Tag Archives: Nature

Utah: Life elevated

2017 Trip to Southwest USA, religion,

I love Utah. This is natural–in more ways than one. Utah has more national parks than any other state. It also has many national monuments. All of that is because it is such a spectacular place. I have found heaven—it is Utah.

 

Utah abounds in gorgeous.Utah is famous for its “Big Five” National Parks.  It has more national parks than any other state. There is good reason for that. Yet, some of the state parks are also sensational.

These photos are all from a tiny state park, called Red Canyon. Named, of course, for its wonderful, red rocks

 

In  particular I love the spectacular red rocks on the Colorado Plateau that covers much of Utah.

 

“Life elevated” is the state motto.  They also say, “linger longer.” I can see why.

Land ownership by the government in both Arizona and Utah is extremely controversial. Partly that is because federal and state governments own so much of the land. Nearly 80% of all land in Utah is owned by the federal and state governments. That drives conservatives crazy! Conservatives think this land should be privately owned. Liberals think it should be owned publicly for the benefit of all. I agree with the liberals.

 

 

President Obama ordered the Land Management Bureau, which manages the public land for the benefit of all, to stop issuing coal mining leases. Just this year, the new President, Trump, unsurprisingly cancelled that order.  Trump does not care about the environment. He cares about appearingto do all he can to encourage American jobs. I know jobs are important.

I just don’t believe we need to abandon efforts to fight climate change to do that. Jobs don’t trump the environment. Trump trumps the environment. Coal mining does not provide a lot of jobs and it does provide the means to increase greenhouse gases enormously, just when we ought to be cutting back. Added to that, it is highly unlikely that those coal-mining jobs will ever come back. Robots are not going away anytime soon. Robots, not government regulations have taken most coal mining jobs. People want cleaner power. Even the Chinese want cleaners power.

Utah is certainly worth protecting.

 

I am not sure there is any more beautiful place in the world than Utah.

 

 

Life and Death on South Mountain

2018 Trip to Southwest USA, Arizona, Arizona Photos, Family, Fat Opinions, , ,

I went for a hike with my sister Barb and her husband Harv. It was wonderful. We all hike at sort of the same speed. Hiking in the mountains is one of the best things about the Sonoran Desert. Yet sometimes it makes you think. This was one of those days.

We drove up the South Mountain to get to the top of it. The valley looked magnificent. Except for one problem: It was not a minor problem. It was smog. We started with a couple of wonderful overlooks, but the sight of smog in Phoenix disturbed me. Of course this was not the first time I have seen it, but it sure is disturbing from on top of this mountain in the city. What are we doing to this  wonderful valley? When you think about it you realize it is disgusting.

Not a pretty picture

Some people seem reluctant to admit that there is smog in Arizona. To me it was obvious. Almost every time we drive from San Tan Valley to Mesa or Phoenix we can see haze in the distance. This is not fog. Phoenix does not often have fog. But it often has smog.

According to WebMD, “The greater Phoenix area  is the 5th worst for smog in the United States!

It is true that fewer people in the United States are breathing smoggy air, thanks to clean air laws. At least for now. No doubt Donald Trump will soon get around to dismantling these laws just as he has so many other regulations that he claims are bad for business. They are bad for bad business; they are not bad for good business.

Smog or ground-level ozone, still poses a health threat. About one-third of Americans live in areas with unhealthy air. Air pollution can make it hard to breathe and increases one’s chances of having lung cancer, asthma, heart attack, strokes, and other nasty diseases. Yet what is the American Congress doing about it? Here is what The Guardian said about it, 

More than half of the US population lives amid potentially dangerous air pollution, with national efforts to improve air quality at risk of being reversed, a new report has warned.

A total of 166 million Americans live in areas that have unhealthy levels of either ozone or particle pollution, according to the American Lung Association, raising their risk of lung cancer, asthma attacks, heart disease, reproductive problems and other ailments.

The association’s 17th annual “state of the air” report found that there has been a gradual improvement in air quality in recent years but warned progress has been too slow and could even be reversed by efforts in Congress to water down the Clean Air Act.[1]

 

I don’t know about you, but this does not sound very pleasant to me. I don’t want Donald Trump and his cronies to get rid of these “job-destroying regulations” as he keeps calling them. I think they are vital.

