Robb Hannawacker
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hannawacker.bsky.social
Robb Hannawacker
@hannawacker.bsky.social
1.6K followers 2K following 1.7K posts
A naturalist of the US-American Southwest, with an emphasis on entomology.

Trailer-traveler, since 2012.

Retired USNPS Park Ranger Naturalist (2003-2024).

Spoony - Demi - AuDHD - he/him/his
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hannawacker.bsky.social
Joshua Tree-yuccas
𝘠𝘶𝘤𝘤𝘢 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘧𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘢

Queen Valley
Joshua Tree National Park
California, USA
21 October 2014
This photograph shows a stand of Joshua trees scattered across a broad desert valley, in warm, late-day light. The trees rise from a carpet of pale, straw-colored grasses and low desert plants, their dark trunks contrasting strongly with the lighter ground. Each Joshua tree has a rough, fibrous bark and branches that split and twist upward, ending in dense clusters of stiff, dagger-like green leaves. These spiky crowns catch the sunlight, giving them a soft golden edge. The Joshua trees are unevenly spaced, some standing alone while others form loose groupings, creating a sense of depth as they recede toward the background. Behind them, low rocky hills and mountains fill the horizon. The slopes are textured with broken stone and sparse vegetation, colored in muted browns, grays, and purples that suggest long erosion under an arid climate. Shadows fall gently across the land, indicating the sun is low, likely in the late afternoon or early evening. From a natural history perspective, these trees are large members of the agave family (Yucca brevifolia). They are emblematic of the Mojave Desert, thriving in well-drained soils at higher desert elevations. Their unusual branching form reflects slow growth and past flowering events, since each branch tip forms after the plant blooms. Joshua trees have a tightly linked ecological relationship with the yucca moth, the sole pollinator of their flowers, making them a classic example of coevolution. The overall mood of the image is still and spacious. It conveys the resilience of life in a dry landscape and the deep sense of time embedded in desert ecosystems, where plants grow slowly, endure extremes, and shape the character of the land as much as the rocks and mountains around them.
January 17, 2026 at 7:02 PM
hannawacker.bsky.social
Grandpa Boyd passed away yesterday, at age 94.

Glen Canyon Recreation Area USA. Photo from the 1980s.
This photograph shows an older man against a backdrop of warm, striated sandstone, in a desert canyon environment. He appears relaxed and at ease, with his head tilted toward the camera. His expression is gentle and content, marked by a soft, knowing smile that creases his cheeks and lifts the corners of his eyes. He has a full, neatly kept beard and mustache, predominantly gray with lighter white tones, and short gray hair combed back from his forehead. His skin is sun-warmed and weathered in a way that suggests long familiarity with outdoor places. His bare shoulder and upper chest are visible, indicating a moment of rest or leisure rather than formality; enjoying the heat stored in the rock. The sandstone behind him fills the entire frame, its layered textures and flowing lines creating a natural cradle around his head and shoulders. The rock glows in shades of rust, copper, and rose, with subtle shadows emphasizing its curved, sculpted surfaces. These sedimentary layers suggest deep time and erosion by wind and water, placing the human figure in quiet contrast with a landscape shaped over millions of years. It's an affectionate glimpse of a person comfortable in both his body and the natural world. The image feels personal and unguarded, capturing not just a likeness but a sense of warmth, humor, and connection to place; an intersection of human life and ancient stone.
January 17, 2026 at 6:52 PM
hannawacker.bsky.social
resist.bot/petitions/PH...
Congress Must Act Before the Insurrection Act Is Abused
Text SIGN PHREQU to 50409 to send this to your officials.
resist.bot
January 17, 2026 at 4:20 AM
hannawacker.bsky.social
This photo hurts my back.
Ouch.

