Audible Mount Diablo

On a walk through 190 million years of geologic history, we take a break to admire a tree: the colorful, clever madrone. It's part of the TRAIL THROUGH TIME, a series of geology videos featuring naturalist Ken Lavin. Sponsored by the Mount Diablo Interpretive Association in partnership with Save Mount Diablo. Videography by Macha Rose. Animations by Tanya Atwater, UC Santa Barbara. Music by Phil Heywood. Produced by Joan Hamilton.

In this episode, we find that rocks that should have been deposited over a span of 35 million years are missing on Mount Diablo. Why? Find out on the TRAIL THROUGH TIME, a series of geology videos featuring naturalist Ken Lavin. Sponsored by the Mount Diablo Interpretive Association in partnership with Save Mount Diablo. Videography by Macha Rose. Animations by Tanya Atwater, UC Santa Barbara. Music by Phil Heywood. Produced by Joan Hamilton.

A red pebble in this sandstone tells geologists that Bay Area rivers were flowing backwards (from west to east) when the rock was formed. How can that be? Learn the history of your homeland while walking along the TRAIL THROUGH TIME, a series of geology videos featuring naturalist Ken Lavin. Sponsored by the Mount Diablo Interpretive Association in partnership with Save Mount Diablo. Videography by Macha Rose. Animations by Tanya Atwater, UC Santa Barbara. Music by Phil Heywood. Produced by Joan Hamilton.

We travel back to a time when short-faced bears and dire wolves roamed the place we now call home. It's the conclusion of our walk on Mount Diablo's TRAIL THROUGH TIME.  The series features naturalist Ken Lavin and is sponsored by the Mount Diablo Interpretive Association in partnership with Save Mount Diablo. Videography by Macha Rose. Animations by Tanya Atwater, UC Santa Barbara. Music by Phil Heywood. Produced by Joan Hamilton.

A curious crew from the California Geological Survey combed California in the 1860s. They were led by scientists Josiah Whitney, William Brewer, and Clarence King. Hear their stories in episode 21 of the TRAIL THROUGH TIME, featuring naturalist Ken Lavin. Sponsored by the Mount Diablo Interpretive Association in partnership with Save Mount Diablo. Videography by Macha Rose. Animations by Tanya Atwater, UC Santa Barbara. Music by Phil Heywood. Produced by Joan Hamilton.

Andrew Lawson was first to map the San Andreas Fault. But the cantankerous UC Berkeley geologist had more than a few blind spots.  It's episode 22 of the TRAIL THROUGH TIME, a series of geology videos featuring naturalist Ken Lavin. Sponsored by the Mount Diablo Interpretive Association in partnership with Save Mount Diablo. Videography by Macha Rose. Animations by Tanya Atwater, UC Santa Barbara. Music by Phil Heywood. Produced by Joan Hamilton.

BUILDING THE TRAIL   In this tour, we've visited every stop on Mount Diablo's Trail Through Time. Here, finally, is the story of how the trail was built. The TRAIL THROUGH TIME is a series of geology videos featuring naturalist Ken Lavin. Sponsored by the Mount Diablo Interpretive Association in partnership with Save Mount Diablo. Videography by Macha Rose. Animations by Tanya Atwater, UC Santa Barbara. Music by Phil Heywood. Produced by Joan Hamilton.

The secluded meadows of ROUND VALLEY REGIONAL PRESERVE  lie just a few miles south of Brentwood, California. The park has just re-opened following a 3,000-acre fire in August, so it's a great time to take a wildlife-rich walk out there! Want to learn more? Listen up . . .  Sponsored by Save Mount Diablo & Thomas J. Long Foundation, 2012. Featuring Seth Adams, Robert Doyle, Scott Hein, and Brian Kruse. Music from Local Joe by Phil Heywood.

INSIGHTS FROM THE FIRE ZONE  With the help of ranchers, naturalists, scientists, and land managers, this new series explores life in California’s inland Coast Range after 2020’s huge SCU fires. From Morgan Territory to Pacheco Pass, we'll visit places off the beaten track for most Bay Area people, yet deeply connected to places they already love. Want to learn where to find the region’s most spectacular post-fire wildflower displays? Wonder about the effects of climate change on the region’s plants and animals? Want to know how Californians can live sustainably in a fire-prone future? Join us in the fire zone, for Diablo Range Revealed. Presented by Save Mount Diablo with special thanks to Margaret Kruse, Connolly Ranch, Bay Nature magazine, East Bay Regional Park District, Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority, California State Parks, and Pine Ridge Association. Photos by Scott Hein and Cooper Ogden. Interviews with Seth Adams, Heath Bartosh, Margaret Kruse, and Celeste Garamendi. Production by Joan Hamilton.

CONNOLLY RANCH  We came to this 9,000-acre ranch to report on the effects of the 400,000-acre SCU Lightning Complex Fire. But as we toured the blackened hillsides, an even more dramatic story emerged: about the remarkable family that’s been tending and defending this land for five generations. Presented by Save Mount Diablo, 2021.  Featuring Mark Connolly, Celeste Garamendi, Ted Clement. Photos by Scott Hein, Connolly Ranch. Video: Connolly Ranch, Cooper Ogden. Music: Phil Heywood. Narration, Production: Joan Hamilton. Maps: San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, Sahoko Yui. Special thanks to Bay Nature Institute, Connolly Ranch, Friends of Tesla Park, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

TESLA PARK  A new law protecting a wildlife corridor near Livermore represents a BIG WIN for wildlife and climate. Presented by Save Mount Diablo. Photos by Al Johnson, Scott Hein, Joseph Belli, and Connolly Ranch. Music by Phil Heywood. Production by Joan Hamilton. Special thanks to Connolly Ranch and Rodrigue Molyneaux Estate Vineyard and Winery.