More recent studies do not paint a rosier picture either. As The Huffington Post reported recently,

Air pollution isn’t among the causes of death that medical examiners list on death certificates, but the health conditions linked to air pollution exposure, such as lung cancer and emphysema, are often fatal. Air pollution was responsible for 6.1 million deaths and accounted for nearly 12 percent of the global toll in 2016, the last year for which data was available, according the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation.[2]

 

As Philip Landrigan of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai advised, “Air pollution is one of the great killers of our age.”[3]  Many have pointed out before me that the right to breathe is pretty darn fundamental. It is right up there with the right to clean water and fertile soil and bio-diverse ecosystems. We can’t live long without clean air. Yet we treat the world as a garbage dump.

I think George Monbiot puts his finger on the problem–Our lives of endless consumption. As he said, “Our consumption is trashing a natural world infinitely more fascinating and intricate than the stuff we produce.”[4]

         Monbiot also asked a very pertinent question:

This is a moment at which anyone with the capacity for reflection should stop and wonder what we are doing. If the news that in the past 40 years the world has lost over 50% of its vertebrate wildlife (mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish) fails to tell us that there is something wrong with the way we live, it’s hard to imagine what could. Who believes that a social and economic system which has this effect is a healthy one? Who, contemplating this loss, could call it progress? [5]

This is my opinion:  Our modern industrial system (capitalism and its imitators) has clearly demonstrated that it is anti-life. It has been great at producing stuff, but this stuff is killing life on the planet. When will it be our turn to be killed? Who is next?

I do not for one minute deny that each of us is responsible. We have to learn to curtail our consumption. We must do better. We cannot continue to facilitate the destruction of life on the planet?

Yet at the same time, we must remember that corporate capitalists are good–very good–at manufacturing desires in us. They spend a lot of money buying advertising, spin, and propaganda to convince us that we need their products. And by and large that money is well spent. It works.

Standing on South Mountain I thought about these things. I didn’t do anything about them, but I did think about them. Is that enough?

[1] Oliver Millman, The Guardian, April 20, 2016

[2] Erin Schummaker, ‘Air Pollution is Killing Millions Around the globe each year,” The Huffington Post, January 23, 2018

[3] Erin Schummaker, ‘Air Pollution is Killing Millions Around the globe each year,” The Huffington Post, January 23, 2018

[4] George Monbiot, “Its time to shout stop on this war on the living world,” The Guardian, (October 1, 2014)

[5] George Monbiot, “Its time to shout stop on this war on the living world,” The Guardian, (October 1, 2014)

Scorpions

insects

 


An univited visitor to our backyard

One evening we went to Usery Park to hear Ranger B, our favorite ranger, give another talk. This time the subject was scorpions. Scorpions are very interesting creatures. They are not insects. Insects have 6 legs. Scorpions are arachnids that have 8 legs. Since I knew nothing about them I was scared of them. Now I have learned a little about them so I am terrified of them. Not really. But sometimes ignorance is bliss.

There are about 1,400 scorpion species in the world. 80 can be found in the US. Of those 55 can be found in Arizona. In fact Arizona has more scorpions, rattlesnakes, bees, and tarantulas than any other state. Why are we here again? Ranger B says he mentions that enthusiastically to unwelcome relatives who threaten to visit him. I think he was joking.  In Arizona scientists are looking so thoroughly that a new species or even 2 are discovered each year on average. Some have said, “Its time to stop looking!”

Scorpions have hairs on their body parts that act like ears. Through these hairs scorpions can “hear” an approaching organism. If it is big and makes the ground rumble, like a human for example, it knows what to do. It hides. I wanted to hear that.  Scorpions are ambush hunters. They wait for prey to pass then by and then launch onto them. Scorpions are often very well camouflaged in their surroundings. Like our backyard!

Scorpions are extremely tough. That is part of the problem; if you consider them a problem. They can live up to 12,000 ft. in elevation. They can live in all kinds of habitats–deserts, forests, and even beachfront property.

