Publisher: Exploring Nature in the San Francisco Bay Area

Mission The Bay Nature Institute, based in Berkeley, California, is dedicated to educating the people of the San Francisco Bay Area about, and celebrating the beauty of, the surrounding natural world. We do so with the aim of inspiring residents to explore and preserve the diverse and unique natural heritage of the region, and of nurturing productive relationships among the many organizations and individuals working towards these same goals. History The idea for Bay Nature arose out of a conversation between Malcolm Margolin, publisher of Heyday Books, and David Loeb, current publisher of Bay Nature, in February 1997. The concept was to create a luminous and intelligent publication that would reflect the natural beauty of the San Francisco Bay Area, honor the region’s legacy of environmental advocacy, and nurture its wealth of creative talent. Margolin and Loeb launched Bay Nature magazine in January 2001, with invaluable collaboration from Marilyn Hope Smulyan, Amy Hunter, Tom White, Dennis Gallagher, and Dave Bullen; and with lead funding from the David and Lucille Packard Foundation. Bay Nature began life as a project of the Clapperstick Institute, the nonprofit affiliate of Heyday Books. In 2004, Bay Nature Institute was formed as an independent tax exempt charitable organization and took over publication of the magazine. Today, the Institute publishes the magazine, sponsors the production of “Bay Nature on the Air,” arranges and leads outings to places featured in Bay Nature magazine, and hosts the BayNature.org website. From its inception, Bay Nature has drawn from the legacy of conservation leadership and action that is a hallmark of the Bay Area. As such, Bay Nature is an expression of the dynamism and creativity of the region’s conservation and natural history communities—including local nonprofits, museums, research institutions, open space agencies, and individuals.