Thank you Juan and Saul.
Thank you for the available and affordable food that you labor over to make our lives better.
ufw.bsky.social United Farm Workers @ufw.bsky.social · 4d
"Saul" and "Juan" work as irrigators in CAs Imperial Valley. Here they are removing the irrigation from the broccoli rapini fields, so that the machine can come in to harvest the crop. #WeFeedYou
Irrigators removing the irrigation pipes from a field so the crop to be harvested
January 15, 2026 at 5:45 PM
hannawacker.bsky.social
Near 49 Palms Trailhead
Joshua Tree National Park
California, USA
22 June 2014
The photograph looks out across a broad, sun-washed desert basin framed by rounded hills and scattered boulder piles. In the foreground, tan and rust-colored granite rocks lie tumbled and stacked, some as large as small cars, others broken into angular fragments. Their surfaces are rough and grainy, with subtle flecks of quartz catching the light. Pale sand fills the spaces between the rocks, dotted with sparse desert shrubs—low, gray-green bushes adapted to heat and drought. The middle distance rises into low, knobby hills made of the same coarse granite, weathered into rounded domes and ridges. These hills appear worn and softened, shaped over millions of years by erosion after deep underground granite was slowly uplifted and exposed. The overall color palette is muted: warm tans, ochres, and browns under a washed-blue sky. Farther out, the desert opens into a wide valley, flat and hazy with distance, bordered by darker, more distant mountain ranges. The scale feels expansive and quiet, with little vegetation and no visible water, emphasizing the aridity and openness of the Mojave Desert. From a natural-history perspective, this scene reflects classic Joshua Tree geology: ancient granitic rock formed deep in the Earth’s crust, later cracked by tectonic forces and sculpted by wind, temperature extremes, and rare but intense rains. The sparse plant life hints at harsh conditions—intense sun, limited rainfall, and nutrient-poor soils—where only well-adapted species can survive. Taken near the 49 Palms Trailhead in Joshua Tree National Park, the image captures the stark beauty and deep time of the desert landscape, where stone, sky, and silence dominate.
January 15, 2026 at 5:39 PM
Reposted by Robb Hannawacker
weatherwest.bsky.social
Well, it's now official (per NOAA): Dec (and Nov-Dec) 2025 were the warmest such periods on record for Western U.S. (and also for most individual Western states). It has been an extraordinarily sustained period of winter warmth, and this eerily balmy winter continues into Jan.
Map from NOAA Climate at a Glance depicting the relative rank of Nov-Dec 2025 temperatures on a county-by-county basis. Most Western U.S. counties experienced their warmest Nov-Dec on record, as depicted by all locations dark red in color on the map.
January 14, 2026 at 3:57 AM
hannawacker.bsky.social
This legislation would automatically register every eligible voter in USA.

🖊️ Sign on to our petition to support Automatic Voter Registration and demand Congress pass the 𝘙𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘈𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘢 𝘵𝘰 𝘝𝘰𝘵𝘦 𝘈𝘤𝘵 of 2025 >> demsdefend.com/m8wL5l
January 15, 2026 at 5:23 PM
hannawacker.bsky.social
The Criminalization of Free Speech After an ICE Killing
Text SIGN PEFMZK to 50409 to send this to your officials.
resist.bot
January 15, 2026 at 5:17 PM
hannawacker.bsky.social
US public media certainly has a liberal slant, as much as academia and the arts do.

Conservatives should be mindful of the very real consequences of harming American institutions of knowledge creativity, since it is slippery slope of authoritarianism that harms us all even if indirectly.
January 14, 2026 at 7:44 PM
hannawacker.bsky.social
Gosh. I wonder what Doug is up to today, some ~30-40 years later. 😆
January 14, 2026 at 7:00 PM
hannawacker.bsky.social
When I first heard the common-name of this slick, tear-drop-shaped beetle, the humor of its evoking name, pleases me.

Tumbling Flower Beetle, Mordellidae on White Prairie Clover 𝘋𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘢 𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘢.