Scorpions are among the toughest animals in the world. They can live an entire year without food. Scorpions have ben found under water where they appeared to be doing just fine.

Basically scorpions are nearly indestructible. They can’t even be killed by nuclear explosions. Scorpions can live for at least 2-4 weeks in a frozen state. That is why it might be surprising to some that none are found on Antarctica (at least so far). They can be killed with the human foot squashing them. That will do it. But be careful and avoid that stinger.

They are adaptable. That is why they have survived so long. They can be found on every continent except Antarctica and they might be found there if they could find food there.

As I found out scorpions can be detected with a black light.  Our friend (at least he used to be our friend) Rick Molinski showed up at our home with a black light and then we learned we have scorpions in our back yard. I am not sure I wanted to know that.

Part of what interests me is their long and slow evolution. As Steven J. Prchal said,

Scorpions have changed little in the 350 to 400 million years since they first climbed from the primal seas and took their place among earth’s first terrestrial arthropods. [1]

Ancient scorpions were much larger than their modern descendants. A scorpion could reach 96 inches (8 ft.). I don’t know about you, but if scorpions were 8 ft. long I would not venture into my backyard at night. I would not go looking for them with a black light. I would stay in Manitoba!

Today the largest scorpion is the Emperor scorpion. They are not found in Arizona. They grow to 7.9 inches (20 cm) in length and weigh up to 30 grams. That is plenty big enough for my taste. Some people keep these as pets. I cannot understand why they would do that.

After gestation that they give live birth to their young. Typically, a mother scorpion can give birth to 8 live young. After they are born they often stick close to mom, often climbing on the mother’s back. When they are on the back they must cling tenaciously, for if they fall the mother is likely to eat them. These mothers are not likely to win the Mother of the year award.

The deadliest scorpion in of the 3 common ones in Arizona is the Bark scorpion (Centruroides exilcauda). It is the only one of the three whose sting is truly life threatening. It has a slender shape with long delicate pincers and tail. The others are larger and stouter, but actually less threatening. Sometimes size is not everything.

The bark scorpion prefers to climb and may as result be found many feet above ground on rock faces or trees. Bark scorpions display negative geotaxis, which means that they orient themselves upside down. People often get stung by picking up something and then getting stung by a scorpion clinging to the underside. After I heard this I decided I was not going to climb into our orange tree for oranges again.

Bark scorpions are so small that they can enter homes. If they do, be careful, very careful. Their venom is 150 times as dangerous as that of the Giant Hairy scorpion. This is what we did not like hearing.

Because the bark scorpion likes to climb and find cool places with airflows it can find its way into homes. Sometimes they are trapped in sinks or bathtubs or hiding in dark areas of the closet.

We should remember that scorpions don’t want to sting us. We are not prey for scorpions. They will only sting humans if they feel threatened by them. I don’t intend to frighten them on purpose. But it can happen accidentally. For example, some people pick up a piece of wood on which a scorpion is latched and it stings them when that happens. In such cases it sees us as a predators and stings us for defence.

The sting of the scorpion is usually not fatal, but it is extremely uncomfortable. 8,000 people are stung by scorpions in Arizona each year. Yet there has been only 1 known fatality caused by a scorpion.

As a result if you are stung by a scorpion don’t panic. You probably won’t die. You are 440,000 times more likely to die from heart disease than a scorpion sting, even if you live in Arizona. The only ones likely to be adversely affected are the very old or young. Don’t I fit  into one of those categories?

If you get stung don’t go to the hospital unless you absolutely must. Hospital stays and anti-venom serums are very expensive. The stay and treatment could easily cost $40,000. Rather stay home, remain cool and collected (though in pain) and apply a cold compress. Only go the hospital if you end up in a state of shock. Then you must go to the hospital. Of course how will you get there if you are in a state of shock?

After all of this information I wondered was it worth it? Was it worth it to know what scorpions can do to you? Now I am worried. When we got home I looked on the ceiling, in my shoes, everywhere. Was I not better off when I was ignorant? I suppose that knowledge is always preferable to ignorance, but I wonder if that was really the case.

