It was bedtime at the Carbajal home. Everything was quiet. A soft breeze entered through the window. The alarm was set for work, a glass of water sat by the bedside, and Mari lay adorned in her nighty-nights. Had the alarm really been set? She thought it had been, but there was that nagging, familiar...

Disclaimer: Never use or consume a wild plant or any part of a wild plant until you have first made a positive identification of the plant. A year ago in April, I wrote a commentary about the Mexican elderberry shrubs I noticed along Escondido Canyon Road between Agua Dulce and Acton. After writing that...

Driving around Southern California, one can’t help but notice the grandeur of the majestic yucca blooming every spring – God’s candle, the Lord’s candle, chaparral yucca, Spanish bayonet or sword, Quixote yucca and many other names that I won’t go into here. The species local to Santa Clarita...

There’s an abundance of bird species, most of which have specialized traits that help them get through their day. Not all species of birds have large talons to catch their prey, or are able to drill a hole to hide their food. But no matter what species you choose to examine, all birds share one...

Sometimes hanging around in the classroom at the Placerita Canyon Nature Center, visitors will look at the live animal exhibits and ask questions. One of the more frequent questions is about the collection of California toads we have on display. I’m always amazed when people ask me if they are toads...

“I lived my life between the worlds Neither earth nor sky would call me child The birds were my companions The wind and rain my mentors Daily I grew in power and strength Till snatched out of time by the trickster” – Author unknown   Mistletoe. What better way to be in the holiday spirit...

 I’ve lived in Agua Dulce for more than 23 years. It never surprises me when I’m driving through various areas of the high desert and see a plant or an animal that I’ve never seen before. Last year while driving around, I noticed an unusual plant growing on the roadsides in Acton. It looked just...

When I bought my house in 1992, there was a small cactus growing close to my front door. I had no idea what it was (other than a “cactus”) at the time, but I watched it grow over the years into a healthy specimen. Later, I researched this plant and found it was a cactus common to the area called...

In August, I told you about my database and keeping your eyes open to a wide variety of insects, flowers, animals, birds, etc., and then tracking what you find. Was it cold or hot when you saw what you saw? Have you seen it before under the same or different circumstances? Can you compare the various...

As much as I love nature, I never really paid much attention to the little details until I moved to Agua Dulce. Nature on the high desert seems so much different than any other place I’ve lived before. Maybe it’s just that living in a rural community forces you to pay more attention with its rattlesnakes,...