Creek Pasture
Bear's Ear's National Monument Utah, USA
16 June 2024
A tight, close-up photograph centers on a flowering stalk of White Prairie Clover, a native plant of the Colorado Plateau. The flower head is cylindrical and dense, built from dozens of tiny white blossoms packed closely together. Each individual flower has delicate white petals and long, threadlike stamens tipped with bright yellow anthers, giving the whole spike a soft, fuzzy halo. Beneath the blossoms, the green calyx segments are ribbed and slightly pointed, forming a layered, textured column. Clinging to the side of the flower spike is a small beetle with a smooth, glossy black body shaped like a rounded teardrop. Its back arches smoothly, tapering toward the rear into a subtle point. The beetle’s head is tucked downward, and its short legs grip the flower tightly. Its surface reflects light faintly, making it look slick and polished, almost like a drop of dark resin among the pale flowers. This insect is a Tumbling Flower Beetle, a member of the family Mordellidae. These beetles are named for their quirky escape behavior: when disturbed, they abruptly flip and tumble away, often launching themselves from flowers with surprising agility. Their wedge-shaped bodies and pointed rear ends help them spring free from predators. White Prairie Clover is an important native wildflower, especially for bees, wasps, and other small insects that gather pollen and nectar. Tumbling Flower Beetles commonly visit such blooms, feeding on pollen and sometimes acting as incidental pollinators as they move between flowers. The scene captures a brief, intimate moment of insect and plant interaction in a late-spring meadow at Creek Pasture in Bears Ears National Monument—an ecosystem where small, easily overlooked species quietly sustain the larger web of life.
January 14, 2026 at 5:31 PM
hannawacker.bsky.social
Strange and wonderful.

It's extremely good preservation-mounting skills
Mormolyce phyllodes (Hagenbach, 1825)
flic.kr
January 14, 2026 at 5:16 PM
hannawacker.bsky.social
US American voters really need to make every effort to stay engaged. Petitions, contacting congress and attending protests, is more important than your vote.

For me, it's been therapeutic. I feel like my anxieties, stress and feelings of hopelessness are subdued by sense of duty to the people.
Tell your senators to act now to lower healthcare costs
Health insurance premiums are doubling for more than 22 million Americans, and up to six-million people have already, or will soon, lose coverage because Republicans made Affordable Care Act tax credi...
act.indivisible.org
January 14, 2026 at 5:07 PM
hannawacker.bsky.social
www.crowdcast.io/c/mds2026
May Day 2026 Kick Off: Workers Over Billionaires Nationwide
Register now for May Day 2026 Kick Off: Workers Over Billionaires Nationwide on crowdcast, scheduled to go live on January 21, 2026, 07:00 PM EST.
www.crowdcast.io
January 14, 2026 at 4:54 PM
Reposted by Robb Hannawacker
bachynski.bsky.social
“In late December, the Centers for Medicare &Medicaid Services announced that state Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program no longer have to report progress on getting children & teens vaccinated. As a result, we will have less information about vaccination rates just when we need it most”
States no longer have to report Medicaid, CHIP vaccination rates to CMS, further undermining immunization
Medicaid and CHIP cover almost half of American children. A new CMS policy means we will know less about their health.
www.statnews.com
January 14, 2026 at 3:04 PM
hannawacker.bsky.social
resist.bot/petitions/PQ...
Congress Must Defund an Authoritarian Presidency
Text SIGN PQFQEF to 50409 to send this to your officials.
resist.bot
January 14, 2026 at 4:36 PM
hannawacker.bsky.social
Photograph of a brown and white dog with it head out the rear window. In the dust on the doors exterior was finger written, " Hi, I'm lucky"
January 13, 2026 at 12:00 AM
hannawacker.bsky.social
Consider using public radio streaming apps for music. They have no adverts. If you can, please support with your donations.

You do not need your paid streaming subscriptions.

