Since 2016, Grassroots Ecology has kept a watchful eye—many pairs of eyes, actually—on the birds of Byrne Preserve. Ten years later, the project is still going strong thanks to the dedication of those who maintain and monitor the boxes season after season. In this interview, we catch up with the current team carrying the torch (and the clipboard) for a peek inside the box at what our feathered residents are up to.

If you’ve been to a Grassroots Ecology event, it's likely you’ve interacted with a current or former AmeriCorps member, intern, or Youth Steward. We caught up with three program alumni to learn how the spark that started at Grassroots Ecology moved them in further along in their environmental careers.

Working in collaboration with regional agencies and community volunteers, we’ve been restoring habitat for Western Burrowing Owls at the Alviso Bufferlands for the past 5 years. Read about some highlights from the 2025-26 planting season!

Each June, some serious number crunching happens at Grassroots Ecology. It’s the end of our fiscal year, which means that it’s time for our staff to look over all our records from the past 12 months, to see the extent of our collective impact.

Earlier this month, we announced that the Acterra Stewardship program is now an independent, fiscally sponsored project of Acterra: Action for a Healthy Planet. As part of this transition, we want to start broadening our connection to the local community through social media (Instagram and Facebook), as well as this blog. The Eco Roots blog will give a behind-the-scenes look at our work and what inspires us to improve the habitat of California’s native ecosystems.