Want to share a file with your classmates, but it's too large to send reasonably via e-mail? When I run into this problem, I always turn to Cal Web Files: https://webfiles.berkeley.edu

What is it?

Online file storage and file sharing! It's hosted on campus, is super secure, and available to students, faculty, and staff.

A few tips:

- It takes a little time to become familiar with the interface.

- Since their servers are based on campus, files upload faster when you're on campus than when you log on from a distance.

- You can choose to store things in a private folder, a shared folder, and a public folder. With the public folder, you can share files with anyone, not just Cal students. Shared is only accessible to people with Cal WebFiles accounts, and the private folder is viewable only to you.

Stuff I've passed along via Cal WebFiles:
- Class notes
- GIS maps
- Digital audio recordings of class lectures
- Photographs from study abroad

Posted by Christina at 1:27 PM | Permalink

For though who don't know, on-campus recruiting happens in Fall for most full-time (for seniors) and Spring for most summer internships (2nd, 3rd years, and junior transfers). Although the majority of the OCR deadlines have passed, there are still some great job fairs. Here's one that I've been waiting for. I'll be at the Carbon Forum America Conference in San Francisco until 4pm, so hopefully BART will get me back in time!!! Hope to see you there!

ECO (Environmental Companies and Organizations) Career Fair
Wednesday, March 12, 2008, 5 - 7 pm
MLK Student Union, West Pauley Ballroom

Employers who will be at the fair listed online at: http://career.berkeley.edu/FairDir/fairDirDisplay.asp?fair_id=21

My favorite firm is Taoit, Inc. -- an awesome new start-up.

Posted by Tay Feder at 11:57 PM | Permalink

One of the hard things about "going off to school" is growing apart from people that you used to be close to. It's something that I've had to adjust to this year. It's sad because it makes you realize people you were close to were only your friend out of convenience. The effort it takes to call someone once every week or two really isn't that hard. I've done my best to keep up with friends that have moved and gone to other schools. But when someone doesn't reciprocate those actions it can be hurtful. However the silver lining in the cloud is that there are so many amazing people at Cal. I met a girl this semester and became friends based on the fact we had a class together last semester even though we never talked before. ESPM classes are great because even though it's my 2nd semester I recognize 5-15 people in each of my classes.

I remember when I changed high schools that it took two years for me to really get to know people. I managed to do what took two years in high school in one semester. It's sad that people are graduating this spring because I've met some awesome people and there going to be gone soon. Oh yah and what else makes ESPM classes even more awesome is that last week my professor brought a machete to class. That’s right not only was there a giant machete, there was durian fruit to be hacked open and handed out. Just when my professor's lecturing was getting dry she made it up.

Posted by Marissa Ponder at 11:18 PM | Permalink

...come again another day....and it sure has...

It rained for about two weeks straight after Winter Break. Then, we had about a week of wonderful sunshine. I was so surprised! I've been asking some NorCal people and they all say that it gets warm around here in April. So I was extremely happy about the warm weather. I'm from SoCal, so I absolutely love the sun and warmth. I was actually in shorts that week. Alas...it was not to last...

The rain came back and it's as gloomy as ever in Berkeley. Doesn't rain just make you want to crawl back into bed with a cup of hot chocolate and watch tv or read all day? That's what I want to do instead of sloshing through puddles to get to class everyday.

Rain just makes you feel lethargic. I always sleep better when it's raining. This would be awesome if I didn't have to get up for 8 am classes and other stuff every day...most unfortunately, I do, and the rain makes it even harder to drag myself from my warm and cozy bed.

Well, all I can say is that I'm really happy I have an umbrella. I've always wondered...where do all the squirrels hide when it's raining? Their fluffy tails are going to get all soaked and not be fluffy anymore. On a side note, has anyone else noticed how bold the squirrels on the Berkeley campus are? Honestly, they're not afraid of you at all.

