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A Cal Fire map of the Kincade fire in Sonoma and Lake counties, California, issued for Sunday, November 3, 2019.

NORTH COAST, Calif. – With containment lines continuing to be strengthened around the Kincade fire, more Sonoma County residents who had been forced to evacuate were allowed to return home on Saturday.

The Kincade fire remained at 77,758 acres again on Saturday, with containment edging up to 74 percent by day’s end, Cal Fire reported.

As the fire’s containment rises, the number of threatened structures continues to drop. It was down to 400 by Saturday evening; during the height of the fire, more than 90,000 structures had been in danger.

The latest damage assessment number put the number of destroyed structures at 372, with another 59 structures damaged.

Thanks to the progress on containing the fire, more evacuation orders were reduced to warnings on Saturday in the Pine Flat Road area, and the area west of but not including Chalk Hill Road, South of W. Soda Rock Lane and north of the Windsor town limits.

Evacuation warnings also were lifted for areas to the south and east of Shiloh Meadow Road, and the area north of but not including Pine Flat Road, Dillingham Road and Socrates Mine Road.

Cal Fire said 4,032 firefighters, along with 363 engines, 64 water tenders, three helicopters, 102 hand crews and 29 dozers remain assigned.

The fire is expected to be fully contained on as of Thursday, Cal Fire said.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.



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True turkey tail, Trametes versicolor, is a “polypore” fungus with a while porous underside. The medicinal properties of this fungi have been extolled on the Internet, but according to mushroom expert Michael Kuo (www.mushroomexpert.com ), “The only health benefits associated with consuming Trametes versicolor result from the exercise involved with hunting for it in the woods.” Photo by Mary Hanson.


NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – As the weather starts to cool off and the rainy season begins, you’ll be seeing more and more fungi starting to make their appearance in the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument region.

One of the most commonly found fungi in our region is turkey tail which looks something like the fanned-out tail of a wild turkey.

But along with the turkey tail there are other fungi that mimic it and grow in similar forms in the same places it does.

So, how do you tell them apart?

Turkey tail fungus and the mimics we’ll cover here usually grow on oak trees and other hardwoods.

The upper surface of each of them is made up of a concentric half-circle “zones” of varying colors; rings of browns, grays, tans and sometimes even muted orange. They all generate white spores.

The fungi are also all “saprobic,” which means they live by facilitating the decay of the dead or dying trees, and they all grow in shelf-like structures (brackets).

To tell the true turkey tail from its mimics, you need to look at the underside of these brackets.

True turkey tail, Trametes versicolor, is a “polypore” (many pored) fungus. On the underside of the fanned-out brackets, you’ll find a white or off-white surface full of tiny holes. Even when the sample dries out, you can still see the porous nature of its underside. These pores, like the gills on mushrooms, house the fungus’s spore-producing mechanisms.

T. versicolor has a slightly corky, leathery feel to it and some of the colored zones on top may be covered with tiny hairs. It’s probably the most common decomposer of hardwoods in North America. It is also considered to be “weakly parasitic”; that is, when it’s finished digesting dead organic material it may connect to living parts of the tree for a little extra sustenance.

The first mimic we’ll touch on is Stereum ostrea, commonly known as false turkey tail. This fungus itself is tough and leather and totally inedible. Although there is a good deal of anecdotal information about its medicinal properties, scientific studies done on the fungus suggest that while it may “contain potential antimicrobial compounds,” more study is required to see if any of those compounds are actually of benefit to humans.

False turkey tail, Stereum ostrea, mimics true Turkey Tail, but is a “crust” fungus differentiated from true turkey tail by the smooth brown surface underneath each of its brackets. Photo by Mary Hanson.

Like true turkey tail, false turkey tail grows in semi-circular brackets, but this is a crust fungus rather than a polypore.

Because fungi in general lack any chlorophyll and are incapable of photosynthesis, you won’t find green ones.

But sometimes alga grows on and into false turkey tail staining its upper surface green. It’s not believed that this is a communal or symbiotic relationship; rather, it seems that the alga is simply taking advantage of another substrate on which to rest while it goes through its photosynthetic processes.

