to like about a cute little furry animal, swimming around in a tank, just being cute?
In the wild, sea otters float in groups, bobbing up and down on the water. While doing this, they groom their fur, making sure their fur is warm and ready for a trip for food down below, into the cold ocean waters. When diving, sea otters can hold their breath for up to five minutes, but these dives usually only last one to two minutes, like humans. They dive to the ocean floor and chomp down on sea urchins.
Sea otters mate, like humans do. The otter finds a mate, and when the female gives birth, the male swims away to find another mate in order to repeat the process again. Females give birth to one pup, though twins are rare but possible. Even if the female gives birth to twins, it is very likely that they will not survive to adulthood. Pups stay with their mothers for twelve months and then swim off.
Sea otters are brown and black in color and have two arms, two legs, and a tail. Sea otters are also one of the cutest animals on earth. Sea otters do not have blubber, so they spend many hours a day grooming to make sure their two-layer fur is warm for the cold ocean. Sea otters live in kelp forests and estuary habitats.
Sea otters are a keystone species in ocean ecosystems because they eat the kelp-devouring sea urchin. Sea urchins devour kelp and leave sea otters without a home. They devour the kelp and strip the ocean floor of seaweed, kelp, and coral if not stopped.
When the sea otters swim around in their tank, they are appealing like an adorable drawing. When the feeding time comes around, the people responsible for feeding the sea otters toss food into the water. The sea otters grab and chomp down on the food, “Chomp, chomp, chomp.” Their diet includes crabs, snails, sea urchins, clams, abalone, and mussels. Sea otters eat 25-30 percent of their body weight each day. If a sea otter were a human, it would eat a whole box of pizza for dinner.
Sea otters are endangered, and so they must be protected. Since sea otters usually give birth to one pup, the population is decreasing. Hopefully, they will increase in population very soon, as they are one of the great joys of the ocean.
Snowy Plover (Charadrius nivosus)
BY KEREM E.
It was a warm spring day, and I was with my family at the beautiful Santa Monica beach. Little white and gray shorebirds scuttled around to find small marine invertebrates for breakfast as they were poking the ground. The birds looked like the snowy plovers I had seen on my bike ride around San Francisco Bay. I tried sneaking closer to snag a closer look at their feathers and color, but every time I came closer, they moved further away because I frightened them. They were so cautious and aware of their surroundings that it felt nearly impossible to sneak up on them, even if a person was as quiet as a hawk. Even when sleeping, their instincts when in the wild are so delicate a single rustle or twig crack can wake them up and get them onto their feet.
Snowy plovers are non-domestic birds. This means that they are not human-tamed. This also makes them very experienced at camouflage. For example, their small, gray and white body blends in with the morning fog just like army soldiers use camouflage to blend in with grass, trees, shrubs, and other plants. The snowy plovers’ instincts are like playing in a basketball game because every second a player is dribbling, passing, or shooting, they need to know everything that is happening around them. The snowy plover does this in a similar way by making split second decisions, such as knowing what branch to land on.
Snowy plovers also use communication to call for help or to tell other small predators like lizards or other shorebirds to back away from them or their nests. Their communication is like asking for a screen so that a player is not guarded and they can shoot. Larger predators like pet dogs, opossums, and coyotes can chase them away, which may lead to the abandonment of their nests causing their eggs to be eaten by hungry animals and lowering their population. Currently, the population of the snowy plover on the Pacific coast is less than 2,500 breeding birds. If they keep having trouble reproducing, their population will become extinct in the Pacific coast and soon, the entire world.
Scientists and biologists are trying their best to protect the beaches where the snowy plovers nest, so the snowy plovers can thrive without having to watch out for much danger. Audubon California is one of many organizations that help the snowy plovers recover and protect their habitats. They do this because the snowy plovers are losing their habitat to humans as they build houses, parking lots, and many other structures.
All of this brings me back to when I was at the beach. I eventually ate my sandwich and went home to sleep in my bed. My hope for the future generations of snowy plovers is that their population increases to a sustainable amount and that pet dogs are not one of their predators.