Posted by Victoria Eng at 8:21 PM | Permalink

Did you know that CNR is selecting a new dean? There are four candidates this time and you can eat lunch with them! Three of the luncheons have already passed, but there's still one more! This Wednesday is the last luncheon with the last CNR dean candidate. Not only will you get free pizza and soda, but you get to voice your questions and concerns to the candidate. What are his or her goals for CNR as Dean? How will he or she increase student enrollment in CNR? Can he or she make sure classes stop getting canceled at the last minute? Ask the candidate anything that concerns you about CNR!

I've been to all three of the past luncheons and I think they're a great opportunity to just get to know the candidates. The setting is informal so everyone feels comfortable asking questions. You get to learn about the candidates' backgrounds and interests and listen to what they want to do for CNR. This is great experience and one no CNR student should miss! So I hope to see you all there this Wednesday at 260 Mulford from noon to 1 pm!

Posted by Victoria Eng at 8:12 PM | Permalink

I just booked my ticket to Michigan and Virginia for spring break. I haven't left California in over a year (basically since Berkeley held me hostage) so I am enthused about doing a little bit of traveling in the US. In Michigan I'll be visiting the medical school (which ranks really high) and some close friends, and of course I'll be paying Dearborn a visit because I here it's mini Middle East in America filled with Arabic stores, restaurants, and just Arabs so that should be fun. Then mid week, I'll be going to Virginia to meet my mother where we'll be staying with my aunt. We also are going to be driving to UPenn and the to New York (yay for some quality shopping!). I can't wait to get on the airplane, only drawback...well it's not going to exactly be a "bathing suit vacation"!!! I'll be sure to post some fun pictures!

Posted by Rola Abduljabar Rabah at 11:11 AM | Permalink

Thursday, February 21, 2008

Time: 7pm - 9pm.
Location: Ecology Center, 2530 San Pablo Ave, near Dwight Way, Berkeley.
Cost: Free.
Info: 510-548-2220 x233, erc@ecologycenter.org, www.paksbab.org.

Rebuilding with Straw Bale in Earthquake Affected Pakistan
Berkeley architect Martin Hammer recently returned from Pakistan where he has been working to bring straw bale and other sustainable building practices to the mountainous region devastated by the 2005 earthquake, which was responsible for over 80,000 deaths, and left millions without permanent shelter. He'll give us an update on the work he presented last year, as well as provide details about straw bale construction. Straw bale construction is earthquake resistant, energy and resource efficient, and an affordable solution to northern Pakistan's enormous reconstruction needs. Martin Hammer has been involved with the design, engineering, and construction of straw bale buildings since 1995, and is the lead author of the proposed straw bale building code for the State of California. In 2006 he co-founded Pakistan Straw Bale and Appropriate Building (http://www.paksbab.org ). Come join us for this informative talk and slideshow.

Posted by Christina at 9:50 AM | Permalink

Would you believe this beautiful earthquake-proof California home is made of hay?

You can find more pictures of that beautiful Berkeley home here:
http://www.2339ninth.com/

Straw home construction started in the sand hills of Nebraska, when the European settlers couldn't find building materials, and made do with straw. Now desired for its incredible ability to insulate, and its safety against strong winds and earthquakes, straw is starting to move up in the world, beyond hobbyists and into the mainstream as a sustainable building method. Even this conference and retreat center, the Presentation Center in the Santa Cruz mountains, has chosen straw for construction.

Straw construction is reinforced with steel and framed by wood. Compressed hay bales make up the bulk of construction, which is later covered with several layers of plaster. Not only are these homes earthquake safe, they are esentially sound-proof with their two-foot-thick walls.