INTRODUCTION   As nature wakes up after the first rains, learn more about nearby nature and history on this two-mile-long stroll on Mount Diablo’s lush north side. The ten-part tutorial is led by park docents Sue Donecker, Ken Lavin, Rich McDrew, Jim Mitchell, and Yulan Tong. Presented by Mount Diablo Interpretive Association. First published in 2012, revised in 2017. Music from Banks of the River by Phil Heywood. Photos by Scott Hein (and others mentioned in closing credits) Narration and production by Joan Hamilton, Audio Guides to the Outdoors

Our two-mile hike gets off to a strong start with ACORN WOODPECKERS and a NATIVE PLANT GARDEN. The second episode in a series featuring  Sue Donecker, Ken Lavin, Rich McDrew, Jim Mitchell, and Yulan Tong. Presented by Mount Diablo Interpretive Association. First published in 2012, revised in 2017. Music from Banks of the River by Phil Heywood. Photos by Scott Hein (and others mentioned in closing credits) Narration and production by Joan Hamilton.

GROUND SQUIRRELS  Did you know that ranchers once raised ground squirrels for their pelts?  Did you know that ground squirrels have a sneaky strategy for eluding rattlesnakes? All that and more lies inside episode 3 of our Mitchell Canyon guide, featuring Sue Donecker, Ken Lavin, Rich McDrew, Jim Mitchell, and Yulan Tong. Presented by Mount Diablo Interpretive Association. First published in 2012, revised in 2017 Music from Banks of the River by Phil Heywood. Photos by Scott Hein (and others mentioned in closing credits) Narration and production by Joan Hamilton.

TWO "OAKS"   1) Blue oaks are clever trees, uniquely adapted to California's dry summers. 2) Poison oak (not an oak at all) is the state's most common shrub. We all get one free exposure, and then the trouble begins . . .  Part of a series about an easy stroll along a creek on Mount Diablo’s lush north side, led by Sue Donecker, Ken Lavin, Rich McDrew, Jim Mitchell, and Yulan Tong. Presented by Mount Diablo Interpretive Association. First published in 2012, revised in 2017. Music from Banks of the River by Phil Heywood. Photos by Scott Hein (and others mentioned in closing credits) Narration and production by Joan Hamilton.

Meet a COAST LIVE OAK  that sprouted around the time the U.S. constitution was signed in 1787. Then learn about the park's kissing MISTLETOE and nuisance TURKEYS. It's the latest installment of the MITCHELL CANYON tour, presented by the Mount Diablo Interpretive Association in partnership with Save Mount Diablo. First published in 2012, revised in 2017. Music from Banks of the River by Phil Heywood. Photos by Scott Hein (and others mentioned in closing credits) Narration and production by Joan Hamilton.

MINING   In the 1860s, men who had been "bit by the mining tarantula" searched for copper on the north side of MOUNT DIABLO.  Learn what they took and what they left behind in this installment of our MITCHELL CANYON guide, presented by the Mount Diablo Interpretive Association, in partnership with Save Mount Diablo.

WHEN GRIZZLIES RULED  Amid today's cool breezes, think about the harsh winter of 1826–27, when a mountain man named JEDEDIAH SMITH stopped off at Mount Diablo's Mitchell Canyon.  This MITCHELL CANYON guide is presented by Mount Diablo Interpretive Association, in partnership with Save Mount Diablo.  

SCENTED SHRUBS   Ah the smells of spring! Learn to enjoy them in shrubs like PITCHER SAGE and CALIFORNIA SAGEBRUSH. It's part of our MITCHELL CANYON guide, presented by Mount Diablo Interpretive Association in partnership with Save Mount Diablo. First published in 2012, revised in 2017. Music from Banks of the River by Phil Heywood. Photos by Scott Hein (and others mentioned in closing credits) Narration and production by Joan Hamilton.

Learn about cozy LADYBUG logs in Mount Diablo State Park, as well as GRAPES and the man for whom this canyon was named: ISAAC MITCHELL. It's the latest segment of our MITCHELL CANYON guide, presented by Mount Diablo Interpretive Association, in partnership with Save Mount Diablo. First published in 2012, revised in 2017. Music from Banks of the River by Phil Heywood. Photos by Scott Hein (and others mentioned in closing credits) Narration and production by Joan Hamilton.

PRIZED PLANTS   It's time to search for a nodding yellow MOUNT DIABLO FAIRY LANTERN, as well as the wavy-leaved SOAP PLANT, with so many uses it's called "the grocery store plant." It's the next segment in our MITCHELL CANYON guide, presented by Mount Diablo Interpretive Association, in partnership with Save Mount Diablo. First published in 2012, revised in 2017. Music from Banks of the River by Phil Heywood. Photos by Scott Hein (and others mentioned in closing credits) Narration and production by Joan Hamilton.

TWO TREES AND AN INSECT Quiz time: 1. Can you name a common California tree that has a huge, poisonous seed that looks like a deer's eye? 2. How about a tree that contains a painkilling chemical and attracts North America's longest-lived butterfly? The answers lie in the 11th installment of our MITCHELL CANYON guide, presented by Mount Diablo Interpretive Association in partnership with Save Mount Diablo. First published in 2012, revised in 2017. Music from Banks of the River by Phil Heywood. Photos by Scott Hein (and others mentioned in closing credits) Narration and production by Joan Hamilton.

