SLO’s State of the City
For those who live, work or own a business in the City of San Luis Obispo, make plans to attend the Mayor’s State of the City address on Tuesday, June 9, at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall, 990 Palm Street.
Join Mayor Erica A. Stewart for an evening highlighting the City’s accomplishments, ongoing projects, community priorities, and vision for the future of San Luis Obispo. The event will provide an opportunity to hear updates on important initiatives shaping the City and learn more about the goals and progress.
Observe Timber Rattlesnakes Around the Clock
A new platform has arrived to observe timber rattlesnakes in nature from the comfort of home thanks to a partnership between Cal Poly and a Pennsylvania college chartered in 1783.
Project RattleCam recently launched its third livestream installation at an undisclosed, remote location in Pennsylvania. The new channel, now live through early fall, operates 24 hours a day, with night-vision cameras capable of capturing the activities of snakes and other creatures that enter into the frame of the camera lens after dark, such as rodents and weasels.
The community science project is a partnership between Cal Poly and Dickinson College based in Carlisle, located about a half-hour southwest of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania’s capital, and can be accessed free on YouTube as part of Project RattleCam. The launch adds a new location to complement ongoing, highly popular livestreams from Colorado, made public three years ago, and from California, the first to be released six years ago.
“Like the other livestreaming cameras within Project RattleCam, the Pennsylvania camera provides scientists and the general public a unique window into the ecology and behavior of this secretive species,” said Scott Boback, a Dickinson biology professor and co-director of Project RattleCam. “The timber rattlesnake exhibits several features that make it unique among snakes generally and rattlesnakes, in particular. It possesses one of the largest geographic ranges, extending into northern latitudes, and is probably one of the top five largest rattlesnake species in the world.”
The timber rattlesnake, native to the Eastern U.S., is listed as endangered and threatened in 12 of 30 states it occupies. This North American pit viper is extinct in three states: Maine, Delaware, and Rhode Island. The species typically inhabits forests in rugged terrain.
Timber rattlesnakes are venomous but known to be highly docile creatures and prefer to avoid confrontation, typically striking only in self-defense. The species was the first rattlesnake encountered by European settlers upon their arrival in the U.S.
“Although we know a great deal about certain aspects of timber rattlesnake biology, we are still discovering novel behaviors,” Boback said. “Just last year, researchers described a potentially new form of communication in timber rattlesnakes that includes rapid, tactile head vibrations between individuals.”
Steadily growing its audience, Project RattleCam now has more than 24,000 subscribers and over 5 million views across its channels. The idea behind the initiative is to encourage education about rattlesnake behaviors, discourage harm to the species and foster dialogue about the reptiles. Rattlesnakes are an important part of the ecosystem, helping to reduce disease and control rodent populations. And their venom has helped produce medications, including anti-clotting drugs that prevent heart attacks.
To learn more about Project RattleCam, visit: https://rattlecam.org/.
Local Artist Advances in National Art Competition
Los Osos artist Sophia Brody is advancing in “Johnny Depp Presents: The People’s Artist,” a national art competition celebrating emerging and independent artists.
Brody says her work is inspired by California landscapes, memory, music, and everyday moments, blending realism with atmospheric and emotional storytelling. Her paintings often feature Central Coast imagery including local coastlines, architecture, eucalyptus groves, and rural scenes.
In addition to showing work at Hands Gallery in San Luis Obispo and sharing her work online, Brody has recently gained attention for cinematic art videos and storytelling-centered social media content that blends painting, humor, creativity, and personality. Her growing online presence has connected with audiences drawn to both the artwork itself and the creative process behind it.
Recently, musician and visual artist Mark Mothersbaugh (of Devo) responded to Brody during an artist discussion, encouraging artists to move beyond “the expected formula,” a sentiment Brody says strongly reflects her own artistic approach. Follow Brody on Instagram @transpersonalmuse or check out her website at sophiabrodyart.my.canva.site.
Send your news, community, and business briefs to EditorEBN@gmail.com. Be sure to include the who, what, why, where and when information along with a contact person.