(photo from http://www.redfeather.org)

An organization called Builders Without Borders is making a difference with straw home technology in earthquake prone countries like Pakistan. Straw has become one of the most practical and economical methods for common folk to rebuild their communities after earthquakes. Since hay is grown locally, costs are reduced in all areas of construction, especially with transportation. Here is a link to an organization that promotes and educates the people of Pakistan with hay building: http://www.paksbab.org/

Here's a story from CNN about a straw house in Santa Cruz:
http://edition.cnn.com/2007/TECH/08/10/straw.bales/
Website for the Presentation Center in Santa Cruz:
http://www.presentationcenter.org/

Websites of interest:
http://www.strawbale.com/
http://www.strawbalebuilding.ca/strawbales.shtml
http://builderswithoutborders.org/
http://www.redfeather.org/programsStrawBaleConst.html

Posted by Christina at 8:29 AM | Permalink

Spring semester is about 4 weeks in and midterms are looming in the next few weeks...so how is Marissa Ponder-Bowen doing? Well I'm doing just fine. I feel much more adjusted to Cal in my second semester. It's nice to have a rough idea of what to expect. I've added an extra 7-12 hours a week of work to my schedule and made climbing more regular. Last semester I barely made time to go to Ironworks and have made it a priority in my week now. Instead of thinking if I have time I'll go, I've put into my schedule and worked other things around it. Yes I am busy however setting time aside to do something I really want to do forces me to focus and finish my reading/essays in a timely manner instead of procrastinating.

I have midterms and mid semester projects coming up in the next two weeks. Which means I've been making lists of things I can do now to get started early. I highly recommend this to anyone who tends to put things off or gets stressed around midterms. The two things that I learned from last semester for not cramming around midterms/finals are
1: I started reviewing lecture slides so that when I get my study guides I'm more prepared for them.
2: Read ahead if you have to do summaries. I often do summaries for discussion ahead of time so I have more time that week to focus on my midterm.

Posted by Marissa Ponder at 11:56 AM | Permalink

Monopoly is coming out with a new world edition. You can help vote to put cities on the map..

Go nominate Taipei, Taiwan at http://www.monopolyworldvote.com/en_GB/world !
You'll have to register for an account, but... just do it!

If you look at the countries, they don't even list Taiwan. So go out there and nominate Taipei, Taiwan...then starting on the 29th of Feb, vote for it!

and.. yay! Kosovo has independence!

Posted by K. Lee at 6:30 AM | Permalink

I decided that since I know exactly what I want to do, might as well declare early. In addition, rumor has it that if you declare your major you can have some sort of priority during tele-bears and get other perks over undeclared students. The process would have been a lot easier except I had to declare a simultaneous degree in Microbial Biology in CNR and Arabic in L&S. First I met with my CNR advisor and filled a form with my complete plan for the rest of my semesters at Berkeley. After my advisor signed off on my paper and double checked my schedule I made an appointment with my L&S Arabic advisor so she can sign off on my separate packet that had my plan for the rest of my years at Berkeley. Both advisors had to sign BOTH packets from BOTH colleges. I then made copies of both packets and turned in the CNR packet at Mulford and the L&S packet at Campbell. A week later I got my final approval from CNR and then two weeks later I got my full approval from L&S and now I am officially a declared Microbial Biology and Arabic Major at Berkeley...something feels really satisfying about that.

Posted by Rola Abduljabar Rabah at 8:44 PM | Permalink

Today Dr. John Francis came to speak to my American Cultures & Natural Resource Managment course.

Experience of a lifetime.

He's the one who spent 17 years not speaking while he crossed the United States by foot. He currently spends 6 months every year walking around the world to raise awareness of environmental issues.

He's a UN delegate, and writes environmental policy.

Check out his website (his photo came from here):
http://www.planetwalk.org/

Posted by Christina at 3:55 PM | Permalink

The Berkeley campus is a "dynamic center of scholarship and of cultural and political activity," according to the Campus page of the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism's website. I read pamphlets extolling Berkeley's virtues as an ever-changing, constantly shifting forum for ideas and activity. Berkeley has a very dynamic campus, and in more ways than one.

I'm referring, of course, to the construction projects all over campus.

