Caltrans is removing nearly 400 #eucalyptus trees along #ElCaminoReal in #Burlingame — but before any tree comes down, biologists check for wildlife like birds and bats. When biologists find a nest, they set up a 50 feet buffer around the tree. #TreeRemoval 🧵 1/3

Join us for #SFClimateWeek! Hear our reporters speak about their favorite climate stories at the #Exploratorium. Tickets are still available, and there will be many other climate-themed activities going on at the Exploratorium After Dark event. Register here: www.exploratorium.edu/visit/calend...

This #EarthDay’s theme is #OurPowerOurPlanet, focusing on the power of ordinary communities to drive change. Get inspired by these stories to take climate action wherever you are, whether it’s connecting with your local nature, reducing food waste, or mobilizing your community for justice ⬇️

KneeDeep Times is heading to #SFClimateWeek! Join us this Thursday 7:30 pm at the #Exploratorium for a series of lightning talks from our writers covering stories from across the Bay Area — from data centers and environmental justice to youth climate action and marsh mice. Tickets ➡️ buff.ly/K6c44z7

In our latest newsletter, scientists gather new data that will shape the future of #wetlandrestoration while planners redesign SR 37 for #sealevelrise and race to save the Bay’s #publictransit. Plus, one young advocate fights to make #fossilfuel companies pay for pollution. buff.ly/UmqB4IK 🧵 1/8

In March, #ElCerrito broke ground on a new housing project near the El Cerrito Plaza #BART station. It's part of a decades-long regional push to build denser, greener neighborhoods near transit — and a test case for how hard that actually is. @mtcbata.bsky.social @bart.gov 🧵 1/3

Once nearly wiped out by the fur trade, #beavers are now being recognized as #climate allies: their dams store water, support #salmon, and create firebreaks in dry landscapes. One study found restoring beavers to the #SierraNevada could store 32 billion gallons of water. #BeaverRestoration 🧵 1/3

What if California's #wildfire fuel could become the buildings of the future? Mass timber construction uses small-diameter trees that act as kindling in wildfires and transforms them into strong, low-carbon building materials. #SustainableDesign #MassTimber 🧵 1/3

A federally endangered shrub that vanished from #BayArea shores in the 1960s could be a secret weapon against #sealevelrise. California sea-blite went locally extinct when its habitat was paved over, but now it’s making a quiet comeback. #NativePlants 🧵 1/3

The #Petaluma Marsh was once 16,000 acres. Today, only 6,800 remain — and rising seas threaten what's left. A new report from @sfestuaryinstitute.bsky.social proposes using dredged #sediment from the Petaluma River to raise marsh elevations and protect the city from #sealevelrise. 🧵 1/3

A $20M tidal #marshrestoration project just wrapped up in #MountainView, and it's one of the biggest steps yet in the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project. The Pond A2W project restored 435 acres of former salt pond, raised the Bay Trail against #sealevelrise, and reconnected waterways. 🧵 1/3

Along the Bay's edges, @savesfbay.bsky.social is planting #nativeplants on habitat transition zones, where tidal marshes meet the land. From #MenloPark to #MountainView, tarweeds, fiddlenecks, and other natives can hold soil together, support wildlife, and adapt to sea level rise. 🧵 1/3

Saumitra Kelkar is an #Oakland biologist, native plant landscaper, and former high school teacher who is helping #nativeplants go viral. Through his Instagram account @oakland.bio, he's built a community dedicated to learning about and conserving Bay Area #biodiversity. 🧵 1/3

A small Bay Area city demonstrates a future of car-free living. But it's taking a lot of determined people to make it happen. @kneedeeptimes.bsky.social www.kneedeeptimes.org/el-cerrito-t...

Save the marshes, save the eco-system and save an entire community from rising sea levels. It can be done. @kneedeeptimes.bsky.social www.kneedeeptimes.org/petaluma-mar...

In advance of rising waters, volunteers weed and replant dozens of acres of the SF Bay shoreline to create a habitat transition zone, ('ecotone') to provide a natural buffer against erosion, as well as habitat for local wildlife. Wow! @kneedeeptimes.bsky.social www.kneedeeptimes.org/save-the-bay...

