California News

For Earth Day: climbing a redwood tree

On the outskirts of Silicon Valley, in an unincorporated part of Los Gatos in the heart of the Santa Cruz Mountains, I’m scaling a 200-foot tall, somewhere between 600-1000 year…

Could synthetic rhino horns help save the rhino?

Private-sector plans to biofabricate rhino horns to be carved into luxury items or resold into medicinal markets has raised controversy among conservationists who believe it will fuel the demand for the real thing.
Mark Hebblewhite and Kelly Proffitt use an ultrasound to measure an adult female elk's body condition in Montana's Bitterroot Valley. The elk was captured via a helicopter net gun and sports a GPS collar around her neck. Photo courtesy of Mark Hebblewhite.

Wildlife biology in the 21st century

By combining wildlife tracking data with information from satellites, Mark Hebblewhite pushes the boundaries of wildlife biology to uncover new information about the complex interplay among wolves, large ungulates such as elk and caribou and the ever-expanding human footprint.
Mark Hebblewhite and Kelly Proffitt use an ultrasound to measure an adult female elk's body condition in Montana's Bitterroot Valley. The elk was captured via a helicopter net gun and sports a GPS collar around her neck. Photo courtesy of Mark Hebblewhite.

California bans ivory

The state of California has officially banned the sale of virtually all elephant ivory and rhino horn. On Sunday California governor Jerry Brown signed state assembly bill AB 96 into…
Quadcopter drone. Photo courtesy of ConservationDrones.org

Conservation Drones Summit streaming live

The Conservation Drones Summit hosted by the California Academy of Sciences is being streamed live on Periscope by Bryson Voirin. You can watch here. You can also follow the event…
Quadcopter drone. Photo courtesy of ConservationDrones.org