With changes in the school's structure come changes in the physical campus. Increases in student enrollment lead to an increased need for student housing and dining facilities; in other words, more dorms and dining commons. The Bioengineering building (Stanley Hall) was just finished, and the new Chang-Lin Tien Center for East Asian Studies should be finishing up soon.
All these new buildings are integral to Berkeley's progress as a premier educational and research institute.

They sure are annoying, though. As I write this in CNR's Student Resource Center, the demolition of Warren Hall (home of the School of Public Health) is underway. In its place will be the Li Ka Shing Center for Biomedical and Health Sciences (lovely name). Barrows Hall is still marked up and ugly (the concrete exterior is undergoing testing). I remember last year, when I lived in Unit 2, and my room was facing the construction of the Underhill Parking Facility. Every morning would start with construction noises.

I am not necessarily particularly annoyed by all these construction projects and repairs. I just wish things would stay set for a while. I hate having to walk around Giannini Hall in the rain, only to find that my path is blocked by a fence because of some sidewalk reconstruction. I want the campus to remain static, and not constantly develop new buildings and demolish old ones (although I am all for the removal of the eyesore that is Evans Hall). Imagine the disappointment of all the tour groups that come through Berkeley, wanting to take pictures of the historic campus, to see it undergoing such drastic changes.

Still, that is part of the student experience, I guess. If I were to come back to this campus 50 years from now to see just how my school has changed...that would be something. That might be why alumni love to come back here. To see a place that remains indelibly unchanged in their memories, and to see how it continues to grow and develop...I guess there is a value of nostalgia in that.

Posted by Joel Kim at 1:53 PM | Permalink

Today is such a warm, relaxed day. The sun is shining so bright on the green Berkeley campus. A soft breeze blows. Students are walking around in T-shirts and shorts. Yes, it is a perfect summer day...in February.

One of the many things about Berkeley that shock people who come from outside the Bay Area (or indeed, outside of California) is the weather. It is just so warm and so beautiful here. As my friend from Massachusetts put it "You guys don't have seasons out here! Everything is the same!" She said that caroling during Christmas was frustrating, especially during songs like "Winter Wonderland."

Not to say that Berkeley is always this way, of course. Just a week or so ago, we had a massive week of rain. Walking around to class was not pleasant on that day. My books and planner got soaked right through my backpack. I don't really mind the rain, but I do prefer the sun. Still, it's days like those rainy days that make me appreciate days like this.

Now if only I didn't need to do schoolwork...

Tip for people coming to Berkeley: If you look outside and it's overcast, carry an umbrella. The forecast may say that it will not rain, but you can never be too sure. It took a while for me, a SoCal boy, to figure that out.

Posted by Joel Kim at 1:36 PM | Permalink

Yesterday in my Adventures in Neuroscience DeCal course, I learned just how aerobic exercise is linked to increased memory capacity. Quickly explained, without the nifty chemical signaling processes and complicated biology, thirty minutes of aerobic activity three times a week increases the oxygen flow to your brain considerably, which facilitates the growth of new memory-building cells.

With this in mind, I decided to check out the Cal's Recreational Club sports website:
http://rsf-pwf.berkeley.edu/insidepage.aspx?uid=95fadc92-319a-4482-a635-7b3091add462
Look at all the great club sports available!
Archery
Volleyball
Waterpolo
Lacrosse
Figure Skating
Gymnastics
Soccer
Squash
Field Hockey...and more!

I found Cal's Fencing Club!

Since I was in the fencing club at my old school, you can imagine that this makes me super excited. They were nowhere to be found in 2006 when I started at Cal, but now they seem to be going strong. I even saw a guy wearing a "Cal Fencing" sweatshirt the other day when I was riding the bus. We'll see if they let me join this late in the semester!
Here's their website:
http://fencing.berkeley.edu/

The nifty fencing image comes from the NBC sports image gallery.