The snowy plovers’ instincts are like playing in a basketball game because every second a player is dribbling, passing, or shooting, they need to know everything that is happening around them.
Song sparrows are the most diverse songbirds in the entire United States.
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia)
BY OWEN R.
I was coming home from a basketball game with my friend. Our two moms chatted for a few minutes. After our friends left, something fluttered into our house. We realized it was some type of bird and unsuccessfully tried to force it outside for almost five minutes. Unfortunately, in doing so, we also scared it badly, and it stopped moving. I quickly opened the side door and placed the bird outside. While we were eating dinner, I periodically checked on the bird. It was on our lawn for thirty minutes until it flew away. We were overjoyed that the bird lived because a hummingbird died a year earlier after flying into our house.
That bird was a song sparrow. These resilient birds learn about ten songs from tutors, which are other male sparrows in the community. When females pick their mates, they look for the sparrow with the ability to learn by listening to their songs, similar to how I learn and make friends. I look for friends with good learning capabilities and try to learn too. I also like learning from other people, even if they are younger, teachers, or my parents.
Song sparrows try to renest as much as possible from early March to late July to raise offspring to be independent. Just like the song, “Sparrow’s Nest,” my bed layout changes quite often. One night I’ll have just my soft blanket, and another, I’ll be using my weighted blanket. Although song sparrows are the most diverse songbirds in the entire United States, with fifty-three subspecies, they are genetically similar. This is because of immigration and emigration. They physically look so different because local conditions are different. The Alameda song sparrow is a tiny bird and one of three subspecies of the song sparrow that is endemic to the Bay Area. Of the three, it is the most genetically diverse. The Aleutian song sparrow in Alaska is much bigger than the rest of the song sparrows. Even though these two subspecies may seem completely different, they share many of the same genes.
Song sparrows have three stages of song development: subsong, plastic, and crystallized. Subsongs are songs that are not formed yet. They are like a baby quietly babbling. Plastic songs are a premature adult song, like a twoyear-old talking. It is a late stage of babbling and resembles the adult song, but does not have all the components. Crystallized songs are the adult song and are fully formed, with complex tones. This is like a human adult’s speech. Looking back on our incident with the bird, I see many ways that we could have done a better job of caring for it. We probably could have left it alone until it calmed down, then carried it outside. We should have opened the door, kept the dog in, and let the sparrow fly outside. I also should have checked on it more often to make sure that our dog was nowhere near it. Additionally, we should have given it a little more care and some sugar water. The bird survived. That resilient bird survived that scary encounter and will always be remembered by my family and me.
Steller's Jay (Cyanocitta stelleri)
BY CRYSTAL L.
When I was younger, we lived in a forest. We saw deer, birds, and other animals. Every day, the birds’ songs and calls could be heard from our house. In our previous home, we saw birds perched on the orange tree, and every year we harvested the fruit, though we could not eat all the ripe oranges. Every few days, a deer jumped over our fence and helped itself to the juicy citrus. This went on for a while before we scared the fruit thief away with a shovel.
Steller’s jays, just like we used to, live in coniferous or deciduous forests. They also eat oranges and things like trash that I would not consider edible, and hoard nuts for winter. Thankfully, they are unable to steal whole oranges, but they can steal other bird’s eggs and chicks. This intelligent bird might not look like a thief, but it is, and it sometimes steals an entire nest.
Steller’s jays do not take territory by themselves. Traveling and feeding together, groups of Steller’s jays, called “bands,” work together to chase their predators like hawks off their territories. Being the aggressive birds they are, Steller’s jays shriek at anything that comes close to their trees, even if the animal or person arrived there first. They are bold for their size, being slightly smaller than a crow.
