During July of 2020, I likely became the first person to accomplish a yo-yo traverse of the Snake Range of east-central Nevada. The expedition is documented in five parts here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-9kkYWfA8A
Drought Relief
The incredible drought of the past year has been mitigated with recent storms. Snow swept the lower deserts in a recent event:
The Monarch of Clark
Ash Clouds Abound
From Colorado to Utah, to across Nevada and Arizona, everywhere I’ve been in the second half of summer has been covered in some degree of wildfire haze. It is the same story for many, and here in the Mojave Desert a record number of days without any precipitation is to be imminently set. Emeralds of the desert still persist through the drought:
A fine milestone reached.
The one year anniversary of the start of writing a new “Flora of Nevada” recently passed and I am happy to report that the working document is over 200 pages in length. The northern and high mountain flora is quite dry and crispy this year, but field work and jittery videos are still proceeding well in concert with the writing.
A toasty McCullough Range traverse: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZF7k-RiLFU
The Snake Range merely threatening rain in July 2020:
Zum Norden
As the Mojave Desert senesced into summer heat as May set in, my car (often field vehicle and base camp, sometimes home) of seven years made its last stand. But now I am out collecting plants again with sights set into northern Nevada and the southern Rocky Mountains. Give a shout if you’re in either region this summer!
A snapshot of car death: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nu6IapffXKk
Mojave Desert Superblooms
In conjunction with much photography and plant collection, I’ve established a new YouTube Channel this spring exploring the state of Nevada and its incredible flora. Join me for superblooms and other phenomena of our deserts, and new “episodes” will be consistently and constantly in production for the foreseeable future.
Springtime in Mohave County
Social isolation was always the rule out here in Mohave County, AZ, and life has changed little under the pandemic: still writing about the plants of Nevada, Stellaria, grant proposals, and reviewing papers as if the world’s restrictions passed this place by. And as always, the next botanical expedition is continuously being planned: the AZ and NV borders critical to such expeditions remain open.
A very fine desert-oriented prog-rock apocalyptic tune: RIVERSIDE: VALE OF TEARS
Additions
The plant photos were becoming too much for one landmass (Earth), so I’ve subdivided them by continent, and in some cases, state/province. I have given Caryophyllaceae pictures their own section under “Botany” rather than speckling them throughout the geography-based plant photo sections. Research sections have been updated. A new header “Flora of Nevada” has been added–check it out someday soon! I’m also cooking up a new opinion piece about human evolution to be placed one day under “Opinions”.
