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DianaT
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For Us, a New Way to Look at the Desert- LONG, VERY LONG
WARNING-- This is in three parts, and it is VERY long with probably too many photos, but we wanted to share this. edited here---and
as Santiago suggested for all, we reduced the size of all photos to not exceed 640 pixels wide.
Day One
After two days with las ecomujeres---Debra and Pacifica---, Chris, a young researcher from UC Berkeley who is visiting BA, Jamie who works for the
Preserve, and us armed with a new macro lens, we will NEVER look at the desert in the same way.
On the first full day of the visit from las ecomujeres, we joined with Chris and off we went to San Roque. We parked near the old church. It was
quite windy---the enemy of photography and floppy dog ears.
----but what fun we had. And what an education
That picture was taken a year ago before the roof collapsed---sad.
But we have always looked at flora in that area as mainly a bunch of gray and dull green scrub brush---how little we knew.
I decided to try the new lens on one of those common green and red succulents that grow everywhere, and saw a very different plant.
Later Debra explained that those tiny bubbles are salt control---they collect salt to attract the water, and also work to release too much salt.
Then I quickly saw how we were going to spend the next few hours.
Debra studying a plant and educating everyone
Chris studying a plant close up
Pacifica checking out a plant
By that church in about a 20 x 30 foot area, in what looked like that gray scrub brush, Debra identified over 30 different plants—we were amazed. And
then we took a very short walk beyond the gate and by the time we left, she had identified over 50 different plants----many of them quite tiny , a
whole new world for us
Here are only a few of the plants we looked at. I would name them all, but I am waiting for Debra’s book to be finished so I can carry it along. She
left me a beautiful CD of some of the plants she has studied, but I need to study it. She, however, when she had time is going to identify them for
me on a Picasa Album.
The keys give an idea of the size of some of what we were looking at---and closer up of the same plant
Debra investigating this
And closer
Debra having a close look
And Chris trying to hold it still in the wind so I could focus on the tiny stem---took several tries to get close to a good focus.
Hope someone finds the coin I left behind.
And closer
And Thanks to Chris who helped focus and hold these still
Loved the also neon insides of these
Well, that is way more than enough for Day One---but we will never look at those areas of scrub brush the same—we will always be wondering what
precious diversity and beauty is hiding.
One last one for Part One---it shows the power of the prevailing winds. This Elephant Tree is hugging the ground.
[Edited on 5-17-2010 by DianaT]
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DianaT
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Part One Day Two
Day Two---Photos by John and Diana
On Day two Jamie, his wife Elide and his two youngest children joined us. Because of their shared interests in the ecology of Baja, we had connected
Debra to Jamie via e-mail , and Chris really wanted to meet Jamie regarding plant research in our area. As both Debra and Chris both said, Jamie does
not just work for the Preserve, he loves the preserve and knows the preserve well. But Jamie was also anxious to learn from them.
The focus for day two was one specific cactus near San Hipolito that Jamie knew about that previous researchers said was unique to the San Hipolito
area. And, we wanted to see the wash near Punta Chorros so Chris could show us the hybrids in which he so interested.
Where the special plant is----approximately, and I sure hope anyone who goes to look for it is very careful---the village was told by the last
researchers there that they need to protect it.
The discussions begin
With no fruit or flowers, Debra was not sure---she knew it was some type of hedgehog but something did look a little different.
Here it is
To me it looked the same as many others, but Debra took careful pictures and notes and upon her return to the states she checked the archives from the
San Diego Natural History Museum Department of Botany Baja Section and found it---Echinocereus maritimus ssp. hanc-ckii. The information shows that
it has only been collected near the San Hipolito area, but she will verify with the curator of the collection. We had fun tromping around looking
for more.
Except Tommy Dog and the two young ones were more fascinated with their own finds.
Tommy so loves all children, but he also likes to collect rocks. Not good for his teeth!
But he always sticks close to Camila
And we always end up with so many photos of Camila---easy to see why.
We moved to the other end of town to check things out. There was a local couple there collecting metal---the husband a cousin of Elide and the wife
the sister of a friend of ours in BA---but then again, I don’t think we have met anyone in that area that is not a relative of someone in BA.
