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Slow Down! Roadkill in the Desert

Slow Down! Roadkill in the Desert

The easiest way to see wildlife in the California desert is also one of the saddest.
Dog-and-Pony Show: How a Congressman Expects to Solve Bark-Beetle Infestations

Dog-and-Pony Show: How a Congressman Expects to Solve Bark-Beetle Infestations

Rep. Rob Bishop thinks clearcutting forests will solve devastating bark-beetle infestations. It's not that simple.
Fatal Exposure: Recalling Fukushima

Fatal Exposure: Recalling Fukushima

The photographic evidence of Fukushima is so painful it's hard to forget.
Oil for Trees: Does the Land and Water Conservation Fund Offer a Devil's Bargain?

Oil for Trees: Does the Land and Water Conservation Fund Offer a Devil's Bargain?

Talk about a Devil's Bargain: Federal money for preserving open space comes from energy production fees.
An Intro to Mockingbirds: The Noisiest, Most Aggressive Small Bird You'll Ever Meet

An Intro to Mockingbirds: The Noisiest, Most Aggressive Small Bird You'll Ever Meet

It's that time of year again in the desert when throughout the urban desert, mockingbirds start to defend their nests again, harassing just about every living thing that comes near.
Wading into the L.A. River's Braided Past

Wading into the L.A. River's Braided Past

It's a sign of the L.A. River's health that we are arguing over what it means.
Desert Nurses: How Seedlings Survive Harsh Conditions to Become Full-Fledged Plants

Desert Nurses: How Seedlings Survive Harsh Conditions to Become Full-Fledged Plants

You see it everywhere in the desert: mature shrubs with little plants of other species in their shade.
Will Trees Save Us From Climate Change? A Doubtful Tale

Will Trees Save Us From Climate Change? A Doubtful Tale

Trees are miraculous but they will not solve the riddles of climate change.
Mojave Mirage; What You See -- Or Remember -- Is Not Always What You Get

Mojave Mirage; What You See -- Or Remember -- Is Not Always What You Get

Will the Mojave Desert, which is growing exponentially, have enough water to survive?
Hollywood Gives Rattlers A Bad Rap, Again

Hollywood Gives Rattlers A Bad Rap, Again

Rattlesnakes are timid, generally gentle animals. Given any choice at all, they will always do what they can to avoid biting you.
Sea Change: What Happened When the Pacific Ocean Went Global

Sea Change: What Happened When the Pacific Ocean Went Global

Resource exploitation and environmental injustice have been central to the 450-year long globalization of the Pacific.
Study Hall: Governor Brown Wants to Get Schooled on Fracking

Study Hall: Governor Brown Wants to Get Schooled on Fracking

Governor Brown is only now getting interested in fracking -- why the delay?
White Pelicans: California's Charismatic Megafauna in the Sky

White Pelicans: California's Charismatic Megafauna in the Sky

White pelicans are common this time of year along the California coast and in the estuary of the Colorado River, but in a few weeks, they will pick up and head for other parts of the country.
Why You Should Hug a Tree -- And Mean It!

Why You Should Hug a Tree -- And Mean It!

March 21 is World Forestry Day, a time to recall how essential trees are to planetary health.
Uncovering San Dimas Canyon's Hidden History

Uncovering San Dimas Canyon's Hidden History

Hiking in San Dimas Canyon offers a penetrating look into L.A. County's complicated fire history.
Black Hills a Blank Spot on Map of Imperial County

Black Hills a Blank Spot on Map of Imperial County

We know so little about the Black Hills in Imperial County. This piece may well be the only published description of the range's flora and fauna, sketchy as it is.
Fee Simple: Why We Should Pay to Hike, Boat, Fish, Camp and Just Plain Visit Our National Forests

Fee Simple: Why We Should Pay to Hike, Boat, Fish, Camp and Just Plain Visit Our National Forests

In eliminating user fees on our public lands, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals damaged the national forests.
How to Appreciate Old-Growth Desert

How to Appreciate Old-Growth Desert

When I first started falling in love with the deserts, I rushed past places like this to get to the interesting stuff, but it took me a while to realize just what I was speeding past.
Rock of Ages: Michael Heizer's 'Levitated Mass' Isn't Uplifting

Rock of Ages: Michael Heizer's 'Levitated Mass' Isn't Uplifting

Michael Heizer's LACMA installation called "Levitated Mass" is a troubling reminder of the environmental damage that Earth Art can produce.
Will 2012's Desert Spring be the Wildflower Bloom That Wasn't?

Will 2012's Desert Spring be the Wildflower Bloom That Wasn't?

Unless these storms bring Southern California some much-needed rain this week, most of the California desert isn't going to have a stunning spring wildflower display this year.
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