IN THIS ISSUE

With accelerating climate change ever more apparent, new questions beg to be considered. Does ecosystem restoration as now practiced make sense? Is desalination an answer to the shrinkage of water supplies stored in the Sierra snowpack? Can scientists find what's "normal" simply by studying the present? In this issue you will find new ideas to ponder--and relief from worries about the future as well. There's a story that will make you notice highway bridge railings in a new light, a hiker's account of a lone trek through a North Coast wilderness inhabited by elk and bears, and much more.

Click here to listen to Shirley Skeel's audio postcard on Shifting Baselines. Click here for her Russian River postcard. (It takes a moment to download.)

Let's Hear from You:

We always appreciate hearing from our readers. Whether you want to comment on stories in the magazine or on the website, or to let us know about newsworthy people, places, or events, please get in touch. Click here.

Wheelchair Guides Available:

A Wheelchair Rider's Guide to San Francisco Bay and the Nearby Coast (2006) and A Wheelchair Rider's Guide to the Los Angeles and Orange County Coast (2001) are available free of charge. For PDF versions or to order print copies, contact the Coastal Conservancy. To view the book cover, Click here.

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Coming Soon:

Controversial toll road projects threaten state parklands; how California could meet its water needs without building dams, desalination plants, or other costly structures; why few coastal managers are preparing to adapt to the coming impacts of global warming although they can see them coming; a great new hike at the gateway to Big Sur; a secret island hidden in plain sight on San Francisco Bay; scientists seek answers to the mystery of the sea otter's poor health; progress on wetland restoration, and more.

Check out Our Previous Special Issue:

Click here to read how Californians talk about their beach experiences. We hear from Yuroks on the Klamath River, over-busy office workers in the San Francisco Bay Area, young people locked up in juvenile halls, vacationers in an RV park in the flight path of Los Angeles Airport, and others. What they said may move you, sometimes to laughter, sometimes almost to tears.