On Earth Day 2015, a look at the wild species that live in the East Bay regional parks

A puma or mountain lion. Photo source: “A PUMA" by fPat Murray on Flickr, shared via Creative Commons

The California Grizzly bear has been immortalized on the state’s flag, but the four-leg symbol is not around California anymore—at least not since 1924, when the last specimen was spotted in Santa Barbara County. However, other creatures inhabit California’s land, water and sky. The East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD) includes more than 100,000 acres,…

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A protective array of sensors helps firefighters predict and monitor fires

One of the RAWS in the network of weather stations is located at Las Trampas park, east of Oakland near Mount Diablo.

From a distance, standing on the windy ridge in Las Trampas Regional Park, the space-age contraption surrounded by a chain link fence looks out of place in the middle of swaying grass and a herd of grazing cows. But this array of sensors is playing an integral role in protecting this landscape. Remote Automated Weather Stations (RAWS) represent one of the biggest advancements in fire preparedness since the 1991 Oakland Hills Fire.

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