THE GREAT FIRE OF 1977   After the flames died down, people took up a collection to replant the blackened slopes with Monterey pines. Only one problem: Monterey pines don't grow on Mount Diablo! Learn about the fight that ensued, in the 12th segment of our guide to Mitchell Canyon, presented by Mount Diablo Interpretive Association in partnership with Save Mount Diablo. First published in 2012, revised in 2017. Music from Banks of the River by Phil Heywood. Photos by Scott Hein (and others mentioned in closing credits) Narration and production by Joan Hamilton.

Learn about two MOUNT DIABLO PINES—and the men who studied them by shooting down their cones with rifles. It's the last installment of our guide to MITCHELL CANYON, presented by Mount Diablo Interpretive Association in partnership with Save Mount Diablo. First published in 2012, revised in 2017. Music from Banks of the River by Phil Heywood. Photos by Scott Hein (and others mentioned in closing credits) Narration and production by Joan Hamilton.

Meet Mary Leolin Bowerman, whose love of plants changed the course of history in the East Bay. 

Enjoy a 1.6-mile walk exploring the history, geology, and plants of one of the most popular places in Mount Diablo State Park. Featuring Ken Lavin, Rich McDrew, and Mike Woodring; Music: Phil Heywood; Production, Narration: Joan Hamilton; Photos: Seth Adams, Contra Costa Historical Society, Joan Hamilton, Moose Henderson, Ken Lavin, Conrad Lowry, Mark Sinclair; Special thanks to Anastasia Hobbet, Conrad Lowry, Jennifer Roe, Jerry Schweickert, Mark Sinclair, Stephen Smith. A GPS-enabled map for this tour is available for $1.99 through Avenza Maps at https://www.avenzamaps.com/maps/search.html In the search box write Rock City Audio Guide.

MADRONE   A cooling tip for summer hiking: Hug the red-barked tree named after the surgeon on George Vancouver’s Voyage of Discovery.  Presented by Mount Diablo Interpretive Association. Featuring Ken Lavin, Rich McDrew, and Mike Woodring; Music: Phil Heywood; Production, Narration: Joan Hamilton; Photos: Seth Adams, Contra Costa Historical Society, Joan Hamilton, Moose Henderson, Ken Lavin, Conrad Lowry, Mark Sinclair

Mount Diablo's beloved WIND CAVES were actually carved by rain. Exploring them is fun; understanding them is a fascinating lesson in how the world works.  This tour of Mount Diablo's ROCK CITY is presented by Mount Diablo Interpretive Association. Featuring Ken Lavin, Rich McDrew, and Mike Woodring; Music: Phil Heywood; Production, Narration: Joan Hamilton; Photos: Seth Adams, Contra Costa Historical Society, Joan Hamilton, Moose Henderson, Ken Lavin, Conrad Lowry, Mark Sinclair; Special thanks to Anastasia Hobbet, Conrad Lowry, Jennifer Roe, Jerry Schweickert, Mark Sinclair, Stephen Smith.

The sandstone In Rock City is made from weathered bits of Sierra Nevada granite. Ken Lavin explains how those mountains moved—and helps us recognize the  constituent parts, including quartz, feldspar, biotite and hornblende. This tour of Mount Diablo's ROCK CITY is presented by Mount Diablo Interpretive Association. Featuring Ken Lavin, Rich McDrew, and Mike Woodring; Music: Phil Heywood; Production, Narration: Joan Hamilton; Photos: Seth Adams, Contra Costa Historical Society, Joan Hamilton, Moose Henderson, Ken Lavin, Conrad Lowry, Mark Sinclair; Special thanks to Anastasia Hobbet, Conrad Lowry, Jennifer Roe, Jerry Schweickert, Mark Sinclair, Stephen Smith.

Stoves built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s proved so popular they were used throughout the state and national park system. Today volunteers are restoring them for another century of outdoor grilling.   This episode of Mount Diablo's ROCK CITY tour is presented by Mount Diablo Interpretive Association.  Featuring Ken Lavin. Music: Phil Heywood; Production, Narration: Joan Hamilton; Photos: Joan Hamilton, Conrad Lowry, Mark Sinclair; Special thanks to Anastasia Hobbet, Conrad Lowry, Jennifer Roe, Jerry Schweickert, Mark Sinclair, Stephen Smith.

Starting at "ELEPHANT ROCK," learn the history of tourism in MOUNT DIABLO STATE PARK. In the rock itself, find evidence of a story many millions of years older.  This tour of Mount Diablo's ROCK CITY is presented by Mount Diablo Interpretive Association. Featuring Ken Lavin, Rich McDrew, and Mike Woodring; Music: Phil Heywood; Production, Narration: Joan Hamilton; Photos: Contra Costa Historical Society, Joan Hamilton.

Who was DAN COOK? A successful miner from Bodie who owned a big chunk of Mount Diablo in the late 1870s and early 1880s. His history connects with that of California's Big Four Railroad Barons and Robert Noble Burgess, who, much later, built North and South Gate roads. This tour of Mount Diablo's ROCK CITY is presented by Mount Diablo Interpretive Association. Featuring Ken Lavin, Rich McDrew, and Mike Woodring; Music: Phil Heywood; Production, Narration: Joan Hamilton. Photos: Contra Costa Historical Society, Joan Hamilton.

Hear the story of MOUNT DIABLO STATE PARK's devilish dedication ceremony in 1931. This tour of ROCK CITY is presented by Mount Diablo Interpretive Association. Featuring Ken Lavin. Music: Phil Heywood. Production, Narration: Joan Hamilton; Photos: Seth Adams, Contra Costa Historical Society, Joan Hamilton. 

