Environment

On a quiet hillside above town, Ma’alot Farms is steadily transforming raw land into one of Los Gatos’ most community-minded food sources. And while this young farm is still growing—literally—its team is gearing-up to serve local families this holiday season with fresh foods and...

This past Wednesday, the Los Gatos Town Council and Planning Commission held a joint special session to discuss the California Environmental Quality Act, or CEQA (pronounced SEE-qua), as it pertains to developments planned for the community. David J. Powers and Associates, an Oakland-based private environmental...

Pam Hansen, of Los Gatos, and Don Vu, of Saratoga, were honored last month for the incredible photographs they took while out in nature, winning a Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District contest that was decided by social media voting. Each year Midpen hosts a photography...

In the preface to his book “California: A Fire Survey,” Stephen J. Pyne notes that the “California fire scene” has long shaped the broader American agenda. “For the national narrative the important fact is that what happened in California did not stay in California,” he...

California State Parks has released its recovery plan for Big Basin Redwoods State Park, the oldest one in California. Nearly five years on from the CZU Lightning Complex Fire, which torched over 90% of the park and destroyed more than 900 homes in the area,...

Rolling Hills Middle School 7th-graders and Louise Van Meter Elementary 5th-graders have completed an in-depth water monitoring educational course that highlighted what life as a professional H20 monitor would be like. As part of the Poseidon Education’s Stormwater Quality Leadership Program, the kids took samples,...

A dead rat was spotted Downtown Los Gatos on Monday morning, at North Santa Cruz Avenue and Main Street. It was unclear what killed the animal, however, it lay next to a black animal control box containing poison. Per the label, the bait station contains desmethyl...

The Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office has settled a consumer protection lawsuit against popular sunscreen company Sun Bum for advertising claims that misstated its actual impact on the ocean. The judgment is the first obtained by any prosecutor against a major sunscreen manufacturer for...

“April showers bring May flowers” —A proverb meaning unpleasant things can ultimately lead to a positive outcome. One very nice thing about living in “these parts” is the changing of the seasons. And by the way, Los Gatos and Saratoga are designated “tree cities.” Well, OK, a...

Before you pull up any more “weeds” in your garden, you may want to consider what Alrie Middlebrook has to share about native edible plants and trees. This past Saturday and Sunday, 50 or so gardens around the San Francisco Bay participated in the...