Environment Archives - Peninsula Press

Environment, NewsJuly 12, 2019

Ripple plastic: The unintended life of plastic at sea

By Amy Cruz

UK artist and conservationist Mandy Barker has spent years gathering plastic items from beaches all around the world, arranging and photographing them in evocative ways. With colorful items popping against a dark background, many of her collections give a feel of outer space — a galaxy of garbage. Barker’s work is featured in Our Plastic Ocean, a touring exhibition through Impressions Gallery in the UK. The exhibition includes a virtual reality experience of Barker’s photographs produced by Stanford University students that is viewable through rippleplastic.com.

Environment, NewsJune 11, 2019

Californians grapple with the loss of red abalone

By Madison Pobis

The loss of the red abalone is not just a blow to the kelp forest ecosystem, but also to the sense of California’s coastal identity. Scientists, fishermen, divers and long-time residents recognize the abalone’s cultural significance and are working to ensure their survival.

News, SPECIAL REPORT: Camp Fire AftermathMarch 22, 2019

Remembering and rebuilding the Honey Run Covered Bridge after the Camp Fire

By Melanie Hogue

Honey Run Road and its historic covered bridge connected the two municipalities of Chico and Paradise. The bridge was a place where residents from both areas learned to swim, spent lazy summer afternoons with their families, attended pancake breakfasts or got married. Last year’s Camp Fire took the lives of more than 80 people, decimated the town of Paradise, and claimed the beloved Honey Run Covered Bridge. But it didn’t take long for residents to start rebuilding the bridge — using salvaged materials from the original structure. At the end of November, Chico resident Karin Willhoit sold heart ornaments crafted from the metal of the original covered bridge. The ornaments…

Environment, News, ScienceMarch 15, 2019

Disappearing act: California’s monarch butterflies

By Eugene Ko

Once home to millions of migrating monarch butterflies, the coast of California has recently seen significant drops in monarch butterfly populations.

Environment, NewsFebruary 14, 2019

Santa Clara County builds coalition to tackle climate change

By Matthew Vollrath

When President Trump withdrew the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement, backpedaling on a commitment to join 195 other nations in taking on climate change, Santa Clara County launched a campaign to rebuild that commitment — one local government at a time.

News, SPECIAL REPORT: Camp Fire AftermathDecember 30, 2018

Family members working as private contractors for Cal Fire recount a close call with Camp Fire

By Melanie Hogue

The Wurlitzer family’s company is one of 18 bulldozer vendors contracted by Butte County Cal Fire for extra assistance in combatting an increasing number of wildfires that have strapped the state’s resources. The Camp Fire was the worst that any of them had ever seen.

News, SPECIAL REPORT: Camp Fire AftermathDecember 12, 2018

As Camp Fire evacuees streamed into Chico, Calif. so did mountains of donations

By Isabella Jibilian

CHICO — Since the Nov. 8 Camp Fire, donation sites with supplies like clothes and other necessities have sprung up in Chico, Calif. to help evacuees. More than a month after the fire, officials say monetary donations are the best way to help victims.

News, SPECIAL REPORT: Camp Fire AftermathDecember 10, 2018

A couple ventures into a canyon in Paradise to discover if their home survived

By Ashlyn Rollins

PARADISE — Rick and Kimberly Scott got married 14 years ago in a field on their property in Paradise, Calif. They had goats, a yurt, a barn and two dogs who chased after mountain lions.

News, SPECIAL REPORT: Camp Fire Aftermath, Special ReportsNovember 29, 2018

After undergoing chemo treatment, one Paradise woman had to run for her life during the Camp Fire

By Ashlyn Rollins

PARADISE — April Mouton and her husband Shane fled the Camp Fire in Paradise on foot and by jumping into the back of people’s trucks. She ran just a day after undergoing chemo treatment for her lupus.

News, SPECIAL REPORT: Camp Fire Aftermath, Special ReportsNovember 28, 2018

Resources stretched thin in Chico as thousands more people now live in the city

By Ashlyn Rollins

PARADISE — In the aftermath of the most destructive wildfire in California’s recorded history, the small city of Chico has become a refuge for thousands of people who had to evacuate. It’s a challenge for the city, but officials say the communities will move forward together.

News, SPECIAL REPORT: Camp Fire Aftermath, Special ReportsNovember 24, 2018

One family’s story of a harrowing flight from the flames, two evacuations, a lost home and a small miracle

By Ashlyn Rollins

PARADISE — The Happ Family fled from the Camp Fire flames to a friend’s house, only to evacuate again a few hours later. They lost their home, but amongst the rubble, they discovered a small miracle.

News, SPECIAL REPORT: Camp Fire Aftermath, Special ReportsNovember 21, 2018

When Camp Fire smoke clears, where will 2,500 Paradise students go?

By Isabella Jibilian

PARADISE — For nearly 80 years, Paradise Elementary School occupied a plot on Pearson Road. Students could walk to Paradise Intermediate, the local middle school, and the Golden Nugget Museum, where they went on field trips. But on Nov. 8, the Camp Fire reduced Paradise Elementary to rubble.