Learn about wood, polypody, goldenback, and maidenhair FERNS. In springtime you might also see two impressive early-blooming flowers: warrior's plume and mission bells. Each has an interesting story. This tour of Mount Diablo's ROCK CITY is presented by Mount Diablo Interpretive Association. First published in 2015, updated in 2018. Featuring Ken Lavin, Rich McDrew, David Mackesey, and Mike Woodring; Music: Phil Heywood; Production, Narration: Joan Hamilton; Photos: Seth Adams, Contra Costa Historical Society, Joan Hamilton, Moose Henderson, Ken Lavin, Conrad Lowry, Mark Sinclair; Special thanks to Anastasia Hobbet, Conrad Lowry, Jennifer Roe, Jerry Schweickert, Mark Sinclair, Stephen Smith.

On a hot summer day, minimize your mileage by hiking this gentle but spectacular loop around Mount Diablo's summit.  A geology tour presented by Mount Diablo Interpretive Association in partnership with Save Mount Diablo. Featuring Ken Lavin. Music by Phil Heywood. Photos by Scott Hein and others. Production by Joan Hamilton.    

Geological puzzlements: If rocks usually pile up, layer by layer, over time, why are MOUNT DIABLO's oldest layers on top? A geological tour of the Mary Bowerman Loop presented by Mount Diablo Interpretive Association in partnership with Save Mount Diablo. Featuring Ken Lavin. Photos by Scott Hein and others. Music by Phil Heywood. Production by Joan Hamilton.  

SUMMIT STORIES  Spring is a great time to visit Mount Diablo State Park. If you go to the top, have a look at the rocks used to build the summit visitor center.  You can easily see fossils of oysters and clams—and, in the sand in between, clues to geologic history of the entire Bay Area.  From a tour of the Mary Bowerman Loop presented by Mount Diablo Interpretive Association in partnership with Save Mount Diablo. 

Need to cool off? Enjoy a 360-degree vista from the top of Mount Diablo while watching its resident TURKEY VULTURES soar.  The species has some  fascinating (creepy?) habits as well as a superpower revealed almost a century ago by a team of geologists.  From a A Geology Tour on the Mary Bowerman Trail. Presented by Mount Diablo Interpretive Association in partnership with Save Mount Diablo. Photos by Scott Hein and Derek Love. Music by Phil Heywood. Production and narration by Joan Hamilton. 

WILD RIDE   Take a 6-minute breeze through Bay Area geologic history, from the Age of Dinosaurs to the Age of Mammals.  Featuring Ken Lavin. Adapted from Audible Mount Diablo's "Mary Bowerman Geology Tour." Presented by Mount Diablo Interpretive Association in partnership with Save Mount Diablo. 

One of the tallest mountains in the Bay Area—MOUNT DIABLO—is still growing!  Learn how and when the mountain emerged and when the Mount Diablo Thrust Fault is due for a quake.  Featuring naturalist Ken Lavin. Presented by Mount Diablo Interpretive Association in partnership with Save Mount Diablo. Part of the Audible Mount Diablo series. 

Hey, it's Mount Diablo State Park's 100th birthday! To celebrate, we've put together a series of eight videos about the mountain's natural heritage and human history, featuring Ken Lavin, Seth Adams, Robert Doyle, Michael Marchiano, Vincent Medina, and Cameron Morrison. We'll air one episode each Thursday, leading up to a grand gathering (details to come!) on October 16. Join us on this inspiring journey through the lands that sustain us close to home.  Presented by Mount Diablo Interpretive Association in partnership with Save Mount Diablo and Mount Diablo State Park. Photography and video by Kendall Oei, Scott Hein, and Wally de Young, among others. Music by Phil Heywood. Production by Joan Hamilton.     

In the late 1700s, when the Spanish came north along the coast of California, they brought food with them in the shape of CATTLE. That was the beginning of a slow, but revolutionary change in the mountain's ecology. This is EPISODE 2 in an 8-part series featuring Ken Lavin, Seth Adams, Robert Doyle, Michael Marchiano, Vincent Medina, and Cameron Morrison. We'll air one episode each Thursday, leading up to a grand gathering (details to come!) on October 16. Join us on this inspiring journey back in time.  Presented by Mount Diablo Interpretive Association in partnership with Save Mount Diablo and Mount Diablo State Park. Photography and video by Kendall Oei, Scott Hein, and Wally de Young, among others. Music by Phil Heywood. Production by Joan Hamilton.   

Mount Diablo State Park's 100th birthday celebration continues, with an episode about EARLY TOURISM.

A PARK IS BORN   Mount Diablo State Park's centennial celebration continues, with an episode about the park's two dedication ceremonies: the first with well-behaved officials in 1921, and the second with an inebriated governor in 1931, when "the mountain lived up to its name."  This 8-part series features Ken Lavin, Seth Adams, Robert Doyle, Michael Marchiano, Vincent Medina, and Cameron Morrison. Presented by Mount Diablo Interpretive Association in partnership with Save Mount Diablo and Mount Diablo State Park. Photography and video by Kendall Oei, Scott Hein, and Wally de Young, among others. Music by Phil Heywood. Production by Joan Hamilton.   

 CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS   Mount Diablo State Park's centennial celebration continues, with an episode about the government program that gave men jobs during the Depression and made park improvements that we still enjoy today. This 8-part series features Ken Lavin, Seth Adams, Robert Doyle, Michael Marchiano, Vincent Medina, and Cameron Morrison. Presented by Mount Diablo Interpretive Association in partnership with Save Mount Diablo and Mount Diablo State Park. Photography and video by Kendall Oei, Scott Hein, and Wally de Young, among others. Music by Phil Heywood. Production by Joan Hamilton. 