The underside of this species is flat and smooth, sometimes shiny, and usually reddish tan or brown in color. It has no pores in which to produce its spores. Instead, the whole smooth surface of its underside is considered “fertile,” yet collecting spores prints from this fungus is especially difficult.

The undersurface of the second mimic is even more interesting. Like true turkey tail and false turkey tail, it too grows in those multi-colored zonal semi-circles, but underneath it’s very different.

It’s called oak mazegill, Daedalea quercina, and although it’s a polypore like true turkey tail, the porous surface on its underside alters significantly as it ages and matures.

In this one, some of the pore walls collapse resulting in a maze-like structure of partitions which are sometimes referred to as gills (although they’re not entirely like the gills of mushrooms).

So, oak mazegill is often described as a “gilled polypore” which can seem something of a contradiction in terms to most novice mushroom hunters since they’re often told at the outset that mushrooms either have gills OR pores but not both. Spore production is done in and along the walls of these partitions.

Mazegill’s scientific genus name “Daedalea” comes from the Greek myth of Daedalus (father of Icarus) the master craftsman who created the labyrinth which housed the Minotaur.

If you look carefully on your next walk out into the forest you may be able to see all three of these fungi in a single day: true turkey tail, false turkey tail and oak mazegill. And now you know how to tell one from another.

Mary K. Hanson is a Certified California Naturalist, author, nature photographer and blogger (https://chubbywomanwalkabout.com/). She also teaches naturalist classes through Tuleyome, a501(c)(3) nonprofit conservation organization based in Woodland, California. For more information, visit www.tuleyome.org.
Oak mazegill, Daedalea quercina, also looks like true turkey tail but is considered a “gilled polypore.” The walls of some of the pores on its underside collapse as the specimen matures forming a maze-like structure. Photo by Mary Hanson.
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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The California Highway Patrol and the California Office of Traffic Safety are partnering on a new campaign aimed at reducing the number of crashes caused by impaired drivers through enforcement and education efforts.

The yearlong, California Impaired Driving Reduction, or CIDR campaign, which began Oct. 1, 2019, continues through Sept. 30, 2020.

The CIDR grant provides the CHP with funding to conduct additional driving under the influence saturation patrols, checkpoints and traffic safety education efforts throughout California.

These efforts are designed to remove DUI drivers from the roadway and educate the public regarding the dangers of impaired driving.

Additionally, the CHP will actively participate in California’s Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over efforts.

According to the CHP’s Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System data, in 2017, there were 594 deaths and more than 11,000 injuries due to DUI crashes within the CHP’s jurisdiction. Each one of these injuries and deaths represents a preventable tragedy and a continued need to focus efforts on reducing impaired driving.

“Reducing impaired driving through education and enforcement remains a high priority for the CHP,” said CHP Commissioner Warren Stanley. “This campaign provides the CHP with additional resources to lessen the impacts of impaired driving, while continuing to make California’s roadways a safer place to travel.”

The CHP continues to encourage the public to have a plan before getting on the road. In addition to alcohol, driving under the influence of cannabis, medications, and/or drugs is illegal and dangerous.

Always designate a sober driver, take public transportation, or ride-share. There is always a better option than getting behind the wheel while impaired.

The CHP would like to remind the public to call 9-1-1 if they observe a suspected DUI driver. Be prepared to provide the dispatcher a location, direction of travel, and vehicle description.

If you have questions regarding impaired driving, please contact your local CHP Area office.

Funding for this program was provided by a grant from OTS through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
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NORTH COAST, Calif. – Residents of Lake County reported getting shaken by a Saturday morning quake in northern Sonoma County.

The 3.7-magnitude quake occurred at 7:05 a.m. Saturday northwest of The Geysers, according to the US Geological Survey.

The survey said the quake was centered in Sonoma County, 3.8 miles west northwest of Cobb and 13.5 miles southwest of Clearlake, right under the earth’s surface.

That location places the quake in the Kincade fire footprint.

The US Geological Survey reported receiving 48 shake reports from around California. The most reports came from Kelseyville, as well as many from the Bay Area, and others from as far away as Monterey and King City.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
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Rep. John Garamendi with 2019 Women of the Year honorees. Courtesy photo.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – At his recent sixth annual Women of the Year event, Congressman John Garamendi (D-Fairfield, Yuba City, Davis) honored 50 women from California’s Third Congressional District who are leaders and visionaries in their communities.

