Audible Mount Diablo

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.    

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. 

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. 

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

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. 

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 Foun...

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. 

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 Cos...

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...

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 Di...

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 Ha...

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...

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.

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 Decembe...

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...

I n 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, lead...

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...

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.  

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.    

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. 

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...

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 S...

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...

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; Producti...

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,...