A graceful #Allium falcifolium. Seeing a scytheleaf onion is strong indicator that you are on California’s beloved serpentine soils. Their unique chemistry make our serpentine outcrops less susceptible to invasion from non-natives and they have high incidences of plant endemism. 🍀💚

The alpine long-spurred #violet, Viola calcarata. Growing in the high mountains of southeastern Europe, research has suggested that this species will be one of the most challenged by climate change. It is predicted go extinct by 2050 in the Swiss Alps even in the most optimistic scenarios.

Imagine living your life inside of a flower. Trollius europaeus, globe flower, depends solely on #Chiastocheta flies who do exactly that for pollination. They penetrate new flowers, feed, rest, and mate inside them while passively pollinating. Seems like nice work if you can get it.

As their flowering season comes to a close, I wanted to share a moment from a couple of weeks ago of #Fritllaria biflora v. ineziana stinking to high heaven and secreting copious amounts of nectar in an attempt to entice pollinators to come to work.

I’ve been waiting 5 years for these flowers! In 2020 we started a conservation project to propagate the rare #Fritillaria biflora v. ineziana. Frits take 5-7 years to flower in the best conditions so I’m am proud to report that our hard work and meticulous methods have paid off.

The rare Las Vegas bear poppy, Arctomecon californica (which doesn’t grow in California)

Another day, another #Fritillaria. Fritillaria liliacea, fragrant fritillary is just starting to wake up💛

Seeing my hard-working, passionate, intelligent colleagues who have dedicated their lives to science, stewardship, and education losing their livelihoods breaks my heart. Having it happen at the hands of narcissistic, misinformed, greedy billionaires who are monetizing their positions infuriates me.

Some handy info on the Blues (not the “low down shakin’ chill” type but the butterfly type):

#Butterflies

🙁

How cool is this slime mold!? Slime molds are more closely related to amoebas than they are to fungi and this species - Badhamia utricularis- actually preys on mushrooms, bacteria, or yeasts.

#Redwood forest magic✨

The cutest staghorn mushroom from yesterday’s hiking adventure in the #redwood forest🍄

I thought I would live in California for about a year. I never thought about living in San Francisco when I first got to Tahoe. And I never cared about being close to the ocean. Yet here I am. 24 years later. This must be the place🌉

“When I look at my life and its secret colors, I feel like bursting into tears. Like that sky.”

I call her “The Witch” but really she’s a 150+ year old #sycamore tree (#Platanus racemosa). I can’t help but marvel at the resilience and beauty of these trees. One can’t possibly go through life without accumulating all those knobs and bumps and cracks and they’re ugly and beautiful all at once🧙‍♀️

We might not get snow around here but we do get snowberries. Symphoricarpos mollis. Honeysuckle family. #Caprifoliaceae. Trailing shrub with opposite leaves, small pink flowers and those bright white berries in the fall.