The women have all made significant contributions to society through public service, business, education and local advocacy.

“One of the highlights of my year, every year, is hosting this event to recognize the achievements of these distinguished women,” said Garamendi. “These leaders come from a variety of backgrounds, but every one of them has made a real difference in their communities and the people around them. It’s a privilege to be able to honor them.”

Among the 50 recipients was one from Lake County, Tina Viramontes.

This year’s Women of the Year event included a posthumous tribute and recognition of Natalie Corona – the Davis police officer who was tragically killed during her service to the community earlier this year.

“Officer Corona was a bright member of the Davis Police Department. Even prior to completing her police training last December, Officer Corona was respected by her colleagues and friends for her commitment to serving her community and dedication to her fellow officers. She selflessly served and protected her community and will be remembered and honored for her dedication to making the city of Davis a safer environment for all,” Garamendi said.

A full list of the recipients Women of the Year recipients is below.

Colusa County

Rosemary Hicks
Roberta James
Jen Roberts
Kim Travis
Diane Vafis

Glenn County

Mary Rose Kennedy
Vangie Porras

Lake County

Tina Viramontes

Sacramento County

Diana Fuentes-Michel
Vajra Watson
Kristina Wiley

Solano County

Jill Cook
Jenalee Dawson
Patricia Dennis
Ana Dineen
Kathleen Heeran
Jaye Hurt
Erica Hurtado
Juantia Menefee
Pat Nicodemus
Margaret Renn
Beth Rowe
Heather Sanderson
Cherie Schroeder
Dee Tokiwa
Sarah Villec

Sutter County

Bobbi Abold
Navjot Bala-Singh
Neelam Dhinsa Canto-Lugo
Nancy Geweke Elrod
Kellie Geweke Sheeran
Julie Gill
Joyce Hammond
Navneet Randhawa
Jeanine Werner

Yolo County

Lisa Baker
Vinita Domier
Deborah Dunham
Catherine Farman
Kelly Heung
Jenn Rexroad
Lynn Rolston
Harmony Scopazzi
Cathy Speck
Tracy Tomasky
Denise Burbank

Yuba County

Abbie Cesena
Glenda Nelson
Natalie Corona
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A Cal Fire map of the Kincade fire in Sonoma and Lake counties, California, issued for Friday, November 1, 2019.

NORTH COAST, Calif. – Firefighters made further progress on the Kincade fire, strengthening lines around it, holding down its growth and removing tens of thousands of homes from harm’s way.

The Kincade fire grew by about 900 acres, for a total size by Thursday night of 77,758 acres, with containment up to 65 percent, Cal Fire said.

Cal Fire is estimating that the fire will be fully contained Nov. 7.

Updated Cal Fire damage assessments have raised the number of structured confirmed destroyed to 349, with 55 damaged.

Cal Fire said 1,630 structures are still threatened by the fire. Previously, more than 90,000 had been in danger of the fire.

While evacuation orders and warnings remain in effect in areas of Sonoma County, on Thursday afternoon the Lake County Sheriff’s Office lifted the evacuation warning for Cobb Mountain and Middletown.

A massive firefighter force remains committed to the incident, including 5,000 firefighters, 543 engines, 64 water tenders, 27 helicopters, 105 hand crews and 66 dozers.

Cal Fire said fire personnel made good headway in their firefighting efforts on Thursday due to lighter winds. Because of that progress, repopulation planning efforts are still under way.

Access to the northern part of the fire remains challenging because of steep terrain and narrow roads, but Cal Fire said firefighters will continue to build on the progress they made Thursday with even more control lines being established.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.





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An artist's illustration of the Wind spacecraft, which launched 25 years ago in 1994. Credits: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center.

In the early 1980s, heliophysicists needed answers.

They wanted to learn how to protect astronauts and assets around Earth from the potentially damaging space weather that results from our tumultuous Sun.

To do that, they needed to better understand the constantly changing, dynamic space system around our planet – including measurements of the properties of the solar wind, the constant billowing of charged particles coming off the Sun.