Hundreds of activists rallied outside #SanFrancisco City Hall last month to fight proposed cuts to the city's Environment Department. Layoffs and drastically reduced funding could gut SF's ability to meet its own climate goals, including #netzero by 2040. #BudgetCuts 🧵 1/3

Great article in @kneedeeptimes.bsky.social about El Cerrito's leadership in building a community where people can live car-free or car-light. At the center of this is our work to bring thousands of homes to San Pablo Avenue & our two BART stations. El Cerrito Plaza BART alone will have 743 homes.

Here in San Francisco, the campaign to keep funding the city's climate action plan is robust. Climate leaders have stepped up the pressure on Mayor Lurie. @kneedeeptimes.bsky.social www.kneedeeptimes.org/san-francisc...

In our latest newsletter, Bay Area shorelines and neighborhoods from #ElCerrito to #MountainView are changing — by design. Plus: hundreds protest proposed cuts to SF's Environment Department, and one #Oakland biologist is making native plants go viral. buff.ly/YArSMqk 🧵 1/7

In East Oakland's #Fruitvale neighborhood, Canticle Farm is more than an #urbangarden. It's a multigenerational, #interfaith community practicing #foodsovereignty, restorative justice, and radical hospitality. Every Friday at noon, free groceries go out to neighbors. 🧵 1/3

Last month, students from 16 #BayArea school districts skipped school for #climateeducation. KneeDeep Times community reporting fellow Padma Balaji was one of them. The Bay Area Climate Literacy Exchange brought together teachers and students to reshape how schools teach climate. 🧵 1/3

The bees at Agroecology Commons Farm in #ElSobrante are confused by this season's fluctuating temperatures, but the farm itself has never been busier. KneeDeep first reported on the collective’s Farmer-to-Farmer training program for BIPOC and queer farmers in 2024. #RegenerativeFarming 🧵 1/3

KneeDeep student reporting fellow Sachi Bansal asked three Rodriguez High School seniors in #Fairfield what healthy food means to them — and what they think of the federal government's new #foodpyramid. buff.ly/ZQ4wMoF #FoodPolicy #ClimateAndFood #BayAreaYouth #CommunityVoices

#SpringGardening season is here. Local naturalist Allison Kidder shares how she grows — and cooks — her cool-season favorites: snap peas and Tokyo turnips. Both are easy to grow in raised beds or containers and go from seedling to dinner plate in just a few weeks. buff.ly/mqMWBGD

The new KneeDeep With Neighbors newsletter is here — and it's all about the people growing food, building community, and tending the land close to home. #UrbanFarming #FoodJustice #CommunityGarden Read in English and Spanish and subscribe for free: buff.ly/3gzcPfJ 🧵 1/5

Snow that melts too early doesn't just disappoint skiers — it dries out forests during the hottest months and fuels #wildfires. This year, a warm January drained the Sierra Nevada's #snowpack to only 59% of its average water content, raising alarm bells for climate scientists. #FireSeason 🧵 1/3

What if our roads and sidewalks could filter #stormwater instead of flushing pollutants into the Bay? Permeable paving does exactly that — and Bay Area cities are catching on. Mission Creek Stormwater Park in #SanFrancisco, for example, uses pervious concrete. 🧵 1/3

Families are turning to cargo e-bikes as a car replacement for short trips as bike prices become more accessible. #Petaluma resident Nate Seltenrich shares how he uses his e-bike for everything from school drop-off to grocery runs. #ebikes #cargobikes 🧵 1/2

This month's stories spotlight the innovative materials and natural engineers building climate resilience in the Bay Area, from beavers to “baycrete.” Plus, scientists respond to January's Sierra snowpack report and a Petaluma resident makes the case for electric cargo bikes. buff.ly/vzljU4j 🧵 ⅛

A small city of eight-story apartment buildings has popped up at Brooklyn Basin, a Priority Development Area (PDA) on the East #Oakland waterfront. The 64-acre development adds thousands of new housing units, but does it meet #affordablehousing and #climateresilience goals? 🧵 1/4

#BayArea jurisdictions are pooling resources to tackle shared #climate threats. After more than a decade of delays, five #RedwoodCity mobile home parks finally got flood relief when four jurisdictions joined forces through @oneshoreline.bsky.social to fund a $10 million diversion project. 🧵 1/3

In #PleasantHill, a tricky intersection has been redesigned to improve safety and #accessibility, with wider bike lanes, audible crosswalks, ADA-compliant ramps, and LED lighting systems. The project won the national Complete Streets award from the Institute of Transportation Engineers. 🧵 1/3