Posted by Christina at 11:31 AM | Permalink

What do you call an animal that is a hybrid cross between a lion and a tiger? Well, that depends on who you ask. According to me, it's called a liger- a real living animal... but according to my hallmates and some other skeptics out there, it's a load of bull.
Recently, I've been going through a bit of a "liger obsession phase", which was sparked a week ago by my roomate's boyfriend who was watching a liger video on youtube. He seemed pretty impressed and showed it to other people on the floor(including me)...who welcomed it with varying reactions. Half my floormates thought it was cool, and the other half thought it was all made up. "What proof is there?!" they would ask. Now, I know that googling is not the most completely credible way to find scientific articles, but in order to prove their existance I found some pretty legit sites including national geographic, wikipedia (a little more questionable),

ABC, etc. I was pretty convinced, but still some floormates wouldn't believe it. An argument made was that "the chances of a hybrid cross being successfull are so slim that it if happened it would be big news" and although I admit I've never seen a Liger headline the LA times, I don't think it matters.
Well, anyhow, here's the some resources for you to check out if you're interested for the facts or the entertainment value. Napolean Dynamite imagination or not, it's worth a click :P

:http://youtube.com/watch?v=cowCS_OoDSY
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/08/0804_050804_ligers.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liger
http://uncyclopedia.org/wiki/Liger

Posted by Angela Hsu at 2:25 PM | Permalink

So, I went to a undergrad research workshop yesterday. It was very informative. Before I went in, I had no idea why and how important doing research was, besides the fact that it looked good on a resume:). Anyway, as I was handed thick packets of info, I learned from others great ways to find a research topic. First off, though, you need to find a mentor. You can either find one first and then brainstorm topics, or have a research proposal in mind then find a mentor. Good hints I heard were that setting a specified number of hours to how much time your mentor would be devoting to you is a good indicator to how well you and the mentor will be able to make the best out of your research.

Research is a great opportunity to explore your interests and it's exciting- shows how motivated you are and how interested you are in your major. It shows you took initiative and of course, it's more of a hands-on application type of work, rather than reading dryly out of a textbook and going to lectures. Other tactics/alternatives I found out:

1. senior honor thesis- shows up on transcript
2. join OUR very own CNR undergrad research SPUR
3. URAP-i heard a rumor that they like junior transfers a lot!!
4. to find out what research you even want to do, start taking classes you are interested in. Perhaps, then, you can find a potential research topic!

Hope this helps to all the freshman/sophomores interested in undergrad research! I know it helped me!

Posted by Casey Wang at 8:02 PM | Permalink

I know it's a bit early to worry about my plans for this summer, but I just can't seem to decide what to do this summer. I've created two options for myself:

(1) Stay at Berkeley and take a summer course (maybe Chem 3B/L, Physics 8A, Bio 1A/L, or Bio 1B/L...any suggestions?), continue working at Moffitt Library, and maybe find a clinical positon...

OR

(2) Go home to SoCal, take Spanish somewhere, and find a clinical or volunteer position

I keep going back to the second choice because I really miss my family, but I feel like I should lighten my workload next fall (I'm scheduled to take Chem 3B, Bio 1B, and Physics 8A). Does anyone have any suggestions for me? If I go with the first choice, which summer class should I take? Chem 3B/L looks quite intense, so I'm not really sure I want to take that over the summer.

Posted by Victoria Eng at 10:00 AM | Permalink

Thought maybe a few folks will find this interesting! I'll definitely be there.

Intellectual Reflections of a Christian Geneticist
7:30pm. Wheeler Auditorium, UC Berkeley
Francis Collins
Author—The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief.
Director—National Human Genome Research Institute, NIH.

The talk will be followed by an interview conducted by Professor Jasper Rine (Howard Hughes Professor and Professor of Genetics, Genomics and Development UC Berkeley (MCB))

Francis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D., is a physician-geneticist and currently serves as the Director of the National Human Genome Research Institute at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. In this capacity, he oversaw the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium, and its landmark effort to sequence the entire human DNA code; the Human Genome Project. Building on the foundation laid by the Human Genome Project, Dr. Collins is now leading the NHGRI effort to ensure that this new trove of sequence data is translated into powerful tools and thoughtful strategies to advance biological knowledge and improve human health.

