a large buck in the forest

The Buck by the Steps – Director’s Report

A small buck with antlers covered with velvet Because our three-acre property and our home outside of Twain Harte are at the edge of the national forest, we are fortunate to share our neighborhood with a wide diversity of wildlife species.  In recent weeks a game camera only 150’ from our front porch got photos […]

lidar image

A Lidar’s-Eye View of How Forests Are Faring

In recent years, laser images gathered from Lidar instruments on planes flying above a forest landscape have enabled forest managers to gain amazing information about the forests down below. Called lidar for “Light Detection and Ranging” — lidar uses pulses of laser light that get measured by instruments and then results in incredibly accurate 3-D […]

painting of yosemite valley

The History of Fire in Yosemite Park

The Illilouette Creek Basin is a landscape shaped by fire as much as the Valley was by ice. This forest pocket surrounded by granite outcrops allows fire to be naturally contained without concern of spreading outside of the basin. In the 1800s, fires were viewed as damaging to the environment, so fire management turned to […]

pacific fisher

The Pacific Fisher – a rare furbearer species

   Many of CSERC’s wildlife camera efforts are set up with the goal to hopefully capture a photo of the rare Pacific fisher. The Pacific fisher is a carnivorous mammal in the weasel family with strong claws, powerful jaws, and agility that allows them to be extremely adept at chasing prey high in trees or […]

flying squirrel being handled

Big-eyed and Bushy-tailed

Most non-gliding tree squirrels are active during the day, and because many squirrels have adapted to city life, squirrels like the western gray squirrel are commonly seen by many people. However, nocturnal flying squirrels are rarely seen by people, even though they are common throughout many forests. Even when we are outside at night, the […]

dense forest

Just What is a Resilient Forest, Anyway?

In the article linked below, Kat Kerlin from UC Davis explores the question of what makes a forest resilient. What does a “resilient” forest look like in California’s Sierra Nevada? A lot fewer trees! Current forest conditions from fire suppression have led to 6-7x more trees in our forests. And these trees are competing for […]

low water level in reservoir

Difficulties of Drought – Decrease Demand

     As the exceptionally dry summer continues, streams throughout the Stanislaus National Forest have been drying up or turning into widely scattered stagnant pools.This has made our CSERC staff reflect on how water scarcity in the current drought affects not just people, but also many wildlife species.       In June during non-drought years, […]

elk buck

Where the Passion for Nature Photography Comes From

     Our last photographer is Dan Souza. Dan is 74 years old and a lifelong resident of Stanislaus County.  Dan has provided many jaw dropping photos to CSERC for our photo contests.       “I have been pursuing photography as a serious hobby for close to 40 years but have devoted much more […]