Answering this call was the aptly named “Wind Mission,” which launched 25 years ago, on Nov. 1, 1994.

Wind currently orbits at the first Lagrange point, L1, a spot of gravitational balance between the Sun and Earth, which allows the spacecraft to face the Sun at all times.

For the past 25 years, Wind has been studying the heated gas of charged particles – known as plasma – that fills the space between planets.

The observations have allowed scientists to gain an understanding of the solar wind and its interactions with the near-Earth environment.

Wind data has been instrumental in elucidating solar wind properties, intense space weather, and interstellar space, as well as assisting other spacecraft that have gone on to study the Sun up close.

So far, Wind’s data has been used in over 5,000 publications, and supported almost 100 graduate degrees. It has been steadily taking data for 25 years, and has enough fuel at its current orbit to last until 2074. Wind's scientific results are prodigious – here are some of the coolest results from the last 25 years:

1. Solar Radio

Early in its mission, Wind tuned in to the radio frequencies of the Sun. By listening in, Wind was able to detect a hum coming from our star; the Sun was singing.

By tracking the minute changes in this frequency, scientists can remotely observe the surface of the Sun and the space weather that comes towards Earth.

2. Interstellar Dust

In the early years of observations, scientists noticed something interesting happening with Wind’s electric field detectors aboard the mission. Every now and then, a large spike would appear in the data.

Eventually, scientists determined the spikes’ origin: hyper-fast dust particles impacting the spacecraft. When these dust particles hit Wind, they create tiny explosions of plasma on impact, which resulted in electric field spikes on the instruments.

Such particles can come from inside or outside the solar system, but most interstellar particles are kept out due to the influence of the solar wind. We do not have many tools in space to detect them.

So far Wind has measured well over 100,000 dust particle impacts. Scientists can use the information to determine where this dust comes from and better understand the properties of space outside our Sun’s influence.

3. Hit or Miss?

Wind has been a big part of helping scientists understand coronal mass ejections, or CMEs. Wind was designed to measure the magnetic fields of CMEs as they passed by.

Coronal mass ejections are gigantic clouds of solar material that burst off the Sun, pulling solar magnetic fields along for the ride. Since the 1980s, scientists have improved their ability to determine which CMEs would hit Earth, and which would miss Earth, based on what Wind observes as a CME passes.

This allowed space weather scientists today to make more accurate models that let them determine where a CME will hit, just by seeing what it looks like as it comes closer to Earth.

4. Made to Last

After 25 years, Wind isn’t done yet. Wind has enough fuel to keep orbiting and taking data until 2074 – another 55 years of science.

But how does it stay up there for so long?

For one, it’s in a spin-stabilized orbit. This means that it’s spinning around itself like a top, which keeps it steady in its orbit. This also means Wind doesn’t need to use much fuel to stay in place.

It’s also very well protected – highly conductive, so that the solar wind and other particles that interact with it are of no concern to the spacecraft.

5. High Certainty

On top of the spacecraft engineering, the instruments were designed for triple redundancy, which means there are three independent measurements of plasma density.

Having these redundant systems allows for highly accurate data analysis, and means Wind can be used to calibrate instruments on other spacecraft.

Wind records this data on two tape recorders – much like a VHS or cassette tape. The satellite sends the data back to Earth, and only once that data is received will Wind write over that data.

6. One Full Solar Cycle

Wind’s longevity has allowed it to observe a full 22-year solar cycle, the recurring cycle during which the entire solar magnetic field reverses polarity. That is, each magnetic pole switches from positive to negative or vice versa, then switches back again.

Wind’s long-term, high-accuracy observations have given scientists the only single-source, continuous observation of the solar wind over one full solar cycle.

NASA missions continue to use Faraday cups to study the solar wind, much like the Solar Wind Experiment from Wind that launched in 1994, on the left. On the right is the Parker Solar Cup aboard Parker Solar Probe, which launched in 2018. Credits: Left: NASA/MIT; right: NASA/Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics.


7. Magnetic Reconnection

During a detour through Earth’s magnetic field, Wind serendipitously flew through a region undergoing a process called magnetic reconnection.