He enjoyed telling the group about the medicinal uses for a few of the plants---interesting information
And she warned us about the many rattle snakes in the area---we left Tom and Maggie in the car, and I was VERY careful
This area seems like it would be of interest to anyone interested in geology. Quite interesting formations
And I was fascinated by this rock as Elide and Camila used it to file their nails
A couple of flowers in the area--- the first one is quite tiny, and the second one is easy to recognize.
I love the way plants manage to take root and begin to take over solid rock.
And Camila teaching the finer points of photography to her little brother.
And before we left San Hipolito, one of Elide’s cousins was kind enough to let us use her bathroom---gave the baby goat a chance to think he was going
to sneak in the house.
So Next comes the wash near Punta Chorros ---
[Edited on 5-16-2010 by DianaT]
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DianaT
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Part Two of Day Two Photos by John and Diana
So the three vehicles took off over the dirt roads toward Punta Chorros---we were last in line, never the best place to be on dirt roads.
Our destination ---the wash that holds the hybrids in which Chris is interested and why he is visiting Bahia Asuncion. He learned about this location
from a research paper completed in the early 1980’s
As Chris explained to us novices, the hybrids appear where different soils come together---in this case, the desert on one side and dunes on the
other.
Chris grabbing a couple of samples.
Explaining the samples to Jamie
The samples--- The one on the top of the picture bred with the one at the bottom of the picture and created the sample second from the top. The
second sample from the bottom is another hybrid created by the first hybrid mating with one of the original parents. It all sounds a little kinky,
but was very interesting.
Some soil and sand coming together
Elide joined the fun with her kids where there was wet clay area---and of course, Tommy Dog had to join in.
The last researcher who spent too much time in the wash.
Elide is one of those people who spots things quickly. We would have walked right past this fossilizing whale bone if she had not pointed it out.
When we looked closer, we could see that there were more buried---we left for others to enjoy.
Then she spotted this horny toad and they blend in so well with the ground. ---OK, they are not toads, they are lizards, but we have always called
them horny toads. They are great as they look like tiny dinosaurs.
Chris on the dunes we all agreed need protection
A lonely beginning of a plant colony on a dune.
And where did that dog get such a long tongue!
The study group in the strong wind!
And the day ended with dinner at our place and Elide surprised Jamie with his birthday cake—made by a local woman and it was the best tres leches cake
that we have ever had. I was a little slow with the camera---cake was too good.
There would be no face plant, but Elide would not let Jamie off without some frosting on his face!
Debra lamenting the end of her piece of cake
The older daughter, Edna, and her friend, Lupita, managed to show up just in time for cake! Then they were thoroughly entertained by Pacifica
teaching them how to fold a origami crane. Chris provided the paper.
Pacifica made us a beautiful origami and small shell mobile---the picture did not come out, so we will have to take more when we are back.
We so very much enjoyed this little adventure and learned so much, and we will now look at the desert in a new way.
Thank you for joining us on this very long winded two day adventure.
[Edited on 5-17-2010 by DianaT]
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Bajahowodd
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Absolutely beautiful, Diane. It saddens me that way too many of our brethren are so oblivious to many to nature's abundant, yet small wonders. Thanks
so much for posting this. Made my day.
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tehag
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Trip
Very cool. Thank you.
Certainty is the child of ignorance, knowledge is the mother of doubt. Question everything!
http://bcsbirds.com |
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Mexitron
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What a great experience...love the photos!
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Cypress
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Diana T, Thanks for sharing.
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DianaT
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Thanks to the four of you---glad you enjoyed our adventure and understood. --- it was a really special time.
Debra has been busy identifying these photos and some of our other flower photos in a picasa album we created and I may need to go back and name these
plants in this thread.
However, our favorite identifications she has posted so far are
Canis maggicus var. lenguilongicus
And
Canis thomasii var. rupestris (rupestris means: rock loving!)
Wonderful identifications. 
[Edited on 5-16-2010 by DianaT]
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ecomujeres
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Thanks Diana and John:
We had such a great time on our first visit with you in BA and really enjoyed all of the activities and company. I can't wait to plan another trip
to see more of the area and its plants.