The cobalt tail and wing feathers of the jay have lines traced with charcoal dividing the feather into sections. Their sleek bodies are the same hue of greenish-blue, blending into their tar-colored neck and head. Maybe the most distinguishing feature of the Steller’s jay is the tall, mohawk-like crest rising from its head like a jagged line of rocks. Two icy, vertical streaks rest above their eyes, like patches of silver glitter glue on black cardstock. It is strange how so many animals seem to have built-in eyeliner, as most Steller’s jays have a lighter ring around their bead-black eyes– sometimes white, sometimes dusty brown. Steller’s jays are stunning birds, and it is difficult to describe their appearance.
Being extremely intelligent like most other corvids, Steller’s jays, much like crows, can mimic other species’ sounds. They also learn their calls from the environment they live in, picking up sounds like machinery and other birds. For that reason, all Steller’s jays have a different mix of vocalizations. They can scream like a hawk or whistle like an osprey. They are also known to alert members of their band if a predator is nearby, varying the acoustic structure of the call depending on the threat level of the predator.
Us humans have a complicated way of speaking to each other. With more than eight hundred million words in all human languages, it is hard to run out of things to say. I wonder if different Steller’s jay groups might have separate “languages” depending on their environment.
There are many games in physical education where we have to warn our teammates or, at least, call to them, like Capture the Flag. I am not sure what it has to do with flags, apart from being the way to “tag” someone, but I might call someone over if the opposing team tries to steal the remaining eggs. Sometimes my team wins, and sometimes we do not.
The Steller’s jay continues to thrive, at least for now. It is threatened by cats, collisions, and poisonings related to pesticides. I hope the Steller’s jays live on because they are a wonderful species and it was amazing to learn about them.
All Steller’s jays have a different mix of vocalizations. They can scream like a hawk or whistle like an osprey.
My attention turned to a bushshaped plant with branches as grey as smoke and berries as red as rubies.
Toyon/California Holly (Heteromeles arbutifolia)
BY LOGAN L.
“Look at that plant,” my grandmother said, as she pointed to a plant on the side of the mountain. My attention turned to a bush-shaped plant with branches as grey as smoke and berries as red as rubies. The plant was probably eleven to eighteen feet tall.
“Do you know what its name is?” my grandmother asked.
“No,” I replied.
“Well, that plant’s name is Toyon,” my grandmother said. “It’s also known as the Christmas Berry.”
“Oh yeah,” I replied. “I know it, but it isn’t called mistletoe?”
“No, this is different from mistletoe because toyon is around all year and known as the Christmas berry, but mistletoe grows in February and is known as the kissing plant.”
“Okay,” I say.
“Isn’t it beautiful?” my grandmother stated.
“Yeah,” I replied.
Toyon is the indigenous Ohlone name, but other common names include California holly and Christmas berry. Toyon is a pome, which is a fruit containing fleshy pulp with seeds in the center like an apple. Toyon seeds contain similar toxins to apples. Winter birds, like waxwings, cautiously pass the toxic seeds within their guts and then back into the environment, intact. The toyon seeds are dispersed by the wind and animals. The process is not unlike what happens to candy when a piñata is popped. In the spring and early summer, toyon grows white flowers. In the summer those white flowers turn into green, berry-shaped fruits. Finally, in fall and early winter, the berries turn a shade of scarlet red. A toyon has gray branches which are quite similar to silver swords and evergreen leaves which are two to four inches long. The evergreen leaves’ small spikes are very similar to chainsaws.
After I observed toyon with my grandparents, my grandma said, “Do you remember what that plant is called?” every time we saw toyon while hiking or on the side of the road.
Whenever she asked me this question, I always answered, “That’s toyon, right?” Whenever my grandma asked me what other plants’ names were, I would always forget their names, but at least I remembered what they looked like.
Whenever my grandparents and I hike that specific trail where I see toyon for the first time, I see the same toyon bush on the side of the mountain. The lifespan of toyon is about one hundred to two hundred years. Something else that I wonder is why the land around that toyon bush is so perfect. All of the dirt around the bush is completely firm and level. Toyon grows everywhere and quickly. It also has wide roots, so toyon is great for erosion control.
