You have seen it, you have likely walked by it countless times, but what really is ice plant and what are its effects on our parks?

California's state rock serpentine has two real powers: the ability to host rare and unique vegetation and its potential to help climate change.

The Spring Equinox is almost upon us and it’s the time of year when we all wait for the rains to get the wildflower show started. At the Redwood Creek Nursery, though, we are collecting something a little different this year.

Most trail names are self-explanatory; they take their monikers from the area’s geographic features or natural resources. But some are a little more cryptic and obscure. In honor of National Trails Day on June 1, we did a little sleuthing into 10 mysterious trail names.

One sure sign of “summer” in the Golden Gate National Parks is the sight of fluffy white seed blanketing hillsides. But where do these seeds come from? Where are they going? And why do we care? A Presidio seed collector takes a closer look.

Every autumn, up to 19 species of birds of prey make their annual appearance over the Marin Headlands. With tens of thousands of raptors counted during the fall migration, it’s the largest flight of its kind in the western U.S.! Read on for hawk-watching tips from our Golden Gate Raptor Observatory program.

This winter we welcome the rainy season, as it typically allows for a rich diversity of various fungi and lichen species to emerge. Take this opportunity to check out the different varieties of species thriving in our San Mateo park sites! You might just take a lichen to what you see. 

You don’t need a Seussian doctorate to celebrate BioBlitz (March 28–29, 2014)—just a love of learning about all the organisms in our parks! Participate in a species inventory, enjoy the Biodiversity Festival, attend special programs, or volunteer alongside event staff. We’re “counting” on you to make Golden Gate’s BioBlitz the best one yet!

It’s 4 a.m. and photographer Brandon Nesbitt is scanning through the public webcams oriented toward the Golden Gate Bridge from his computer at home. Slightly groggy but adequately caffeinated, he’s trying to get an early glimpse of the morning fog conditions.

Thick fog may obscure a view of the bridge…