Pandemic closes popular kids’ camp Sarah’s Science after 34 years
Sarah Shaffer, the camp’s founder and director, described the painful decision to file for personal bankruptcy and close down.
Nature
Top Stories
Part 2: Your favorite places, inspired by Berkeley Rep’s Place/Settings
They include the once bustling scene on Telegraph Avenue, a sign in a pool hall, Totland, Berkeley Iceland, Lake Anza and, of course, the Codornices slide.
Four Berkeley paths named for founders of group that creates and preserves them
The City Council approved the naming of four pedestrian paths in honor of the founders of Berkeley Path Wanderers Association.
East Bay Regional Park District
Jewel Lake in Tilden Park is ‘a ghost of what it once was’
If you’ve visited Jewel Lake in Tilden recently, you’ll have noticed it’s looking more like a muddy puddle than a lake. Why is that — and is anything being done about it?
In brief
‘A 20-year wind event’ will hit the Bay Area on Sunday, prompting the closure of 11 parks
The Park District will close 11 local parks from Sunday through Monday due to high winds and wildfire danger.
In brief
Update: District extends closure of 11 East Bay parks to Wednesday morning
Update: District extends closure of 11 East Bay parks to Wednesday at 8 a.m. as forecast shows continuing high winds and therefore a high fire risk.
Wildlife
Berkeley nature, and our appreciation of it, kept us going in 2020
Nature played it both ways in 2020. Devastating wildfires were distressing, but the great outdoors also provided a balm for the anxieties wrought by a challenging year.
The 3 UC Berkeley peregrine falcon chicks now have names
California’s state flower and trees were the inspiration for the names of the chicks everybody — well, nearly everybody — loves to watch.
Triplets in the tower: UC Berkeley’s peregrine falcon chicks are here
With three fluffy chicks now in the sky-high nest, the couple who manage the Cal Falcon social project answer questions about what to expect next.
Recent stories
Your favorite places, inspired by Berkeley Rep’s Place/Settings
They include the now-closed pier, the UC Berkeley eucalyptus grove and the tunnel between Codornices Park and the Rose Garden.
Gusty winds in Berkeley, Bay Area expected to die down by Tuesday night
Winds reached 40-50 mph Monday night and Tuesday morning, with stronger gusts in the hills.
UC Berkeley removes hundreds of trees to ensure fire evacuation route
After years of opposition and lawsuits, Cal has succeeded in cutting down eucalyptus trees near campus.
In brief
Magnitude 3.8 earthquake rattles Berkeley on Thursday
A magnitude 3.8 earthquake shook Berkeley on Thursday morning, according to preliminary information from the U.S. Geological Survey.
In brief
Wood burning pollution in Bay Area triggers 50th ‘Spare the Air’ alert of 2020 for Saturday
The Bay Area Air Quality Management District is issuing a spare the air alert for Saturday because of pollution from wood burning, hitting a new record with 50 alerts in 2020.
Update: PG&E outages pared back but Berkeley still wants residents to be on high alert and be ready to evacuate
The combination of strong winds, low humidity, and dry vegetation makes for extremely dangerous conditions, city officials said.