Our centennial celebration continues, with the story of one of Mount Diablo's most eminent advocates. After earning a Ph.D. in botany at UC Berkeley in 1936, MARY BOWERMAN wrote the The Plants and Ferns of Mount Diablo, a book that's still the bible for East Bay botanists. Decades later, she co-founded an organization called Save Mount Diablo. The rest is conservation history!  This 8-part series features Ken Lavin, Seth Adams, Robert Doyle, Michael Marchiano, Vincent Medina, and Cameron Morrison. Presented by Mount Diablo Interpretive Association in partnership with Save Mount Diablo and Mount Diablo State Park. Photography and video by Kendall Oei, Scott Hein, and Wally de Young, among others. Music by Phil Heywood. Production by Joan Hamilton. 

The BEACON on top of Mount Diablo began in the 1920s as part of a system of  "lighthouses for aircraft."  Charles Lindbergh was involved in turning them on for the first time. Diablo's beacon was turned off during World War II, and rendered obsolete by radar. But it was later re-ignited by Pacific Fleet Commander Chester Nimitz for ceremonial purposes and still burns brightly every year on December 7.  This episode is part of a series featuring Ken Lavin, Seth Adams, Robert Doyle, Michael Marchiano, Vincent Medina, and Cameron Morrison. Presented by Mount Diablo Interpretive Association in partnership with Save Mount Diablo and Mount Diablo State Park. Photography and video by Kendall Oei, Scott Hein, and Wally de Young, among others. Music by Phil Heywood. Production by Joan Hamilton.   

THE PARK TODAY   In our final episode celebrating Mount Diablo State Park's 100th year, we chat with supervising ranger Cameron Morrison about how the park has changed—and different ways people can enjoy it today.  This series features Ken Lavin, Seth Adams, Robert Doyle, Michael Marchiano, Vincent Medina, and Cameron Morrison. Presented by Mount Diablo Interpretive Association in partnership with Save Mount Diablo and Mount Diablo State Park. Photography and video by Kendall Oei, Scott Hein, and Wally De Young, among others. Music by Phil Heywood. Writing, production, and narration by Joan Hamilton.   

It's wet out there! And a good time to ponder the importance of our favorite mountain.  Presented by Mount Diablo Interpretive Association in partnership with Save Mount Diablo. 

In the late 1700s, when the Spanish came north along the coast of California, they brought food with them in the shape of CATTLE. That was the beginning of a slow, but revolutionary change in the state's ecology. This is EPISODE 2 in an 8-part "Brief History of Mount Diablo State Park," featuring Ken Lavin, Seth Adams, Robert Doyle, Michael Marchiano, Vincent Medina, and Cameron Morrison.  Presented by Mount Diablo Interpretive Association in partnership with Save Mount Diablo and Mount Diablo State Park. Photography and video by Kendall Oei, Scott Hein, and Wally de Young, among others. Music by Phil Heywood. Production by Joan Hamilton. 

Tired of hiking the same old places? Head out to the rugged hills and glorious views of Los Vaqueros Watershed—where the Central Valley, the Delta, and the Coast Range come together. It's a reservoir of plants, animals, and history (as well as a source of water for Contra Costa County).  Featuring Seth Adams, Mike Moran, Marguerite Patil, Adrian Praetzellis, Malcolm Sproul. Sponsored by Save Mount Diablo, Thomas J. Long Foundation, and Contra Costa Water District. Photos by Scott Hein and Bob Walker. Music by Phil Heywood. Production by Joan Hamilton, Audible Mount Diablo. 

BEFORE THE DAM   A new story of the region's history emerged when archaeologists found human artifacts that were almost 10,000 years old.  Featuring Seth Adams, Mike Moran, Marguerite Patil, Adrian Praetzellis, Malcolm Sproul. Sponsored by Save Mount Diablo, Thomas J. Long Foundation, and Contra Costa Water District. Photos by Scott Hein and Bob Walker. Music by Phil Heywood. Production by Joan Hamilton, Audible Mount Diablo. 

WILDLIFE   We've lost a lot. The region no longer hosts what was possibly the densest population of grizzlies in North America. But places like Los Vaqueros are still big and well-connected enough to host a rich array of wildlife, including eagles, pelicans, and osprey.  From a series featuring Seth Adams, Mike Moran, Marguerite Patil, Adrian Praetzellis, Malcolm Sproul. Sponsored by Save Mount Diablo, Thomas J. Long Foundation, and Contra Costa Water District. Photos by Scott Hein and Bob Walker. Music by Phil Heywood. Production by Joan Hamilton, Audible Mount Diablo. 

OAKS   Valley, coast, and blue—learn all about them!  And discover what sort of oak was most beloved by wildlife expert Gary Bogue.  From a series featuring Seth Adams, Mike Moran, Marguerite Patil, Adrian Praetzellis, Malcolm Sproul. Sponsored by Save Mount Diablo, Thomas J. Long Foundation, and Contra Costa Water District. Photos by Scott Hein and Bob Walker. Music by Phil Heywood. Production by Joan Hamilton, Audible Mount Diablo. 

GRASSLAND   Seth Adams and Malcolm Sproul suggest what to look for in Los Vaqueros Watershed's sprawling grasslands. Golden eagles, red-tailed hawks, Say's phoebes, grasshopper sparrows, ferruginous hawks—it's got them all.  From a series featuring Seth Adams, Mike Moran, Marguerite Patil, Adrian Praetzellis, Malcolm Sproul. Sponsored by Save Mount Diablo, Thomas J. Long Foundation, and Contra Costa Water District. Photos by Scott Hein and Bob Walker. Music by Phil Heywood. Production by Joan Hamilton, Audible Mount Diablo.       