Toyon has historically been used by different people. West coast indigenous people used toyon berries for food and medicine, and Spanish settlers used toyon berries for beverages because they are sweet and spicy. Channel Island fishermen used toyon bark to tan their fishing nets.
In the future, I hope that I keep on seeing that one toyon bush on the side of the mountain.
Western Black Widow (Latrodectus hesperus)
BY NAYAN R.
I found myself in a dark, moist, museum exhibit, face to face with a venomous spider. My eyes widened as I witnessed the dangerous spider playfully hanging from its web. Found in temperate regions across Western North America, the western black widow spins strong webs from fibers and adhesive proteins. These rubbery, silk contraptions serve many purposes; from catching various insects to attracting males, a strong, sticky web is crucial for a spider.
Another essential feature of black widows is their red, hourglass-shaped mark. Made to stand out in the moist wood, this mark deters hungry predators from hunting them; if unnoticed, the predator may become the prey.
As creatures of persistence and resilience, adult black widows can live without food for up to ninety days. When other spiders, and even humans, destroy their strong, resilient webs, the black widow recovers and spins a stronger one. This inspiring resilience has motivated me to keep going even when I am struggling because, although resilience does not always represent success, it signifies that I worked hard to achieve my goal. The tougher and more flexible one’s web is, the easier it is to overcome challenges.
One challenge for the black widow is ensnaring its prey. The western black widow is comb-footed with tiny bristles on its legs that secrete sticky silk to encase its prey. This includes a wide variety of critters such as caterpillars, grasshoppers, mosquitoes, beetles, and flies. After it wraps the insect like a birthday gift, the spider administers a digestive enzyme through its gnashing fangs. This liquefies their meal so that the black widow can slurp the prey like soup.
Although the web has a deadly use, it is not just for trapping prey. The intricacy of these silky masterpieces requires meticulous and detailed work. Male black widows choose the owners of the most complex webs to be their mates. While art has always been difficult for me, the western black widow taught me that I can achieve much more when I take time.
Latrodectus hesperus means “murderous biting wasp robber,” so they should be observed at night from afar. Bring a flashlight and a spray bottle of watery dish soap for defense. The soap removes protective waxes, causing the spider to lose water quickly. Remember, the black widow is scared of humans and will probably run away, so this should be saved as a last resort.
If a brown, papery oval hangs from a black widow web, the surrounding area may be dangerous. This is an egg sac that can house up to nine hundred spiderlings, and a female spider will do anything to defend it. This includes biting. If bitten, symptoms may include pain, nausea, goosebumps, and localized sweating from the neurotoxin in the venom. To prevent more damage, stay calm, move to a safe area, and wash the bite thoroughly with soap and water. If these materials are inaccessible, the soap and water from the spray bottle may be useful. Wrap a cloth around an ice pack or another cold object and hold it to the bite. This is how to prevent further injury until medical aid is available.
While the bite of a black widow may appear as an act of violence, it is truly an act of selflessness. Most of the time, animals wish to escape danger unless they have something to protect or hide. Western black widows will do anything to defend their eggs. Good and bad are balanced, so in order to give good to others, one must sacrifice
their own. Using your time to help another person is beneficial to them, just like a spider’s sacrifice is beneficial to their unborn children. In any case, an act of selflessness is the first step to success.
Standing in the dark exhibit room, I grimace. It is unfortunate that such a creature must spend its life in moist darkness, and I wonder if the spider will ever feel the forest freedom again.
To me, they look like blue and bronze badminton shuttles, flying through the air.
Western Bluebird (Sialia mexicana)
BY SAANVI G.
I love seeing western bluebirds diving in and out of tree branches early in the morning. To me, they look like blue and bronze badminton shuttles, flying through the air. They almost hit the ground, but then they launch back up into the great, blue sky. I love putting food out for the western bluebirds who come to my home. I grab the big bag of birdseed and drag it across the deck. I can hear the soft calls of the birds, excited for breakfast. When I fill up the feeder and step back into the house, swarms of bluebirds come to eat the food. At the end of the day, not a single seed can be found. Usually, western bluebirds like to eat bugs and berries. Instead of eating from a plate, they dive down like a missile eyeing their target, flying soundlessly two inches above the ground, snatching up whatever insect they are drawn to.