Magnetic reconnection happens when magnetic field lines twist and eventually snap. Near Earth, our planet's magnetic fields fly back towards the poles, bringing high-energy particle beams of plasma along for the ride and exciting particles in Earth’s upper atmosphere.

When Wind measured this process, scientists discovered something interesting: The process appeared to be collisionless. That is, instead of being pushed along – the way a drop of water pushes the next in a chain event that creates a current – the particles moved because they were guided by the magnetic field.

This was not what was expected. Particles tend to react to each other, but in the collisionless shock, they essentially ignored each other’s existence.

The discovery helped explain why the observed magnetic reconnection was so much faster than previously predicted by reconnection that depended on collisions.

8. Plasma Instability

Solar wind, despite the name, does not behave like wind on Earth. The farther the wind gets from its source, the Sun, the faster and hotter it gets – unlike any phenomenon we experience on Earth.

Recently, Wind’s data suggested that there is something happening in the solar wind that could account for this mysterious property – ion cyclotron waves. It’s a mouthful, but ion cyclotron waves are just electromagnetic waves where the fields rotate in wave-like rhythms while also propagating out in the solar wind.

Wind showed that these ion cyclotron waves appear in the solar wind near Earth. Missions like Parker Solar Probe have the capability to test whether such waves explain the solar coronal heating problem.

9. Helium and the Solar Wind

One of the instruments on Wind spotted an interesting quality of the solar wind. The solar wind experiment uses a Faraday cup – a charge-collecting plate – to measure the speed, density, and temperature of hydrogen and helium in the solar wind.

While studying the solar wind over 10 years with over 2.5 million measurements, scientists noticed the solar wind never traveled slower than 161 miles per second. Any slower, and the solar wind couldn’t escape the Sun’s surface.

They also saw that the faster the solar wind, the more helium was present in it – with barely any helium observed at the lowest speeds.

This tells scientists that helium is somehow helping set the speed of the solar wind, but they’re still searching for the exact process that causes this.

Other missions flying closer to the Sun – such as NASA's Parker Solar Probe and ESA's Solar Orbiter, scheduled to launch in February 2020 – may provide additional clues.

10. Flux Ropes

Wind’s high-resolution data offered new insight into the frequency of a solar phenomenon called flux ropes, thin strands of magnetic field bundles that come off the Sun and interact with Earth’s magnetosphere.

Unlike the larger CMEs that occur more often during solar maximum, these flux ropes appear more frequently during solar minimum. Scientists continue to study them to understand how they interact with our magnetosphere.

Over the last 25 years, Wind’s observations have offered new insights into multiple solar and plasma phenomena, including gamma ray and kinetic physics.

As it continues its observations of the Sun and near-Earth space, Wind will answer the call for plasma and solar wind observations, and possibly introduce even more mysteries to study into the future.

Susannah Darling works for NASA Headquarters in Washington, DC.
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A Cal Fire map of the Kincade fire in Sonoma and Lake counties, California, issued for Saturday, November 2, 2019.

NORTH COAST, Calif. – Firefighters had another successful day on the Kincade fire lines, preventing it from scorching more acreage and pushing it still closer to finally being contained, allowing another evacuation order to be downgraded to a warning.

The Kincade fire was held to no growth on Friday, with firefighters raising containment to 70 percent. Cal Fire still expects to fully contain the fire on Nov. 7.

Structures remaining threatened total 1,630, with 360 structures destroyed and 59 damaged, Cal Fire said.

The continuing improvement in fire containment and conditions led officials on Friday to downgrade an evacuation order to a warning in the zone 1B area of the evacuation area, located west of the Lake County line, east of Asti Road and Highway 128, and north of Pine Flat Road. Pine Flat Road is closed and the area south of Pine Flat Road (Zone 1C) is still under evacuation order.

Pacific Gas and Electric said about 1,400 electricity customer accounts remain without power because of the Kincade fire. Those accounts are mostly in Sonoma County, but some in Middletown and Calistoga.

Resources assigned to the incident are starting to roll back. Firefighters now total 4,681, with 418 engines, 64 water tenders, 15 helicopters, 105 hand crews and 55 dozers, Cal Fire said.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.



