About
Jennifer Skene develops curriculum on climate change and ocean sciences at the Lawrence Hall of Science and teaches biology and science communication at Mills College and the University of California Berkeley. She has a degree in biology from Brown University and a Ph.D. in Integrative Biology from UC Berkeley. She started working with QUEST in 2008 as an intern. She has written for the Berkeley Science Review and the UC Museum of Paleontology’s Understanding Evolution and Understanding Science websites.
Website: http://www.jenniferskene.com
All Contributions by Jennifer:
California’s Gray Wolves
When a gray wolf wearing a GPS collar crossed from Oregon into California in December, it was the first wild gray wolf to tread on California soil since the 1920s. It is debatable whether this lone wolf is a sign of things to come, but if wolves return to California, their role in the ecosystem will be different than it was in times past.
Post on Feb 06, 2012
Methane Moves From Landfill to Fuel Tank
Trash that ends up at a landfill is the ugly stepsister of hipper, cooler compostable kitchen scraps and recyclable bottles and cans. But landfill trash has more of a future than you might think.
Post on Jan 23, 2012
Homegrown Fruit in the New Year
Is your new year’s resolution to eat more fruits and veggies? Or eat more local produce? You can do both at once by growing your own fruit—you can’t get more local than fruit you harvest in your own backyard.
Post on Jan 02, 2012
O Perfect Christmas Tree
The Berkeley students from the Forestry Club described their trees as “free range,” in contrast to trees from Christmas tree farms, which are painstakingly grown to be perfect.
Post on Dec 20, 2011
Tidepooling Trip Planner
QUEST blogger Andrew Alden’s recent post about Bay Area Tides got me thinking about pulling on my rubber boots and heading out to the intertidal during an upcoming low tide. In the next few weeks, we’ll get some really low tides during daylight hours—a great opportunity to see the organisms that live on the narrow edge between the land and the ocean.
Post on Dec 05, 2011
You Say Sweet Potato, I Say New World
As you fill your grocery cart with food for Thanksgiving, pause for a minute and think about where that food came from. I don’t mean is it local or organic or hormone/pesticide /gluten-free—I mean is it Old World or New World? On what continent did that food evolve?
Post on Nov 21, 2011
Saving Daylight and Energy
In the wee hours of Sunday morning, the little hand on the clock ticked backwards one hour and Daylight Saving Time ended—along with energy savings.
Post on Nov 07, 2011
The Bay Area Science Festival Begins
The Bay Area Science Festival, a 10-day celebration of science, starts this week. There are over 50 exciting events throughout the Bay Area, including hikes, lectures, and concerts.
Post on Oct 24, 2011
Eucalyptus: Fuel for Fire
Twenty years ago this week, a fire ripped through the Oakland and Berkeley hills, taking 25 lives and burning more than 3,000 homes. Eucalyptus trees, leaf litter, and long peels of bark were fuel for the fire.
Post on Oct 17, 2011
Red Tide Rising: Harmful Phytoplankton Blooms
About a month ago, thousands of abalone and other invertebrates washed up along the Sonoma coast, killed by what people thought was probably a red tide, a.k.a. a harmful algal bloom. An interdisciplinary team of researchers banded together to find out what was going on.
Post on Oct 03, 2011
Tomatoes: Heirlooms vs. Hybrids
Heirloom tomatoes are getting more and more popular—but what does “heirloom” really mean? And how do these colorful tomatoes differ from their supermarket relatives?
Post on Sep 12, 2011
Cattle Ranches and Carbon
Researchers from UC Berkeley are working with cattle ranchers in Marin County to figure out how to increase the amount of carbon stored in the soil.
Post on Aug 29, 2011
Rumors and Truth in Lake Tahoe
A few weeks ago, scuba divers in Lake Tahoe found the body of a man who had drowned in the lake 17 years ago. Still in its wetsuit, the body was very well preserved. Because the water in this high alpine lake is so cold, decomposition is very slow. This fact has spawned rumors, the most famous of which involves Jacques Cousteau and still makes me shudder, years after I first heard it.
Post on Aug 16, 2011
The Deep, Cold Secret Behind Summer Fog
Another foggy morning. Why is the Bay Area so foggy in summer? To answer that question, look west—at the Pacific Ocean.
Post on Aug 08, 2011
Climate Change Favors Invasive Species in California Grasslands
California’s grasslands are some of the most heavily invaded habitats in the state. As the climate changes—temperatures increase and water becomes scarcer—the conditions will favor exotic grasses, which will become even more prevalent.
Post on Jul 25, 2011
Herbicides: Help or Harm?
Recent headlines have brought to light some of herbicides’ unintended effects. Herbicides can provide farmers and gardeners with advantages over unwanted weeds—but they also come with drawbacks.
Post on Jul 20, 2011
Everything is Illuminated, All the Time
The world is not as dark as it used to be. Light pollution can come directly from light bulbs, or it can bounce off of dust and water droplets in the air, creating a bright haze called skyglow. But there are ways to dim the lights and reduce their effects—and save energy in the process.
Post on Jul 11, 2011
Sea Lions, Herring, and Climate Change
I thought I’d check in on the sea lions at Pier 39. Just a few years ago, there were about 1600 of them. Then in 2009, most of them swam away.
Post on Jun 27, 2011
Summer Solstice, Shifting Spring
Tomorrow is our summer solstice—the longest day of the year here in the Northern Hemisphere.
Post on Jun 20, 2011
California's Climate Cousins
Spain, in the Mediterranean Basin, is California’s climate cousin.
Post on Jun 13, 2011
