Journal archives for March 2020

March 23, 2020

Escape

I violated my usual rule about visiting the Tonto National Forest today. That rule is "never go out on weekends". It seems that most of Phoenix had the same idea. I have never seen so many campers and visitors. Given curent conditions, I can't blame them. Movies? Out. Desert Botanical Garden? Closed. Church? Uh-uh. It was a beautiful spring day so why not?

I was curious as to whether the mariposa lilies along the road to Humboldt Peak were open. They were not. But I was not disappointed. I saw an amazing cluster of Oenothera cespitosa across a steep wash and stumbled my way over to it. Deep grass and uncertain rocky footing complicated matters. It was worth the trip.

While stumbling to my goal I could not ignore the rattling of gunfire coming from one of the several unofficial firing ranges north of the Camp Creek area. Someone burned through about $1000 worth of ammunition with an automatic weapon or more likely a semiautomatic fixed with a bumpstock. Wonder what the hell they were shooting.

But crowds, gunfire and all it was a wonderful break from field work and this perch in front of my iMac.

Posted on March 23, 2020 04:49 AM by stevejones stevejones | 40 observations | 3 comments | Leave a comment

March 31, 2020

Field season

Three weeks of field season with the McDowell Sonoran Conservancy field institiute have now ended. We worked on three studies: testing fountain grass and buffelgrass removal methods, best methods of restoring abandoned trails, and a local RestoreNet project. The latter included a site at Scottsdale Community College and another near Lake Pleasant where several of the native perennial bunchgrass species are beginning to sprout. I've included photos here (and hope to have the names sorted out soon - info not in my hands at the moment).

Posted on March 31, 2020 05:47 PM by stevejones stevejones | 24 observations | 0 comments | Leave a comment