I remember seeing western bluebirds in little nests inside tree cavities. As I later learned, bluebirds lack the anatomy to build nests themselves. They build nests in premade tree cavities, kind of like moving into a new home. I am always the small girl in school, and so are western bluebirds. They are one of the tiniest bird species excluding hummingbirds.
One hot summer day, I was outside licking a strawberry popsicle. It was melting and the drops of liquid fell softly to the ground with a plop! I saw a western bluebird looking for water. Turns out, western bluebirds hate the sun, which reminds me of a popsicle on a hot day because of how a popsicle slowly melts to the ground. I love all kinds of berries and so do the western bluebirds. They love to eat them along with a tasty side of bugs! I am constantly annoyed by bugs, but western bluebirds help keep the bug population controlled. Western bluebirds are important to the ecosystem because, even though they poop so much, they transfer the seeds they have eaten and plant them in new places.
I once did a project where I had to draw an animal. I drew a western bluebird. I added a grey bottom, a bronze chest, and bright blue wings. I drew a male bluebird because females are more grey and dull. Females try to find males who have already occupied a house for their eggs. Usually, bluebirds mate for life, laying eggs every spring and growing families together.
I love seeing western bluebirds every morning, and I know that they will continue to eat food and drink the dew on the leaves at my house.
Western Fence Lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis)
BY ANNABEL H.
A lizard reminds me of my early childhood when I used to play Hide and Seek with my siblings. Every day after school, I gulped down my dinner and rushed to finish my homework. I listened to the creaks our staircase made when my sister stepped on it. When she came down the steps, she helped me review my assignments. After that, she always found time to play a game with me. Hide and Seek was one of my favorites. We took turns counting to twenty with our faces pressed against the wall. I always won, as I could slip into the smallest spaces, just like a lizard.
The western fence lizard is small and brown, gray, or black in color. They live all over the Bay Area but usually like grasslands, woodlands, or farmlands. They avoid harsh deserts, as they cannot survive extreme temperatures. I usually find them sunbathing on poles or sunny paths; they are warm beaches to the lizards. Their diet is made up of small creatures, such as spiders, grasshoppers, and flies. How do they catch these fast insects? Like all lizards, they have an excellent reaction time that helps them spot their prey, time their jump perfectly, and feast. The western fence lizard, in particular, has an even more bizarre feature. Males have two bright blue stripes on either side of their belly, which are used to attract females. A female will not only mate with the strongest lizard but also the one with the brightest stripes. This characteristic earns them the nickname “Blue Belly.” Another one of the lizard’s abilities is that they can stick to walls and trees well, like glue sticks to paper. They have this ability because the bottoms of their feet are covered in thousands of tiny hairs called setae, which act like small hooks. They also have suction pads, which create a vacuum, helping them stick to the wall.
Lizards are small creatures that can hide in tall grass. It is very hard to find one, let alone catch it. They are extremely quick and have the upper advantage when I am near trees or bushes, as they can hide in them. Even when I try sneaking up on them, their eyes are sharp. They can spot intruders immediately. Western fence lizards seem harmless, but they can be aggressive when it comes to territory. They, like humans, are territorial.
Although these lizards can be hostile, they are also fascinating. One interesting fact about western fence lizards is that they are immune to Lyme disease. A protein in their blood kills ticks that transfer the disease. They may be small, but they are amazingly strong. When I see the common western fence lizard hide behind a bush, I remember those amusing times with my sister. I can still recall the excitement when she came back from school and told me that after finishing my dinner, we would play a game of Hide and Seek, Uno, or Scrabble. Now, my sister has moved to college, and she stays there during the fall and spring. When she comes back for winter and summer breaks, I remember the fun of playing games together when I was little.