Debra
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DianaT
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| Quote: | Originally posted by ecomujeres
Thanks Diana and John:
We had such a great time on our first visit with you in BA and really enjoyed all of the activities and company. I can't wait to plan another trip
to see more of the area and its plants.
Debra |
We look very forward to your next visit---and as you, Santiago and one other have requested, I am going back to photobucket and reducing the size of
the photos---will take a little time, but is will be done!
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David K
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Beautiful photos as usual... Thanks for sharing them!
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Barry A.
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Great pics, Diana---------well done!!!! Looks like a truly fun and rewarding series of days for you all.
Barry
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DianaT
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Thank you David and Barry---
It was a great time.
Meantime, I think I have reduced all of the photos on photobucket to no more than 640 pixels wide for those with smaller screens.
Good thing a great old movie was on TV to watch while doing same.
[Edited on 5-16-2010 by DianaT]
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willyAirstream
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Fantastic pics! and comments ! Thanks for sharing.
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shari
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Excellent trip report and outstanding photos..what detail!
This is the kind of positive, high quality, educational experience that "outsiders" can bring to the villages and share with all.
I was fascinated by the hybrids being created and look forward to learning more from the experts.
It would be so neat if someone could offer people some kind of plant walk to raise awareness of this delicate area...looking forward to the plant ID
book as well.
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DianaT
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| Quote: | Originally posted by shari
Excellent trip report and outstanding photos..what detail!
This is the kind of positive, high quality, educational experience that "outsiders" can bring to the villages and share with all.
I was fascinated by the hybrids being created and look forward to learning more from the experts.
It would be so neat if someone could offer people some kind of plant walk to raise awareness of this delicate area...looking forward to the plant ID
book as well. |
The hybrids are something----we would have just walked by them and not had a clue as to what was happening in what we ended up calling the x rated
wash.
Debra does plant walks in Mulege and she will be back to visit---maybe we could talk her into doing just one walk in Asuncion, even in the dunes right
there. She is bilingual---and her book will be bilingual.
I believe there would be more people in town interested and then maybe, just maybe they might be a tiny bit more careful when they bring in the big
machines and scrape the dunes clean!
Those rather dull looking scrubby bushy areas really are hiding an incredible amount of beautiful and fragile diversity. If nothing else, I hope our
little adventure will encourage a few more to get up close and personal with these areas----but watch out for things that bite--scorpions, wasps,
snakes, etc.
We hope to be back REAL soon and watch for us crawling around in the dunes with the cameras.
On edit---I mentioned on another thread that I went back and resized all of these on photobucket so they would not exceed the 640 size, but I really
suggest that people resize the pics before putting them on photobucket. The photobucket resizing made a very noticeable difference in the photos.
[Edited on 5-16-2010 by DianaT]
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shari
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Mood: there is no reality except the one contained within us "Herman Hesse"
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perhaps she could train a local here to lead Walks too...more economic diversity and would be a neat project...something educational, fun and good
exercise too....maybe someone could volunteer as a translater if the local hasnt mastered english yet. I bet the wives and kids of the guys going
fishing would sign up for a Nature Walk....people are always looking for more things to do here.
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DianaT
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BTW---for anyone who is really interested in the plants of Baja, do check out The Baja Section of the Botany Section of the San Diego Natural History
museum .
Do not know why the link is not working this time. Just type in www.bajaflora.org and that will work, I hope.
Trying the link
Baja Flora
It is a work in progress, but with the proper name of plants, you can see pictures. It is dedicated to the flora of Baja and BCS---be sure to read
the website overview.
I had no idea that there were over 4000 different plants in Baja---talk about diversity----but not all of them are native, some have been introduced.
And yes, the unique cactus from San Hipolito is there.
Edited as the first or the second link did not work properly---will check it again.
[Edited on 5-16-2010 by DianaT]
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bacquito
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Thanks for sharing your trip.
bacquito
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Natalie Ann
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Perhaps because I walk slowly, teensy blooms have always been some of my favorite things.
Nice job of capturing their beauty, Diane.
nena
Be yourself, everyone else is already taken.
.....Oscar Wilde
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