ORDWAY BARN   The valley in this part of Los Vaqueros is not only rich in plants and animals; it contains reminders of the humans who once lived here, including (going backwards in history) a rich, brash"cowgirl" from San Francisco named Edith Ordway, the three Mexican cowboys for whom the watershed is named, and many, many generations of Indigenous people. 

EUROPEAN SETTLERS  Rough and tough Basque settlers came here to raise cattle and sheep in the 1850s, but soon moved on to Nevada.  A few decades later, more family-oriented immigrants from France and the Portuguese Azores raised sheep here, too.  From a series featuring Seth Adams, Mike Moran, Marguerite Patil, Adrian Praetzellis, Malcolm Sproul. Sponsored by Save Mount Diablo, Thomas J. Long Foundation, and Contra Costa Water District. Photos by Scott Hein and Bob Walker. Music by Phil Heywood. Production by Joan Hamilton, Audible Mount Diablo.

Biologist Malcolm Sproul explains how rare amphibians like the TIGER SALAMANDER and the RED-LEGGED FROG can survive on the dry east side of the Diablo Range. 

Experience the first signs of spring at Perkins Canyon, on the quiet eastern side of Mount Diablo State Park.  

NORTH PEAK  Learn about the lofty backdrop to this quiet entrance to Mount Diablo State Park: 3,557-foot North Peak. You can scramble up the peak from here—with difficulty!—or just gaze in admiration.  Presented by Save Mount Diablo. Featuring Seth Adams, Jean Hetherington, and Ken Lavin. Music by Phil Heywood. Photographs by Scott Hein and others. Production by Joan Hamilton. 

Mount Diablo is not a volcano, but has volcanic "domes." Geologist Jean Hetherington helps us see those mushroom-shaped hills as clues to our landscape's dynamic history.  From a tour of Perkins Canyon presented by Save Mount Diablo. Featuring Seth Adams, Jean Hetherington, and Ken Lavin. Music by Phil Heywood. Photographs by Scott Hein and others. Production by Joan Hamilton. 

READING THE ROCKS   Crossing Perkins Creek, we see a colorful combination of rocks—green serpentine, red chert, and gray dacite—that offer clues to the mountain's tumultuous past.  From a tour of Perkins Canyon presented by Save Mount Diablo. Featuring Seth Adams, Jean Hetherington, and Ken Lavin. Music by Phil Heywood. Photographs by Scott Hein and others. Production by Joan Hamilton.    

CANYON CLOWN   Continuing our tour of the east side of Mount Diablo State Park, we hear tales of William Ryder "Doc" Powell,  a circus clown/mercury miner who hoped to hit it rich in these hills.   From a tour of Perkins Canyon presented by Save Mount Diablo. Featuring Seth Adams, Jean Hetherington, and Ken Lavin. Music by Phil Heywood. Photographs by Scott Hein and others. Production by Joan Hamilton.

MERCURY MINING  A mine near Clayton opened in 1875 and was long gone a century later.  But it and subsequent mines nearby are still causing problems. 

This episode of Wild Mount Diablo features America's smallest falcon and efforts to help them thrive, which may be having a positive effect on local populations.       

Beautiful and fascinating, BOBCATS put the wild in a new nature series called Wild Mount Diablo. Presented by Mount Diablo Interpretive Association. Produced by Kendall Paul Oei, with help from team members Wally De Young, Joan Hamilton, and Staci Hobbet. 

Everyone loves our state flower, the California poppy. But few know the story about its scientific name.  It starts with a Russian ship sailing into San Francisco Bay with a German poet on board . . . and the rest is (strange) history. Featuring Ken Lavin. Presented by Mount Diablo Interpretive Association. Produced by Joan Hamilton. Photos and video by Kendall Oei and Joan Hamilton. With help from other members of the Wild Mount Diablo team, Wally De Young and Staci Hobbet. 

Dancing with OTTERS! A new film by Wally De Young that will help you spot this adorable mammal on your next East Bay hike.   

Deer lend such sweetness, grace and majesty to any landscape. Come take a peek into the lives of Mount Diablo's local Columbian black-tailed deer. Presented by Mount Diablo Interpretive Association in partnership with Save Mount Diablo. Production, writing, and narration by Kendall Oei. Videos and pictures by Kendall Oei and Wally De Young. Music by Tommy Jervidal. Special thanks to Wild Mount Diablo Team members Joan Hamilton, Staci Hobbet, and Wally De Young. 

Here are a few of the sights we savored on Mount Diablo in 2022. May your 2023 be filled with new delights! Happy New Year from the Wild Mount Diablo team. 

Mount Diablo hosts large congregations of ladybugs in winter. Perhaps you've seen them? Masses of writhing, reddish-orange beetles in a shady canyon? It can be an arresting, even creepy, sight. Which is all part of their clever survival plan. A Mount Diablo Interpretive Association video featuring naturalist Ken Lavin. Images by Arnold Joe, Scott Hein, and Kendall Oei. Music by Daniel Kaede. Produced by Joan Hamilton. Adapted from "Mitchell Canyon" Audible Mount Diablo, 2017.

In recent wintery months, our early-blooming flowers have brought beauty to the forested understory of Mount Diablo State Park. Here are a few that pop up  January through March. A Mount Diablo Interpretive Association film, produced in partnership with Save Mount Diablo, by Kendall Oei.  Part of the Wild Mount Diablo series. 

Pine Canyon's peregrine falcons had a difficult season in 2021, when all four chicks were killed by a great-horned owl in a territorial dispute. Follow a team of California naturalists, stewards, and detectives as they tell the story of how the fastest animal on the planet fared last season.  A Mount Diablo Interpretive Association video, produced by Wally De Young. 