A female will not only mate with the strongest lizard but also the one with the brightest stripes.
They can be as calm as a cloud in the sky. They live as a very tranquil and undisturbed entity as they slowly walk the earth.
Western Pond Turtle (Actinemys marmorata)
BY WILLIAM S.
It was a warm sunny day in New York City. We did not know it, but today would end up being a great day. My mom, my sister, and I were about to head down to Central Park to eat bagels and rent a rowboat at the boathouse. We stopped by Broadway Bagels, our favorite bagel shop, and headed toward Central Park. As we walked through the lush green shrubs and trees, we came across a boulder. We laid out our picnic baskets and took out our bagels. As we ate our food, we watched the bumblebees dive into the green grass and open flower blossoms. After we finished our food, we headed over toward the boathouse. We hopped onto a boat for three and put on our life jackets. The man helping us pushed our boat into the open lake, and we started rowing through the lively waves. Almost immediately, we saw the small, baby, bullet-shaped face of a turtle pop out of the water to catch a breath of air, but as soon as it was there, it vanished under the small waves of the lake. As we passed by a piece of driftwood, we noticed there was an abundance of small turtles on the cool wood lying motionless trying to soak up some sunlight. A western pond turtle is a humble but mighty reptile. The color of its upper shell can be brown or black, and its shell has a curvature made for swimming quickly. Its shell is its most popular attribute. It is known for having its impenetrable qualities. I think the greatest feature of their shell is its similarity to the vast tessellation of a honeycomb. Their pigment is a very serene color that could only be described as the color of the hot chocolate I like to drink in the winter months.
These turtles mostly like relaxing in streams, ponds, marshes, muddy canals, calm lakes, and pools. They can be as calm as a cloud in the sky. They live as a very tranquil and undisturbed entity as they slowly walk the Earth. For protection, they can pull their head and legs into their shell. The turtles will use their webbed feet to help them swim. They are very shy and they are more placid than a rock lying on the ocean floor. These turtles like to lay on sandy areas, rocks, or logs and bask in the sun, making their body temperatures increase. I can relate to them because I, too, like to swim and relax like a turtle. My favorite thing about this species is their ability to be able to breathe in mud during the summer months when the ponds or streams dry up.
I can relate to turtles in many ways. I feel connected to the turtles when I interact closely with them. They are my favorite animal because I think they are adorable and charming creatures that make me laugh when they lie on the rocks. They are extraordinary creatures.
Western Pygmy Blue (Brephidium exilis)
BY ROSE K.
One day, I was standing still in the park, and out of nowhere, a swarm of butterflies came flying in the air. As they fluttered around me, they landed on my hands. I called out to my parents and said, “Mom, Dad, look at these butterflies! They are so cute, right?”
I inspected the butterflies closely. I saw that they were only the size of one of my fingernails. I looked even closer and saw specks of blue in the middle of their bodies. At the time, I had trouble figuring out the species. When I researched the western pygmy blue butterfly, I thought of that moment in the park and how those butterflies were the same ones that I was researching.
Western pygmy blue butterflies are the smallest butterflies in North America. There are some downsides to being so small. For example, they are weaker and become tired faster than bigger butterflies. It is not all bad, though. One of the benefits of being so small is that they can fit into small flowers to pollinate them. If they were bigger, like a monarch butterfly, they could only fit into larger flowers. I am a gymnast and dancer. These sports make me flexible, and when I use my flexibility, I can bend into small spaces. These small spaces remind me of the small flowers that the western pygmy blue fits in to pollinate.
Since these butterflies are so small, it can be difficult to see them, and they are commonly overlooked. They do not deserve to be overlooked just because they are small. They are also beautiful. This also applies to humans, or more specifically children, like me. We are also commonly overlooked because we are children. Some people don’t see us or look at us because we are just small children, but just because we are small does not mean that we are not still beautiful. Everyone is beautiful in their own way regardless of their age and how they look. Always remember to fly high like a western pygmy blue fluttering through the sky, even when you are feeling down.
