Conservation Issues

Every fall, aspens put on a magnificent display in California’s Eastern Sierra. Photo by Steven T. Callan.

October 4, 2019

in Conservation Issues, Outdoor Adventures

Golden Trout and Golden Trees

Every fall, aspens put on a magnificent display in California’s Eastern Sierra. Photo by author.

The first time I experienced the awesome grandeur of California’s Eastern Sierra was in 1975, when, as a rookie Fish and Game warden, I drove there on assignment to work the Crowley Lake trout-season opener. That spring, the majestic mountains to the west were covered with snow, and the entire scene, from Mount Whitney to Mammoth Lakes, looked like something you’d see on a Christmas card. Over the years I’ve visited again and again, sometimes in the spring, sometimes in the summer, and sometimes in the fall. Whatever the season, the Eastern Sierra always offers an eyepopping display of color and natural beauty.

October 26, 2018

in Conservation Issues, Outdoor Adventures

by Steve

Golden Trout and Golden Trees

Every fall, aspens put on a magnificent display in California’s Eastern Sierra. Photo by author.

During the winter months, Kathy and I can count on seeing magnificent bald eagles at the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge Complex. This mature female was about to swoop down on a flock of unsuspecting coots. Photo by Steven T. Callan.

March 8, 2018

in Conservation Issues, Fish and Wildlife

by Steve

Saving a Place for Wildlife

During the winter months, Kathy and I can count on seeing magnificent bald eagles at the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge Complex. This mature female was about to swoop down on a flock of unsuspecting coots. Photo by author.

Late in November 1959, I was an eleven-year-old boy riding in the back seat of our family car as my father drove us north of Sacramento for the first time. I remember looking out the window and marveling at flocks of flying waterfowl and a vast landscape of wetlands, rice fields, grain fields, and open space—all the way to what was to be our new home in the tiny farming community of Orland. Today, as I drive north from Sacramento, I see miles and miles of orchards where not so much as a blade of grass is allowed to grow.

Upper Yosemite Fall at Yosemite National Park, one of the crown jewels of America’s national park system. Photo by Steven T. Callan.

May 19, 2017

in Conservation Issues

by Steve

America’s National Parks Need Our Help Now More Than Ever

Upper Yosemite Fall at Yosemite National Park, one of the crown jewels of America’s national park system. Photo by author.

I’ve always believed that our national parks and our national monuments were as secure as Yosemite’s Half Dome: solid as a rock, inviolate, and well-protected from those who would try to diminish or exploit them. Sadly, that’s not the case.

Yosemite Falls in Yosemite National Park

May 12, 2014

in Conservation Issues

by Steve

America Needs Parks Now More Than Ever

Yosemite Falls in Yosemite National Park

Recently, my wife, Kathy, and I arrived in Sonora for our first Outdoor Writers Association of California (OWAC) conference. We were a little apprehensive, being new kids on the block, but by the end of the first day, we felt a kinship with everyone in the room. And what a room it was−filled with authors, columnists, radio hosts, photographers, newspaper reporters, adventure guides, and media experts from all over the Golden State. The common thread that wove this gracious group of professionals together was a reverence for California’s vast natural resources and a desire to tell the world about them.

April 25, 2014

in Conservation Issues

by Steve

Saving Yelloweyes

Yelloweye rockfish (Sebastes ruberrimus). Photo by Retired Fish and Game Warden Larry Bruckenstein.

Imagine you’re fishing somewhere off the California coast and you hook into a big one. You finally hoist the monster to the deck and discover it’s nearly three feet long, brilliant red-orange in color, with bright yellow eyes the size of fifty cent pieces. Hard to imagine this fish could have been swimming around in the ocean when Roosevelt was president−not Franklin (1933-1945), but Teddy (1901-1909)! Yelloweye rockfish (Sebastes ruberrimus) are known to live up to 118 years. Very slow growing, they don’t reach sexual maturity until they’re between ten and twenty years old.

Protected green abalone (Haliotis fulgens) in California's Channel Islands

March 26, 2014

in Conservation Issues, Wildlife Law Enforcement

by Steve

Tasty Morsels of Mollusk Goodness

Protected green abalone (Haliotis fulgens) in California's Channel Islands

Saving California’s remaining abalone fishery from money-hungry poachers is a daunting task. By telling the stories of dedicated wildlife officers in my upcoming sequel to “Badges, Bears, and Eagles,” I hope to educate the public and, in some way, help conserve this precious resource for law-abiding sportsmen and future generations.

Photo of Humpback Whale Feeding in Santa Barbara Channel

January 29, 2014

in Conservation Issues, Outdoor Adventures

by Steve

A Whale of a Tale

Photo of Humpback Whale Feeding in Santa Barbara Channel

Out of Ventura Harbor we sailed this past November, in pursuit of a long-held dream. My wife Kathy and I had been waiting for years to visit Santa Cruz Island, the largest of California’s Channel Islands and part of the five-island Channel Islands National Park. We spent the day hiking the island and learning about the indigenous plants and animals that inhabit this fascinating archipelago, just twenty miles from the mainland. Being scuba divers, we were especially impressed by the crystal clear waters that surrounded the island, beckoning us to return someday with our scuba gear and underwater camera.

The fish rescue crew in Orland, circa 1964

October 29, 2013

in Conservation Issues, Personal Stuff

by Steve

The Fish Rescue Crew

The fish rescue crew in Orland, circa 1964
Driving south on Interstate 5 a few weeks ago, I crossed the Stony Creek Bridge, just north of Orland, California. The experience brought back vivid memories of my childhood—fishing, swimming, and exploring every inch of that wonderful Sacramento Valley stream.

Picture of Steven T. Callan Giving Presentation to Bear Creek Watershed Group

August 8, 2013

in Appearances, Presentations, and Book Signings, Conservation Issues

by Steve

SOS: Saving Our Streams

Picture of Steven T. Callan Giving Presentation to Bear Creek Watershed Group

I was recently invited to do a presentation for the Bear Creek Watershed Group, in eastern Shasta County, California. The group is made up of local citizens dedicated to the preservation of Bear Creek and its tributaries.

Conservation Issues

Golden Trout and Golden Trees

Golden Trout and Golden Trees

Saving a Place for Wildlife

America’s National Parks Need Our Help Now More Than Ever

America Needs Parks Now More Than Ever

Saving Yelloweyes

Tasty Morsels of Mollusk Goodness

A Whale of a Tale

The Fish Rescue Crew

SOS: Saving Our Streams

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