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The scene of a fatal crash in Nice, California, on the afternoon of Tuesday, October 29, 2019. Photo by John Jensen/Lake County News.

NICE, Calif. – An Oakley man died in a Tuesday afternoon wreck on the Northshore after he collided head-on with a semi truck.

The California Highway Patrol’s Clear Lake Area office has not released the name of the 66-year-old man pending notification of his next of kin.

The CHP said the crash happened at approximately 3:18 p.m. Tuesday on Highway 20 east of Manzanita Drive in Nice.

The Oakley resident was driving a white 2002 Ford E250 van eastbound as David Jones, 48, of Ukiah was driving a blue 2008 Peterbilt three axle semi truck westbound, the CHP said.

For reasons still under investigation, the Ford van veered left over a double left-turn lane and into the westbound lane, directly into the path of the Peterbilt semi-truck, with the van and semi colliding head-on, according to the CHP report.

The CHP said the driver of the van succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene by medical personnel.

Jones suffered minor injuries and was transported to Sutter Lakeside Hospital for treatment, according to the report.

Neither drugs nor alcohol are suspected of being contributing factors in the collision, the CHP said.

The CHP said both men were wearing their seat belts.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – After weeks of fires and blackouts, it’s time to “fall back.”

Daylight saving time ends at 2 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 3.

This year, it began on Sunday, March 10.

Daylight time goes into effect on the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday in November, dates that went into effect in 2007 as established by Congress in the Energy Policy Act of 2005, according to the US Naval Observatory.

States that do not observe daylight saving time are Arizona and Hawaii; the US territories of American Samoa, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands also don’t hold to it.

Despite Californians voting last year in favor of a proposition to get rid of it, California’s Legislature has not yet taken action on getting rid of daylight saving time. Once it does, it must still have approval from Congress.

The National Weather Service said this is a good time to prepare your home and family for emergencies.

Preparations the agency suggests including doing fire drills at home and writing a family escape plan, and replacing batteries in important devices like weather radios, smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors.

Cal Fire also urges people to use daylight saving time as a reminder to check smoke alarms, which it said should be installed in all sleeping rooms, hallways that lead to sleeping areas, basements and each additional level of the home, because most fatal fires occur at night.

For more information about smoke alarms visit Cal Fire’s Web site at www.fire.ca.gov or contact your local fire department.
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Kristin Laidre monitoring two 3-month-old polar bear cubs in southeastern Greenland while the mother bear is being studied. Laidre and her team monitor adult females with their cubs in spring on the sea ice. Credit: NASA/Peter Hegelund.


Blizzards, narwhals and sneaky polar bears are all part of a day’s work for Kristin Laidre, a marine biologist funded by NASA’s Applied Sciences Ecological Forecasting Program to study glaciers in southeast Greenland and the polar bears that use them as a habitat.

Laidre spends a lot of time in the Arctic, especially in Greenland where she is using GPS to track polar bears, among many other research efforts.

We sat down with Laidre to ask her what it’s like working in one of the most isolated places on Earth, what big question she’s trying to answer, and why the title of her autobiography would be “Things I Didn’t Tell my Mother: All the Ways I Almost Died."

1. What’s it like working in the Arctic?

It’s so unbelievably beautiful. There are these huge jagged mountains covered in snow and glaciers coming down from the ice caps. There are polar bears, seals and nobody for a thousand miles. It’s just kind of unreal. But aside from the Arctic’s beauty, there are a lot of challenges you face there that you can’t really control or predict.

Often the challenges involve weather, which is a huge factor for doing anything in the Arctic. On any Arctic project I’d say about 50 percent of the days you can’t work because the weather is so bad, so on the days you can work you have to do things as efficiently as possible.

2. What is the biggest question you’re trying to answer?

Climate change is impacting all of the animals that I study, so it’s sort of like a theme that is always there across my projects, but we also study populations for other reasons, such as ensuring sustainable use of natural resources by indigenous communities. The big question we’re trying to answer is what does the future look like for all of these uniquely adapted Arctic mammals?

In 50-to-100 years, how many of these animals will be left and how will that impact the ecosystem? All the work we do as scientists documenting these changes is so important.