The butterflies began to fly off my hands as my parents told me that it was time to leave the park. I did not want to leave, but I was assured that we could come back another day. “Okay. I will be there in one second,” I said as I walked over to my parents. When I think back to that moment I feel grateful that I had the experience to meet some really amazing animals. I still see butterflies regularly, and when I do, it feels like I go back to that moment and relive the memories. I think of how I was sitting there in the sun feeling nothing but joy as the butterflies circled around me. I remembered how the butterflies crawled up my arms and their happiness consumed me. I wish I could go back and feel the butterflies swirling in the air as I watch them flutter away.
I really saw that it was a bird when I saw its
Western Screech Owl (Megascops kennicottii)
BY ATLAS A.
I once saw a western screech owl on the electric cable in my backyard. It resembled a small, fast creature, like me. From that moment on, I realized how many similarities I had with this wonderful animal. A western screech owl can help a person learn how to use their strengths because it is forced to use its strengths when it hunts. Western screech owls hunt animals larger than themselves like fish, snakes, and other small mammals and insects. Like most owls, the western screech owl swoops down from its branches to catch prey. One thing that makes it different from other owls is that it has to be extra silent since some prey, like snakes, have very fast reactions. I always have wanted to be fearless like a western screech owl.
Western screech owls also have predators, but unlike other animals that run away, the western screech owl camouflages into trees. The western screech owl becomes as thin as possible, using its agility and its woody color to look like a branch. This strategy, if done well, will protect it from the keenest predators. The western screech owl has taught me a lesson, “If you stay calm and outthink the problems you are having, no one can stop you.” This lesson helps me stay focused and calm during situations where it matters most. Even though the western screech owls were quite rare to see at one point, people have started respecting them more and their population has risen to 180,000. The western screech owl is found in wooded forests and canyons where cliffs and trees stretch tall.
Some people can relate to the western screech owl because of its balance between independence and collaboration. The screech owl is an independent animal most of the year, but it joins other western screech owls during their breeding season. Similar to how some people hang out with friends on the weekend, the western screech owl has certain times that they spend with other western screech owls. Something about the western screech owl that surprises a lot of people is that the owl is more frequently seen in lower-elevation areas. This is surprising because other owls are found more frequently in higher-elevation areas.
When I first saw the western screech owl, it took me a while to realize it was a bird because it blended into a tree in my backyard. I saw that it was a bird when I looked at its eyes, which were as yellow as the sun. Last year, when I was walking back home from school, I remembered thinking of being as tiny and as agile as the western screech owl. Every day, I would walk by this big brown fence, and never be able to see the other side. Those were the days when I wanted to be a western screech owl. I wanted to fly freely and smoothly, like birds gliding in the wind. I still remember coming back from school last year like it was yesterday. I would run sometimes when I was excited and eager to go home and see my family.
Acknowledgements
The Nueva School fifth-grade class would like to express our deep appreciation to…
World of Wonders writer Aimee Nezhukumatathil and illustrator Fumi Nakamura for inspiring these pieces with their marvelous work.
Eighth-grade students Kylie E-M., Lucia v. G., and Mia T. for their dazzling graphic design of this volume.
Our teachers Cristina Veresan, Becky Turner, Reenie Charrière, and associate teacher Allison Gerhard for their guidance during this collaborative project.
Educator and author Cliff Burke for co-developing this wonder essay curriculum with Cristina Veresan during his time at Nueva.
Middle School Head Karen Tiegel, Assistant Middle School Head Toni Setteducato, and Assistant Director of Communications Rachel Freeman for their enthusiastic support of this book.
Digital Communications Manager LiAnn Yim for her design of the original 2021 Bay Area Wonders: In Praise of Redwoods, Sea Otters, and Other Astonishments volume and her ongoing guidance to the design team.
Our families for providing us with opportunities to find wonder in the natural world.