Can you name three pine species that grow in Mount Diablo State Park? Learn to ID them by their pinecones (2 supersized, 1 clingy). Hear about how they're adapted to fire and drought. Meet the gun-toting botanists who collected their cones in the 1830s. A Mount Diablo Interpretive Association video featuring Ken Lavin and Seth Adams. Production by Joan Hamilton. Music by Music Revolution. Photos by Joan Hamilton, Neal Kramer, Kendall Oei, and courtesy of Strybing Arboretum. Adapted from Audible Mount Diablo's Curry Point, Mitchell Canyon, and Falls Trail guides sponsored by Mount Diablo Interpretive Association and Save Mount Diablo. Special thanks to Wild Mount Diablo team members Wally De Young, Anastasia Hobbet, and Kendall Oei.

Spring has come and gone, but the wildflower bloom is not done. Mount Diablo has its own superblooms, and some of them are long lasting.  A Mount Diablo Interpretive Association film featuring Kendall Paul Oei. Episode 12 in the Wild Mount Diablo series. 

Meet the wild babies of Mount Diablo and learn what superpowers they are developing as they grow from babes in the woods to full grown predators—or prey! Whether sharp-toothed and venomous, or soft and fluffy, these wild babies are sure to surprise you with their innate gifts.   Are baby rattlesnakes really more dangerous than adults? How big are great horned owls' eyes? Which mom carries over 100 babies on her back? Watch "Wild Babies" and find out!   A Mount Diablo Interpretive Association video produced by Wally De Young        

The branches of this irritating plant are bare right now, but wise park visitors know to be wary. Learn of its infamous debut in London in the early 1800s—and how it's related to plants in many kitchens today.   Part of Mount Diablo Interpretive Association's WILD MOUNT DIABLO series on the plants and animals of Mount Diablo State Park.  

Join Wild Mount Diablo as we look back at some of our favorite photos from 2023. It's exciting to imagine what our intrepid photographers, Wally De Young and Kendall Oei, will come across this year!!   A Mount Diablo Interpretive Association film produced in partnership with Save Mount Diablo.

It's tarantula season around Mount Diablo, and naturalist Ken Lavin has tales to tell and myths to bust. If you should be lucky enough to encounter one of these hairy beasts on the mountain, enjoy the thrill. But please don't touch! This podcast is part of the Audible Mount Diablo series, sponsored by Save Mount Diablo and the Mount Diablo Interpretive Association. 

After a long absence due to COVID, Cafe Ohlone has re-opened, this time on the Cal campus in Berkeley. Learn about its founders and the plants, animals, and people of Tuushtak (aka Mount Diablo).  Featuring Vincent Medina and Louis Trevino. Presented by Mount Diablo Interpretive Association. Music by Phil Heywood. Production by Joan Hamilton.    

On the edge of neighborhoods in Walnut Creek and Concord, California, LIME RIDGE OPEN SPACE trails quickly lead to big oaks, sweeping vistas, interesting wildlife, and rare plants. A place for short hikes and big discoveries.  Featuring Seth Adams and Heath Bartosh. Part of a podcast series produced in 2012 by SAVE MOUNT DIABLO. Photos by Scott Hein. Music by Phil Heywood. Production by Joan Hamilton.

More than a century ago, miners gnawed away at a northern shoulder of the East Bay's iconic mountain. Today, thanks to conservation efforts, it's an inviting open space with rare plants and big vistas.  Featuring Seth Adams. Presented by SAVE MOUNT DIABLO  in partnership with the Mount Diablo Interpretive Association as part of the Audible Mount Diablo series. Photos courtesy of Contra Costa Historical Sociey. Production by Joan Hamilton.

Head out of the grassland and into a shady forest on the Paradise Valley Trail, where there's lots to learn about oaks, buckeye, hop tree, purple needle grass, and datura.  Presented by Save Mount Diablo, 2012. Featuring Seth Adams, Heath Bartosh. Photos by Scott Hein and Joan Hamilton. Music by Phil Heywood. 

LIME RIDGE is a biologically rich shoulder of Mount Diablo that reaches down into Concord and Walnut Creek. It brings nature close to home for thousands of people. Learn about the hard work that has kept it wild.  Featuring Seth Adams. Presented by Save Mount Diablo, in partnership with Mount Diablo Interpretive Association. Part four of a 2012 Audible Mount Diablo series exploring the plants, animals, and history of Lime Ridge Open Space. 

After a winter of abundant rain and even snow, WILDFLOWERS are waking up in the East Bay. As you get out to enjoy them, keep in mind that there are still discoveries to be made. In 2008, for example, Carpenter David Gowen found two phlox species new to science in LIME RIDGE OPEN SPACE, nearly surrounded by Walnut Creek and Concord. It's one more example of how important it is to protect and respect our open spaces! From a 2012 Audible Mount Diablo guide to Lime Ridge sponsored by Save Mount Diablo and Thomas J. Long Foundation. Featuring SMD's Land Conservation Director, Seth Adams. 

In episode 6 of our Lime Ridge Tour, we take an inside look at Bay Area shrublands, also known as CHAPARRAL. They may look lifeless at times, but they nurture a rich assemblage of plants and animals, including Alameda whipsnakes, hummingbirds, and blue-gray gnatcatchers.  Sponsored by Save Mount Diablo in partnership with Mount Diablo Interpretive Association. Featuring Seth Adams and Scott Hein. Music by Phil Heywood. Production by Joan Hamilton. First published in 2012.  