Kristin Laidre in Kuummiut, a small East Greenland community, taken at the end of the 2017 field season. This photo was taken at the “airport,” where Laidre and her team park and refuel their helicopter. Credit: NASA/Kristin Laidre.

3. What advice do you have for young scientists coming into the field?

Stay positive, be creative, and work hard. There’s many ways a young scientist can contribute, but increasingly those of us who work on the front lines of climate change have to work hard to not let the difficult things we are documenting affect us in a negative way.

It’s hard to see a lot of the things we observe and what we document. Everyday you’re living the reality that things are really going downhill fast due to climate change, so staying positive will be so important for young scientists going into the field.

4. What would your autobiography be titled?

Things I Didn’t Tell my Mother: All the Ways I Almost Died. We care so much about safety, but there are things you just can’t control in the Arctic. You deal with so many unexpected things, from really dangerous weather to polar bears sneaking up on you.

Caption: Polar bears and their tracks on the sea ice in east Greenland. The photo, taken from a helicopter, shows an adult female polar bear with two males pursuing her. The male bears will likely fight each other for a chance to mate with her. Credit: NASA/Kristin Laidre.


5. Wait … polar bears will sneak up on you?

It usually happens when you’re working with another polar bear that is sedated. I’ve had encounters where a different polar bear will see me from far away and must think “that looks interesting.” I’ve had a polar bear get on its belly and put its nose through the snow so you couldn’t see the black part and crawl army style to sneak up on me; so, you have to be very vigilant.

6. What led you to write a graphic novel about the narwhal and its tusk?

There’s a lot of misinformation in the media about the purpose of the narwhal tusk – for a long time, people thought it was a sea monster that could use its tusk to destroy ships. Every time I do any outreach or school talk on narwhals I get asked about their tusks, and I grew frustrated about the incorrect information out there.

I wanted something creative and funny that was also factually correct which I could share with people and get them to learn about the information in a different, human way. I worked with an artist I know, Owen Curtsinger, to bring the story of the narwhal to life.

You can view Myths of the Tusk at Owen Curtsinger's website.

Laidre plans to return to the field next year in 2020 in east Greenland, where she will be continuing her research on polar bears and their changing habitat.

Charlie Feinerman works for NASA’s Earth Science Division-Applied Sciences in Washington DC.
“Myths of the Tusk,” a graphic novel by Owen Curtsinger and Kristin Laidre. Credit: Owen Curtsinger/Kristin Laidre.
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Jose Canchola. Photo courtesy of the Colusa County Sheriff’s Office.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Authorities this week have been conducting searches for an 18-year-old Colusa man who went missing on Sunday.

Jose Canchola, 18, was last seen at 12:30 a.m. Sunday leaving a residence in the 6000 block of Myers Road in Williams on foot, the Colusa County Sheriff’s Office reported.

A Facebook post from a relative of Canchola’s said he had been at a party and was last seen running into an orchard.

At 2 a.m. Sunday, a female friend of Canchola’s was reported to have gone to his father’s home to return his telephone, according to the Facebook post.

The Colusa County Sheriff’s Office has been conducting a missing person’s investigation in an effort to locate Canchola, according to Assistant Sheriff Mike Bradwell.

Bradwell told Lake County News that Canchola, a recent high school graduate, has no history of leaving without contacting family.

On Monday, the Colusa County Sheriff’s Office led a large search and rescue operation in the area of Lonestar and Myers roads in Williams, assisted by local fire departments, pilots and the Colusa County Search & Rescue Team, Bradwell said.

A search by vehicle, foot and air was conducted, but Bradwell said they found no sign of Canchola.

Bradwell told Lake County News that authorities are still conducting searches in the immediate area and expanding out from there.

They also are interviewing people. “We’re looking at all angles,” Bradwell said.

“We’re just trying our best. Our thoughts are with the family and friends,” he said, with officials hoping to get a positive resolution.

Canchola is described as a Hispanic male adult, 6 feet tall, 135 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes.

He was last seen wearing blue jeans and a camouflage hooded sweater.

If anyone has any information related to the whereabouts of Jose Canchola, contact the Colusa County Sheriff’s Office at 530-458-0200.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

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