[1] Steven J. Prchal, “Scorpions,” in A Natural History of the Sonoran Desert, edited by Steven Philips and Patricia Wentworth Comus (2000) p. 262

Burrowing Owls

Birds,

 

 

I went on an Owl Walk with Desert Rivers Audubon Society at Zanjero Park in Gilbert. This was a lot of fun and we saw 4 Burrowing Owls.

Burrowing owls are small owls that usually inhabit dry, open areas where grasslands, rangelands, agricultural lands, and  deserts and scrublands are found. They are very small owls–not more than 12 inches tall. They also have relatively long legs and short tails. They are mainly brown with many white or tan spots. They also have white “eyebrows” above their yellow eyes.

 

These owls like to build or occupy homes underground. The ones in Florida usually build their own burrows. However most other burrowing owls occupy abandoned homes of others such as ground squirrels prairie dogs, badgers, foxes, or coyotes.

Many of them have found a home in Gilbert, especially in Zanjero Park where volunteers have erected tunnels for them with large plastic pipes. There are about 15 of them in the park, though we only saw 4. I was quite happy to see that number in the wild, but I was disappointed that none of them perched on a branch. Photographs on boards or plastic tunnels are not very pleasing. But you gotta dance with the girl you brung.

The park is rather dull looking right beside a major highway. Someone said the government was thinking of building a major access to the highway right there. This would completely disrupt the owls. On one side is a farm that no doubt provides tasty rodents to the owls. The way things go around here that farm may not last long either. These owls need protection.

The owls are federally protected by treaty and legislation in both Canada and the United States. They are endangered in Canada and listed as threatened in Mexico.

According to our guide from the Audubon Society burrowing owls from Canada leap frog over these owls to Mexico. These owls they believe have migrated from the northern plains in the United States, not Canada.

Even though the setting was poor for photographs I did get some shots. The birds were very cooperative. Although they did not perch on a branch, they did stand in front of or near their burrows and were not very disturbed at people near by. I had a lot of fun. I want to go back and try again for better environmental shots.

Birds of the Sonoran Desert

Birds, ,

 

Black-throated Sparrow

I am a wild flower guy.  But this is the worst wild flower year in Arizona in at least 15 years and perhaps ever. So I have been forced to adapt.  Instead of wild flowers I have pursued birds. I love birds too, but unlike flowers, they don’t often stay in one place. That makes photographing them tricky.

“In many experts’ view, dinosaurs never really went extinct. Small ones, whose scales were modified into feathers, can be seen almost anywhere you look.”[1]

Any creature that lives in the desert has a big challenge–how to survive. Surprisingly many creatures do survive here. Some even thrive.

At first that sounds hard to believe. After all water, which is absolutely essentail for any animal to survvie is hard to find. Added to that, it is often hot here and as it heats up so does evaporations, tending to elminate what little war was here in the first place. As if that is not enough an animal’s need for water increases as the temperature increases. I can testify to that. Sometimes, on a hike, I have thought water was not required. That is always a mistake. I try to make sure I always have water along, and usually I need it.

Finally, when it is hot it is difficult for organisms to maintain their correct body temeprature. So how do they do?

The answer is that every creature that tries ot live here must have a survival strategy. And it must be a good one. That applies to mammals, insects, and birds.

The most common strategy is avoidance. Like lazy boys who hate work do their best to avoid it, so animals of the desert try to avoid the heat. Many do that by sleeping during they day. Usually there are more animals active at night than during the day.

The birds that are nocturnal like owls or crepuscular (dusk-to-dawn) have an advantage. For example. Owls use this strategy. Despite the challenges I was surprised to learn from a veteran birder, that out of the 50 states in the United States Arizona had the third highest numbers of distinct species. Only California and Texas beat it! And both Texas and California have long coasts with wonderful sea birds and shorebirds. Even Florida and Alaska which are both famous for their birds, have less varieties that can be found there.

