Lisa Feldkamp

Many nature lovers are familiar with California sea lions, especially if they live along or visit the U.S. West Coast. These animals have become familiar sights in beach towns and even cities: the California sea lions on San Francisco’s Pier 39 are a popular tourist attraction. But there is another sea lion found along North America’s coasts. And, in many places, it’s facing startling declines. Let’s take a look at this animal and what we can do to help.

Wildlife Closeup of red panda. Photo by Mathias Appel on Flickr in the Public Domain Smart nature straight to your inbox every week Sign up for the newsletter As a life-long admirer of nature and words with love in equal measure for each, there is nothing that so perfectly blends my passions as the meaning of scientific names.

Pikas live in stunning mountain scenery and they’re impossibly cute. Spotting one is a fun challenge for any naturalist. And the search may give you an appreciation for the challenge faced by these creatures. I’ve wanted to see a pika since  covering the Pika Project, a citizen science project that tracked the effects of climate on global pika populations.