Posted by Christina at 10:02 AM | Permalink

I love my little bath sponge. I love it even more now that I know where it comes from.

I bought a new loofah sponge Saturday, since mine died a sorry death in French Polynesia months ago. As I pulled it out of its packaging, I noticed a seed. Then I stared at the placentation. I thought, "This is Curcubitaceae." And I wondered why I hadn't noticed that about my last sponge.

This image shows the placentation:

Always a curious sort, I put it on my list of things to look into. Did you know that you're scrubbing yourself with xylem? Here's a great step-by-step how to prepare your own loofah article written by Aaron Newton, who grows his own Luffa :http://www.groovygreen.com/groove/?p=689 In this article, Aaron describes the simple process of "milking" the Luffa fruit, to remove the fleshy fruit and seeds, leaving just the fibrous xylem that makes the exfoliating sponge we all love.

Here's a Luffa gord dried out on the vine:

Many species in the genus Luffa, within the Curcubitaceae, are grown for use as sponges. This is the same family as cucumber, melon, and squash. Luffa cylindrica, Luffa acutangula and Luffa aegyptiaca are a few of the species that are grown for this purpose.

Here's a flower with a bumble bee:

Click on "Continue Reading" to see references for further reading, and my sources for all of the photographs of this entry.

References, read more about this plant here:
http://encyclopedia.farlex.com/Curcubitaceae
http://www.groovygreen.com/groove/?p=689
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luffa
http://www.luffa.info/

Images come from these websites:
http://www.plantopiagifts.com/images/img_luffa.jpg
http://www.jungleseeds.com/images/GourdsLuffa.jpg
http://www.luffa.info/

Posted by Christina at 7:42 AM | Permalink

Grab your student ID, hop on the Hill Line at the Hearst Mining Circle, and get your bum up to the Botanical garden. Yeah, I realize it's raining.

Ok, if you don't go, I won't hold it against you.

I might shed a tear or two for you, though, since you'll miss the orchids that are going crazy right now in the Fern and Carniverous Plant House, which is a little, almost invisible greenhouse right by the main gate to the garden.

Posted by Christina at 9:25 PM | Permalink

We all get one for free, as long as we're enrolled in classes at Berkeley. It's the AC Tranist bus pass. It goes on the front of our ID cards, next to our picture. Most of the time, students just use it to ride around campus on the Perimeter, Reverse Perimeter, or Hill Line.

But there's an awesome resource that few students know about. The online trip planner:
http://transit.511.org/tripplanner/index.aspx

Just type in where you're starting, and where you want to end up. It'll tell you the best way to get there. If you scroll to the bottom "4. Transportation Options", you can choose Only Buses.

Some enticing places to visit, via AC Transit:

- Tilden Park
- Tilden Park Botanical Garden
- El Cerrito Plaza (Trader Joe's, Barnes & Noble, Lucky's, Ross, PetCo)
- Michael's Crafts in Emeryville
- Home Depot in Emeryville
- Office Depot in Berkeley
- Oakland Animal Shelter (to pet bunnies)

You see the other buses around campus, but do you ever consider riding on them? They're free with your ID, and they can take you anywhere you'll need to go. Need to go visit a friend in El Cerrito? Maybe you wanted to go to a hardware or crafts store in Emeryville. With a little planning, the entire East Bay is within your grasp. Sure, you might find BART convenient. But honestly, I find the subway noise unbearably loud, and there aren't pretty or interesting things to look at, unless you count advertisements and black subway tunnels. The buses can be slower, but they're more comfortable, generally cleaner, and quieter than the alternative. Did I mention these buses are FREE?

Posted by Christina at 9:20 PM | Permalink

Do you like bunnies? They're soft and fun to pet.
Well, even if you can't have one in your apartment, I know of a great place to go and visit them in the afternoons. The bunnies at the Oakland Animal Shelter will welcome your pets and affection, even if you do have to put them back in their cages and go home without them.

