Updated June 11, 2020 (originally published September 13, 2018) By Brian Freiermuth, Wildlife Biologist Foothill Yellow-legged Frog Life History The foothill yellow-legged frog (FYLF), Rana boylii, is visually one of the more non-descript frogs in California, but it must gamble for survival. Although FYLF breed in relatively calm parts of streams, these areas are prone … Continue Reading »
WRA News
Wildlife Impacts and Public Access: Are there unintended consequences of increasing open space visitation?
By John Baas, PhD The Shelter in Place (SIP) order has been in effect in the San Francisco Bay area for nearly three months and has implications for how park, recreation, and open space agencies may need to manage public access in response to wildlife impacts. Last week I saw a juvenile coyote trotting down … Continue Reading »
[VIDEO] People & Projects: Marlene Tyner-Valencourt and the San Dieguito River Valley Conservancy Project
With many people still working from home, the WRA team is finding innovative new ways to stay connected with our clients. One such way is through Zoom meetings – which got us wondering, what else can we use Zoom for? It turns out, it’s a great way to record an interview! You can get to … Continue Reading »
Federal Definition of WOTUS Published in the Federal Register
By Myla Ablog, WRA, Inc., Aquatic Resources Permitting Specialist On April 21, 2020, the Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) published the Navigable Waters Protection Rule (2019 Rule) that defines “waters of the United States” (WOTUS) and clarifies the limits of federal jurisdiction over wetlands, streams, and ditches under the Clean Water … Continue Reading »
[VIDEO] WRA Celebrates American Wetlands Month, 2020
A special video from WRA CEO, Geoff Smick, in honor of American Wetlands Month. WRA Celebrates American Wetlands Month, 2020 from WRA, Inc. on Vimeo. As part of our American Wetlands Month celebration, we put together a short video on the importance of wetlands, WRA’s history and vision for these critical ecosystems, and a few … Continue Reading »
Greenways and Climate Change Resilience: A Call to Action at the ASLA Ecology & Restoration PPN Meeting
With a record number of industry events postponed or canceled this year, it’s comforting to have a good record of past conferences to reflect on for inspiration. The 2019 American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) Conference was particularly memorable. WRA Landscape Architect, Ingrid Morken, captured the highlights of the Ecology & Restoration Professional Practice Network … Continue Reading »
Why You Should Check For This Underwater Plant Before Planning In-Water Construction
Perhaps you are considering the addition of a private boat pier to your property, or need to increase the depth of a channel through dredging. For whatever in-water construction you are planning, it’s important to know if an underwater plant called eelgrass lives in or near your project site to make sure your work can start without a hitch.
WRA’s New Interns Are… Terrible
With California’s latest order to “shelter in place,” WRA has transitioned to a fully remote work environment. We asked our teammates to share photos of their home-office set ups for inspiration. That’s when we started noticing some unfamiliar characters. It appears we’ve acquired a new cohort of furry interns. And they don’t seem to be … Continue Reading »
WRA Botanists to Exhibit at 2020 Northern California Botanists Symposium
WRA is a proud sponsor of the 2020 Northern California Botanists Symposium, January 13-14 in Chico. This year’s theme is “The Diversity of Northern California Botany: Challenges and Opportunities”. WRA botanists Aaron Arthur and Rhiannon Korhummel will attend and be on-hand between presentations at the WRA exhibitor table — please stop by and say hello … Continue Reading »