In his decade of service as executive director at the San Francisco Estuary Institute, Warner Chabot worked to build partnerships across agencies and elevate the Institute's science while maintaining what he called its "platinum reputation." @sfestuaryinstitute.bsky.social 🧵 1/3

As the Bay Area races to adapt to #sealevelrise, the Bay Conservation and Development Commission is set to vote early this year on major regulatory changes designed to fast-track #wetlandrestoration, levees, and other flood-buffering projects. #BayArea 🧵 1/3

“I was given the privilege of serving 50 brilliant, passionate, public interest scientists. There are now almost 100 of them. It was the best decade of my professional life." Thank you Warner Chabot, who recently retired from SFEI after 11 years of dedicated service as our executive director!

In this month’s stories, tackling climate challenges demands collaboration at every level. From regional agencies streamlining permits to accelerate climate projects to jurisdictions pooling resources to tackle shared #climaterisks, coordination is challenging but essential. buff.ly/XSFe6R3 🧵 1/6

As flash floods become more common, #Concord residents are adjusting commutes, monitoring creeks, and stocking up on free sandbags from Gasoline Alley. Community reporting fellow Gracebelle Ma’ake explores how locals are adapting to increased #flood risks. Comic by Rain Hepting. 🧵 1/3

As the #WorldCup approaches, Bay Area artificial turf fields are at the center of a growing debate. Cities like #Sunnyvale and #Millbrae are now considering bans over health concerns, from chemicals in recycled tire crumbs to #microplastic pollution and dangerous overheating. 🧵 1/3

At a December meeting held by Sustainable Solano, Rio Vista residents learned how gas wells and traffic impact local #airquality and health. Daniela Ramirez, a high school senior interning with Sustainable Solano, interviewed her neighbors about their takeaways. #Solano #RioVista 🧵 1/3

Undaunted by the Trump administration’s anti-immigrant and environmentally destructive policies, nonprofit @greenlatinos.org is fighting for #environmentaljustice in frontline communities. 🧵 1/3

Our bimonthly “KneeDeep with Neighbors” newsletter features local #climatestories & community voices, in English & en español. In our first edition, Concord preps for storms, artificial turf gets a closer look, GreenLatinos stands firm, and Rio Vista speaks up on air quality. buff.ly/5377Iv4 🧵 1/5

Environmental justice advocates and conservation groups are converging on #Sacramento today to demand legislative action to fix SB 131's rollback of #CEQA protections. #SB131 📷: Backyard Productions/Canva 🧵 1/2

UC Santa Cruz researchers are unraveling the mystery of dry-farmed tomatoes—fruits that thrive through California's summer drought without a single drop of water. The “Dirty Girl” tomato, bred from the popular “Early Girl” variety, actually makes more #tomatoes when dry-farmed. 🧵 1/3

Experts predict that the #BayArea faces $150B in coastal #flood risk this century. A new study modeling hard structures (seawalls) and soft solutions (#wetlandrestoration) found that mixing both strategies can protect communities without significantly raising Bay water levels. 🧵 1/3

Most U.S. communities with refineries in their midst wage a constant battle against toxic air. Essential to mitigating the climate crisis, ending fossil fuel is also crucial to quality of life here and now. @kneedeeptimes.bsky.social www.kneedeeptimes.org/martinez-res...

About one-third of food produced in the United States is wasted, producing an estimated 170 million metric tons of carbon dioxide. Gleaning is the key to reversing that trend. @kneedeeptimes.bsky.social www.kneedeeptimes.org/gleaning-pro...

Through Oakland Goes Outdoors, 14 #Oakland High students got their first taste of #kayaking in #BallenaBay, learning teamwork, water safety, and Bay ecology. The program gives local students the opportunity to hike, camp, and connect with nature. #NatureEducation 🧵 1/3

As #atmosphericrivers drench the Bay Area, #SantaClara County agencies and nonprofits are mobilizing to protect unhoused residents from #flooding and cold weather—especially those sheltering along waterways like the Guadalupe River and Coyote Creek. 🧵 1/3

Mission Creek Stormwater Park in #SanFrancisco can capture approximately 694,000 gallons of #stormwater annually. It's just one of many new #greeninfrastructure projects helping the city reach its goal of managing 1 billion gallons by 2050—but can they keep up with increasingly severe storms? 🧵 1/3