At the Oakland Animal Shelter, they take care of a couple dozen rabbits. With their no-kill policy, excellently trained volunteers, and plentiful healthy hay, they take great care of their rabbits. Unfortunately, they're trapped in little boxes in a back room for most of the day, with tons of hay and good sanitation - but still, not much room to hop or folks to cuddle with.

If you find some free time, you should definitely go to keep them company!

To get there from campus with your free bus pass, take the 1R line (#1lx/1) from Telegraph Ave. in the direction of the Bayfair BART station.

Here's a website that tells you all about the available dogs, cats, and rabbits in Oakland:
http://www.oaklandanimalservices.org/index.php?z=4

If you live anywhere in the United States, here's a great resource to help you find your new companion. With Petfinder, you can search all of the animal rescue centers nationwide, by zip code or city name:
http://www.petfinder.com/

Posted by Christina at 8:56 PM | Permalink

Part of the governor's massive state-wide budget cuts includes a significant reduction in aid for our California state parks, forcing the closure of nearly 20% of our parks.

Here's a map with the affected parks:

Here's the official stance of the state parks on this issue:
http://www.parks.ca.gov/pages/712/files/budget%20fact%20sheet%20w-graphics%20-%2001-14-08.pdf

*Most* of these parks will be closed to public, and placed in a "caretaker status," which requires fewer full-time employees. Many will be closed with no care. The parks they have chosen have the least amount of traffic, generate the least revenue, and are dependent on volunteers. Previous budget cuts have made it impossible to do trail maintenance anyway, so why not shut them down (ACK!!!! If I had known, I would gladly have chipped in extra for admission!)

It is horrible, but it's good to read that the parks tried their best to find the parks that will make the least impact. I'm super sad, though, because Topanga State Park was a favorite for Tom and I to go backpacking. It's on the cutting block, along with several others that I've visited and loved, like San Simeon State Park, Benecia, Railtown, Sutter's Fort, Bolsa Chica, and Tomales Bay. Tomales Bay was one I visited recently with a class. There was some interesting geology there and unbelievably beautiful wetlands.

Here's a website where you can write a letter to the governor about your sentiments on the issue:
http://www.environmentcalifornia.org/action/preservation/state-parks?id4=TAFsent

Here is a list of the parks and beaches to be closed:

Anderson Marsh SHP
Armstrong Redwoods SR
Austin Creek SRA
Benicia Capitol SHP
Benicia SRA
California Citrus SHP
California State Mining & Mineral Museum
Candlestick Point SRA
Clear Lake SP
Del Norte Coast Redwoods SP
Estero Bluffs SP
Fort Ord Dunes SP
Fremont Peak SHP
George Hatfield SRA
Governor's Mansion SHP
Great Valley Grasslands SP
Grizzly Creek Redwoods SP
Harmony Headlands SP
Henry W. Coe SP
La Purisima Mission SHP
Limeklin SP
Los Encinos SHP
Los Osos Oaks SR
Malakoff Diggins SHP
Manchester SB
McConnell SRA
Montana de Oro SP
Morro Strand SB
Mount San Jacinto SP
Petaluma Adobe SHP
Picacho SRA
Pio Pico SHP
Plumas-Eureka SP
Portola Redwoods SP
Providence Mountains SRA
Railtown 1897 SHP
Salton Sea SRA
San Simeon SP
Santa Susana Pass SHP
State Indian Museum
Sutter's Fort SHP
Tomales Bay SP
Topanga SP
Wassama Round House SHP
Will Rogers SHP
William B. Ide Adobe SP
William Randolph Hearst Memorial SB
Woodson Bridge SRA

Posted by Christina at 8:22 PM | Permalink

When the sun peaked out from the clouds the other day, I decided to pull out my camera.
Hope you enjoy!

Posted by Christina at 8:13 PM | Permalink