By

Michael Adamson
About the author

Michael Hunter Adamson was born and partly raised in the Bay Area and spent his childhood balancing adventure with mischief. As an equally irresponsible adult he has worked for The Nature Conservancy, the arts and education nonprofit NaNoWriMo, taught English in Madrid-based High School equivalent, and volunteers with The Marine Mammal Center. As a writer for Estuary and the editor of the Bay Area Monitor, Michael employs his love for nature and his interest in people to help tell the unfolding story of the living Earth.

Articles by Michael Adamson

13
Nov

For the first time, the San Francisco Estuary has been mapped out for non-motorized watercraft.

From the Palo Alto Sailing Station to the Petaluma Creek Marina, the San Francisco Bay Area Water Trail program has established five maps that unify a network of “trailheads,” allowing boaters to access the entire Estuary. “The goal of the project is to improve and enhance access for non-motorized craft,” says Ben Botkin, Water Trail Planner. The back of each map provides information on the specific ecosystems of each region, serving to inform and inspire boaters to explore the varied waterscapes. “There are so many amazing places to see,” says Botkin, “And we want to educate people on how to do it safely.” The maps are available for download at the new Water Trail website, which also provides up-to-date water condition...
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13
Nov

The California Legislature has made state history by passing SB-5, which acknowledges the importance of parks and climate-change resiliency for some of California’s most disadvantaged communities.

“Park access should not be considered a luxury. It is a right,” says Mary Creasman, California Director of Public Affairs for The Trust for Public Land. The bill—known as the California Drought, Water, Parks, Climate, Coastal Protection, and Outdoor Access for All Act of 2018—recognizes the importance parks play in a community’s quality of life as well as the lack of access to them in urban and disadvantaged communities. The bill provides definitions of “disadvantaged” and “severely disadvantaged” communities and provides them with guaranteed funding. SB-5 also includes funding to improve climate change and sea level rise resiliency in at-risk areas. “With existing funding sources disappearing, SB-5 comes at a critical moment to demonstrate California’s renewed commitment to conservation and parks...
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05
Oct

Sturgeon Surgeons

“White sturgeon are a popular species, so we want to keep a close eye on contaminants in their tissues.” Recent RMP studies have unearthed a few new interesting things about sturgeon - first that selenium keeps turning up in specimens from certain areas, and second that testing may not have to be deadly. Growing up to 20 feet long and living up to 100 years, today’s living fish have become valuable for the stories that they tell.
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05
Oct

Toxic Summer for Sea Lions

The Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito is wrapping up a busy summer. A potent neurotoxin called domoic acid, propagated by toxic algal blooms, poses a threat to California sea lions. Originally called “Amnesiac shellfish poisoning,” domoic acid targets the hippocampus and can have devastating effects on sea lions.
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