The peak of the Perseid meteor shower arrives during the night of Aug. 12 to 13, with up to 60 meteors an hour. Viewing is aided by the darker sky provided by a waning moon. The shower will appear in the eastern sky after 10 p.m., radiating from the constellation Perseus—named for the Greek warrior who killed the snake-haired Medusa.

The deep greenery of the Bear Valley Trail provides a contrast to the fiery orange South African lilies blooming now. They have a spray of buds and long, slender leaves. Native to the African continent, they are also commonly called coppertips. Also appearing along the trail are the kiwi fruit-sized spiky seed pods of wild cucumber vines. The large, grape leaf-like foliage sends out curly tendrils that wind their way around various shrubbery. Along the Inverness Ridge, huckleberries are ripening.

The waning moon’s darkness provides opportunities to look for bioluminescence in ocean waters and in Tomales Bay. This phenomenon is caused when microscopic marine algae, or phytoplankton, grows in warmer surface waters and emits light. Water movement such as lapping waves shines and sparkles in the night. Bioluminescence generally lasts until October.