You're missing out if you're not enjoying US public media . You're missing out if you don't use the community platforms.
A screenshot from my phone showing a folder on my iPhone's home screen, titled "Electic." There are nine public radio station icon, including: KCRW, KEXP, KXT, The Colorado Sound, KRFC, VOCALO, KPFT, WXPN, wERS.
January 12, 2026 at 8:22 PM
hannawacker.bsky.social
resist.bot/petitions/PQ...
Abolish ICE, No More Deaths, Uphold the Constitution
Text SIGN PQLTBV to 50409 to send this to your officials.
resist.bot
January 12, 2026 at 4:17 PM
Reposted by Robb Hannawacker
thewatchdogco.bsky.social
We’ve now sent over 10,000 letters to Congress demanding they impeach Kristi Noem!

Have you sent one yet today?
Tell Congress: Impeach DHS Secretary Kristi Noem
Contact Congress today!
actionnetwork.org
January 12, 2026 at 2:30 AM
hannawacker.bsky.social
Upsetting
Trump's Power & the Rule of Law: Ty Cobb (interview) | FRONTLINE
YouTube video by FRONTLINE PBS | Official
youtube.com
January 12, 2026 at 6:44 AM
hannawacker.bsky.social
And just like that, the end of PBS News Weekend because of cuts to funding.

It was an unpleasant surprise for me, seeing it report on this evening's last episode. I've enjoyed it so much.

Here's a photo of the whole news team that made the show happen.

youtu.be/0j8lYKMAqiI?...
January 12, 2026 at 6:31 AM
hannawacker.bsky.social
It's more important to state this to non affiliated/independent voters; because MAGA?; that's religion.

Republicans are generally entrenched and obedient.

I'm no political genius, but it seems that targeting of such messages should be towards more recent generations, who often are non-affiliated
January 11, 2026 at 6:48 PM
hannawacker.bsky.social
Desert Cottontail
𝘚𝘺𝘭𝘷𝘪𝘭𝘢𝘨𝘶𝘴 𝘢𝘶𝘥𝘶𝘣𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘪

Needles District
Canyonlands National Park Utah, USA
18 November 2019
A medium-sized rabbit sits crouched on reddish desert soil beneath a shallow rock overhang. Its body is compact and rounded, with mottled gray-brown fur that blends closely with the surrounding rock and dust. The fur is finely speckled, darker along the back and paler on the belly. One large ear stands upright, the inner surface pale and softly furred, the outer edge trimmed in darker gray. A large, dark, reflective eye dominates the side of its face, giving an alert, watchful expression. The forelegs are tucked beneath the chest, and the hindquarters are rounded, ending in a short, cottony white tail partially visible against the ground. The overall posture suggests stillness and readiness—poised to flee if disturbed. The Desert Cottontail is one of the most widespread rabbits in the American Southwest, well adapted to arid and semi-arid landscapes like those of the Colorado Plateau. In Canyonlands, it occupies shrublands, rocky benches, washes, and the edges of pinyon-juniper woodland, relying on camouflage and quick bursts of speed rather than burrows for protection. Its diet is entirely plant-based and shifts with the seasons. During warmer months it feeds on grasses, forbs, and green shoots; in late fall and winter—when this photograph was taken—it relies more heavily on woody plants such as rabbitbrush, saltbush, sagebrush, and bark from shrubs. Like many rabbits, it practices coprophagy, re-ingesting specialized soft pellets to extract maximum nutrients and water from low-quality desert forage. Desert cottontails are most active at dawn and dusk. They rarely drink free water, instead obtaining moisture from plants. Their large ears help with acute hearing and also aid in thermoregulation by releasing excess body heat. It is a key prey species, supporting predators such as coyotes, foxes, bobcats, raptors, and snakes. Its presence reflects the health of desert shrub communities, making it an integral and familiar member of Canyonlands’ dryland ecosystems.
January 11, 2026 at 5:37 PM