Rio Grande – Big Bend National Park The Rio Grande is almost 1,900 miles long This photo was taken on a canoe trip down the Rio Grande River in Texas. Ben and I were visiting Big Bend National Park. The left side of the river is Mexico and the right side of the river is the United […]
Bitterweed – IUCN Conservation Status: Insufficient Data Bitterweeds are also known as sneezeweed Helenium amarum, commonly known as bitterweed, sneezeweed, or yellowdicks, is a flowering plant species native to North America, particularly found in the southeastern United States, although it is also found in Brazil, Europe, Japan, and Australia. Bitterweed is adaptable and grows in […]
Slimleaf Plains-Mustard – IUCN Conservation Status: Insufficient Data The scientific name is Schoenocrambe linearifolius Slimleaf plains mustard is a perennial wildflower in the Brassicaceae family with a slender stem that can grow to be nearly 5 feet tall. It is found throughout New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Arizona, Texas, and northern Mexico. The species’ range is […]
Scarlet Hedgehog cactus – IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern The Scarlet Hedgehog cactus can be found in arid rocky areas The scarlet hedgehog cactus or claret cup cactus is found throughout Texas, New Mexico, and Colorado, primarily in the Chihuahuan and Sonoran deserts. These plants are found in arid and rocky areas, and while they […]
False Dayflower – IUCN Conservation Status: Insufficient Data This flower is found exclusively in Texas I was taking a break between climbs while climbing in Austin, Texas when I took this photo of a false dayflower. My brother, Nick, and I had been climbing along the Greenbelt when we took a break, and I saw […]
Inland Wood Oats – IUCN Conservation Status: Insufficient Data Inland wood oats are also known as river oats Hiking along a trail on the Green Belt in Austin, Texas; I saw these whimsical oats dancing about in the sunlight along the trail. I was quite surprised to see these, as I had never seen any […]
Checkered Melon Beetle – IUCN Conservation Status: Insufficient Data These types of beetles are known as skeletonizing leaf beetles or flea beetles Big Bend National Park is a magnificent desert landscape that includes the Chisos Mountains and border the Rio Grande. Within this park there are many species of pollinators. Some are endemic to the […]
Tarantula – IUCN Conservation Status: Varies Tarantulas have one pair of eyes in the middle and three eyes on each side of their head. Our gallery theme this month is “Predators”. This predator navigates the dark desert ground using eight legs and eight eyes! Tarantulas have one pair of eyes in the middle and three eyes […]
Big Bend National Park The highest peak in the Chisos Mountains is Emory Peak at 7,825 feet This photo comes from a 2021 trip Ben, Nick, and I took to Big Bend National Park in west Texas. The photo shows the Chisos Mountains about an hour before sunset, commonly referred to as the golden hour of […]
Prickly Pear – IUCN Conservation Status: Varies Prickly pear cactus can be found throughout the world This photo was taken as the sun was setting over the mountains at Big Bend National Park in Texas. It was within an hour of sunset which is commonly referred to as the golden hour. I love taking photos […]