Rotary Nature Center and Lake Merritt Wildlife Refuge

Victoria the Corpse Flower has surprised us all and begun to bloom. If you want to see Victoria in all their glory you have the next two days - Monday and Tues...day. She's located in a home greenhouse near Lake Merritt in Oakland - once you sign up for the event you will receive the address. If possible, we ask for a donation to the Pollinator Posse in return - either cash when you visit or using the donate tab on our website. Here is the eventbrite link... https://www.eventbrite.com/e/victoria-the-corpse-flower-tic See more

Down on the Lake channel this morning, ran across not 1 but 2 bat ray’s feeding along the bank. It’s been a while since I’d seen one (though I’d seen some great footage from near Snow Park recently).

Help our neighbors get back to business after the fire.

A worthwhile read....

Watch California Center for Natural History's presentation on Lake Merritt. Damon Tighe shows a lot of incredible photos and shares some of his accumulated knowledge of the fascinating things found underneath the surface.

Wednesday June 3rd at 8pm I'll be giving a Zoom meeting on the organisms that I've photographed over the years at Lake Merritt, Oakland, CA. Join by signing up via this eventbrite and then Zoom meeting info will be shared to the sign up list:

More critters from the lake, Sunday edition.

We have some great underwater footage of Lake Merritt (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGvKb5v3sAjqEzf3wXZZ6IA) , but this footage from Mountain Lake in San Francisco is gorgeous, and so close up!

Two Double Crested Cormorant (maintaining their social distance from other cormorants?!) have come back to the Lake Merritt island nesting tree. (Only one in the pic)

It's Lake Merritt Wildlife Refuge day

Happy 150th Lake Merritt Wildlife Refuge! This day in 1870, the California State Legislature enacted a bill to protect the wildlife of Lake Merritt. This was of course designed to protect wildlife from people (and perhaps the peace and quiet of Dr. Samuel Merritt). As my photo shows, it doesn't necessarily protect the wildlife from each other :-)

The Pollinator Palooza at Lake Merritt has been postponed - new date TBD

Citizen scientists - please join the Western Monarch Mystery Challenge - keep your eyes peeled for early season Monarchs and post sightings (with a picture if possible) on iNaturalist. We really need to gather data on our dwindling population - especially the first migratory generation. And there are prizes!