About This BlogRanger-naturalists have been interpreting the natural and cultural resources of Yosemite for park visitors for nearly a century. In this blog, some of Yosemite's park rangers share recent observations from around Yosemite. All posts are shown below, or you can view posts by topic. Bear Series, Part Three: The Return of the California Grizzly
November 05, 2014
As a park ranger I am often asked by visitors from around the world what species of bear currently lives in Yosemite. People are often surprised when I tell them that only the American black bear lives here now. I am quick to point out to visitors that Yosemite was indeed once also home to the brown bear, which was often called the California grizzly. Yosemite's Ghost Forests
October 07, 2014
Despite its hearty stature, large stands of lodgepole pine can be found bleached of their color and stripped of their bark, in what are known as “ghost forests.” During the 1950s some 46,000 acres of lodgepole in Yosemite had effectively been defoliated and transformed into a ghost forest. So, how did some of the sturdiest high elevation trees die off in such large numbers? An Uncommon Sighting on a Smoky Saturday
September 12, 2013
Despite the recent shroud of smoke in Yosemite Valley, there is still much to see. Although common elsewhere, only eight sightings of great egret are known in Yosemite. |
Last updated: March 27, 2021