How a colorful reptile may help lower the incidence of Lyme disease in California. Episode 6.1 in Save Mount Diablo's guide to Lime Ridge, featuring Scott Hein and Seth Adams. 

From the top of Lime Ridge, you can see Mount Diablo—and a surprisingly vast expanse of GRASSLAND in between. Learn about who owns these lands and some of the wild treasures they contain, including relicts of a drier climate such as desert olives and sagebrush lizards.  From a tour of Lime Ridge featuring Seth Adams and Scott Hein, originally published by Save Mount Diablo in 2012.  See Save Mount Diablo's website for information about current activities at MANGINI RANCH. 

Learn about a rare plant that waits until summer to grace the hills of Lime Ridge Open Space on the eastern edge of Walnut Creek, California.  Featuring Heath Bartosh. Sponsored by Save Mount Diablo in partnership with Mount Diablo Interpretive Association. Photos courtesy of Scott Hein and Heath Bartosh. First published in 2012. 

As you wind your way through the lovely hills of Lime Ridge, keep an eye out for wildlife. In this episode Seth Adams and Scott Hein discuss 1) one that's still common all over the area 2) an introduced species whose numbers have exploded and 3) a native species that's making a heartening  comeback.  Sponsored by Save Mount Diablo in partnership with Mount Diablo Interpretive Association. First published in 2012. Photos by Scott Hein. Music by Phil Heywood.  We regret an error in this version: what is labeled "mule deer" is actually a Columbian black-tailed deer.   

From Sentinel Rock, you can look deep down into DAN COOK CANYON. But who was Dan Cook? And how did he wrest this side of Mount Diablo from California's railroad barons? Stories galore from master naturalist Ken Lavin.  Presented by Mount Diablo Interpretive Association in partnership with Save Mount Diablo. Episode 6 of their Audible Mount Diablo tour of Rock City. Production by Joan Hamilton. 

MORGAN TERRITORY, where the SCU fire hit home. The second in a series of films about the  mysterious, little-known 200-mile long Diablo Range.  The films take viewers into places off the beaten track for most Bay Area residents, yet deeply connected to places they already love, vital to providing a refuge for plants, animals, and people in a time of climate change.  Photos by Scott Hein and others. Music by Phil Heywood. Writing, production, and narration by Joan Hamilton.  

Three Wild Years in the Diablo Range With the help of ranchers, naturalists, scientists, and land managers, this 9-part series showcases the mysterious, little-known 200-mile long Diablo Range after the massive fires of 2020. It ventures into places off the beaten track for most Bay Area residents, yet deeply connected to places they already love, vital to providing a refuge for plants, animals, and people in a time of climate change. With conservation efforts accelerating, this part of the inland Coast Range is fast becoming California's next big conservation story.  Photos by Scott Hein and others. Music by Phil Heywood. Writing, production, and narration by Joan Hamilton.

CORRAL HOLLOW How a ranching family helped build a park.  The third in Save Mount Diablo's series, "Fire, Drought, Rain, and Hope," about the mysterious, little-known, 200-mile long Diablo Range. The series takes viewers into places off the beaten track for most Bay Area residents, yet deeply connected to places they already love and vitally important in a time of climate change. Photos by Scott Hein and others. Music by Phil Heywood. Writing, production, and narration by Joan Hamilton.

OHLONE WILDERNESS How Wildlife Fared After the 2020 Fire  The fourth in a series of Save Mount Diablo's videos about the  mysterious, little-known, 200-mile long Diablo Range.  Viewers venture into places off the beaten track for most Bay Area residents, yet deeply connected to places they already love.  Photos by Scott Hein and others. Music by Phil Heywood. Writing, production, and narration by Joan Hamilton.

COYOTE CONNECTIONS  Keeping cities safe and wildlife healthy. The fifth in Save Mount Diablo's series, "Fire, Drought, Rain, and Hope," about the mysterious, little-known, 200-mile long Diablo Range. The series  takes viewers into places off the beaten track for most Bay Area residents, yet deeply connected to places they already love and vital refuges in a time of climate change. Photos by Scott Hein and others. Music by Phil Heywood. Writing, production, and narration by Joan Hamilton.

HENRY W. COE STATE PARK: How fire made a big wilderness better.  The sixth in a series of Save Mount Diablo's videos about the  mysterious, little-known 200-mile long Diablo Range.  Viewers venture into places off the beaten track for most Bay Area residents, yet deeply connected to places they already love—and vital as refuges for plants, animals, and people in a time of climate change.  Photos by Scott Hein and others. Music by Phil Heywood. Writing, production, and narration by Joan Hamilton.

CONDOR COUNTRY  In Pinnacles National Park, author and conservation biologist Joseph Belli “babysits” condors as a volunteer for the National Park Service. In this episode he teams up with soulmate Seth Adams of Save Mount Diablo to survey wildlife in the park and beyond.   The "Fire, Drought, Rain and Hope" series explores life in California's inland Coast Range after the huge fires of 2020. It ventures into places off the beaten track for most Bay Area residents, yet deeply connected to places they already love. Presented by Save Mount Diablo. Photos by Scott Hein and others. Music by Phil Heywood. Writing, production, and narration by Joan Hamilton.

In this final episode, Save Mount Diablo unfolds an audacious plan for winning broader protection for the Diablo Range in an era of climate change. The "Fire, Drought, Rain, and Hope" series explores life in California's inland Coast Range after the huge fires of 2020. It ventures into places off the beaten track for most Bay Area residents, yet deeply connected to places they already love. Presented by Save Mount Diablo. Photos by Scott Hein and others. Music by Phil Heywood. Writing, production, and narration by Joan Hamilton.