Why is that? The answer is diversity. Arizona has diversity of terrain. It has mountains, it has plains, it has grasslands, and of course, it has deserts. Add those up and that makes birds. Surprisingly many bird species.Despite the challenges I was surprised to learn from a veteran birder, that out of the 50 states in the United States Arizona had the third highest numbers of distinct species. Only California and Texas beat it! And both Texas and California have long coasts with wonderful sea birds and shorebirds. Even Florida and Alaska which are both famous for their birds, have less varieties that can be found there.

According to Wildbirds.com, California has 664 species of birds, Texas 644, and Arizona 555. Manitoba by comparison has a paltry 390.

Why is that? The answer is diversity. Arizona has diversity of terrain. It has mountains, it has plains, it has grasslands, and of course, it has deserts. Add those up and that makes birds. Surprisingly many bird species.

 

The House Finch was introduced in the eastern USA and over time has expanded its range from their to most of North America, including both Manitoba and Arizona.

Contrary to what I just said, the Cactus Wren is not shy and will stand still for a photograph, unlike my even more lovely grand daughters.

[1] Douglas H. Chadwick, Enduring America, (1995) National Geographic Society, p. 96

Sonoran Desert

religion,

 

We have been staying in southern Arizona for 3 months for the 4th year in a row. Where we live is part of the Sonoran Desert. It is fantastic place. It is what keeps us coming back.

According to A Natural History of the Sonoran Desert it contains 100,000 sq. miles according to the current definition of what constitutes a desert. In any event it is big.

Usery Regional Park where we spend a lot of time contains about 120,000 acres of the Sonoran Desert. This is really just a small part of it. The park is part of the Maricopa Municipal Park system, the largest such system in the United States.

We have often gone on guided walks with Ranger B from Usery Park. He said that when he first appeared in the Sonoran Desert after living in Wisconsin he thought he had landed on another planet. I know what he means. I had the same experience when I first saw the Sonoran Desert and compared it to Manitoba. It was a different world. All the plants and all the animals were so different.

On one of our guided walks, Ranger B asked us what was the toughest thing in the desert. One person said the Gila Woodpecker, another said the rattlesnake, one said mountain lion, and another said coyotes. Ranger B disagreed. He said in his opinion the the toughest thing must be a plant. Plants of the desert are very tough. The animals can move. They can find shady spots when the sun is hot and a warmer spot when it is cold. Plants are stuck in one place. They have no choice but to adapt. If it is 120 °F that is just too bad for the plant. It must accept that for it cannot run away or hide.

There are about 2,500 plant species in the Sonoran Desert and many of them are extremely tough. Otherwise they would not be able to survive here.

The Sonoran Desert has the greatest biodiversity of any of the 30 (or so) deserts of the world. That is because it has more precipitation than most deserts and the granitic soils are permeable and hold water well. It also has mild winters. Some deserts get very cold in winter. It is also blessed by having 2 rainy seasons, one in summer and one in winter. This diversity is quite visible in Usery Park. Looking at the desert from inside that park makes one appreciate the variety of plants. Vegetation is not as sparse as one might expect.

This is from San Tan Mountain Regional Park, another park we frequently visit.

Ranger B explained that this year this year however it received a lot less rain than normal and to make things even worse, with higher than normal temperatures. That is not a good combination for deserts. He said in his 15 years here he has never seen the desert so stressed. That is really bad for a wild flower guy like me. It is the worst wild flower season he has seen in 15 years and it might the worst ever. That is how dry and hot it has been. Great for tourists; not so great for wild flowers. This is a big disappointment for me, as I love to photograph wild flowers.

In extremely dry years plants do not even issue forth leaves, let alone blossoms. The roots lie dormant and wait for better years and thoughts of reproduction are tamped down until the good times return.

Meanwhile wild flower photographers like me gnash our teeth.

Beauty where you least expect it

art, Sunsets, ,

I learned a valuable lesson this evening. Sometimes you have to look for beauty where you least expect it. I looked at the sunset and was disappointed it. It was a dud. But the eastern sky was a pastel rose/purple gem. I thought it was a gentle gem. It was almost too subtle for me. It was well worth photographing. This reminded me of a  line from another Bruce Cockburn song: “Spirits open to the thrust of grace.” You had to be open for the beauty or you would miss it.