The Roaming Ecologist
@roamingecologist.bsky.social
Rangeland restoration & native seed source development. Pro-land, pro-union, pro-labor, pro-fire. Of course tweets are mine. If you can’t explain it, you don’t know it.
Getting close to that time of year.
November 8, 2025 at 8:49 PM
Getting close to that time of year.
A trend I find myself pondering a lot is: Workers in the USA do not wear duck canvas workwear anymore. Growing up, I was surrounded by "brown ducks" donned by the working class. Then the seemed to disappear overnight. Carhartt was the last holdout mass producing brown ducks.
November 2, 2025 at 9:18 PM
A trend I find myself pondering a lot is: Workers in the USA do not wear duck canvas workwear anymore. Growing up, I was surrounded by "brown ducks" donned by the working class. Then the seemed to disappear overnight. Carhartt was the last holdout mass producing brown ducks.
The best hoe I’ve ever spent money on. 10/10.
September 26, 2025 at 10:21 PM
The best hoe I’ve ever spent money on. 10/10.
This is disgusting: archive.is/EY4JG
September 12, 2025 at 1:34 PM
This is disgusting: archive.is/EY4JG
Happy to have sub-55 degree dewpoints. Pleasant and reasonable.
September 2, 2025 at 9:35 PM
Happy to have sub-55 degree dewpoints. Pleasant and reasonable.
I do love a good trough this late in the summer.
August 19, 2025 at 9:55 PM
I do love a good trough this late in the summer.
Wet soils ahead of planting day. Running short on windows of opportunity, so we’ll get ‘er done. Planting (by hand) 38 populations of switchgrass & 68 populations of alkali sacaton. Only some will prove winners after 2yrs. of evaluations. #TexasNativeSeeds
June 9, 2025 at 10:07 PM
Wet soils ahead of planting day. Running short on windows of opportunity, so we’ll get ‘er done. Planting (by hand) 38 populations of switchgrass & 68 populations of alkali sacaton. Only some will prove winners after 2yrs. of evaluations. #TexasNativeSeeds
One of the best (and exhaustive) rangeland references available on the internet. And it's free. "Range Types of North America by R. E. Rosiere."
range.altervista.org
range.altervista.org
May 1, 2025 at 5:11 PM
One of the best (and exhaustive) rangeland references available on the internet. And it's free. "Range Types of North America by R. E. Rosiere."
range.altervista.org
range.altervista.org
New Mexico’s Moderate Relief Plains ecoregion. State Rd. 39 cuts through one of the best examples of mixed prairie in the western part of the Southern High Plains. I’d move there yesterday if I could.
April 30, 2025 at 9:15 PM
New Mexico’s Moderate Relief Plains ecoregion. State Rd. 39 cuts through one of the best examples of mixed prairie in the western part of the Southern High Plains. I’d move there yesterday if I could.
On a north-facing slope along Tusas Ridge, New Mexico. Approximately 9,500’ elevation. Douglas-fir dominates the site. Aspen co-dominates. It’s late April and there’s virtually no snow on the ground.
April 28, 2025 at 1:31 PM
On a north-facing slope along Tusas Ridge, New Mexico. Approximately 9,500’ elevation. Douglas-fir dominates the site. Aspen co-dominates. It’s late April and there’s virtually no snow on the ground.
Cool season grasses for common garden study in Panhandle of TX. 2 cultivars of western wheatgrass, 1 pending release of Canada wildrye, 1 cultivar of squirreltail wildrye, and the only known commercial source of little barley, Cibolo Germplasm. Not been done before in TX to my knowledge.
April 10, 2025 at 7:20 PM
Cool season grasses for common garden study in Panhandle of TX. 2 cultivars of western wheatgrass, 1 pending release of Canada wildrye, 1 cultivar of squirreltail wildrye, and the only known commercial source of little barley, Cibolo Germplasm. Not been done before in TX to my knowledge.
If you mow & graze young plantings during establishment, you don’t get to complain “natives don’t work.”
“Hoof action” doesn’t build soil or increase germination on degraded sites.
Photos: 2yrs post-plant. Seed mixes (not my recc.) lack early successional component, also a contributing factor.
“Hoof action” doesn’t build soil or increase germination on degraded sites.
Photos: 2yrs post-plant. Seed mixes (not my recc.) lack early successional component, also a contributing factor.
March 12, 2025 at 6:10 PM
If you mow & graze young plantings during establishment, you don’t get to complain “natives don’t work.”
“Hoof action” doesn’t build soil or increase germination on degraded sites.
Photos: 2yrs post-plant. Seed mixes (not my recc.) lack early successional component, also a contributing factor.
“Hoof action” doesn’t build soil or increase germination on degraded sites.
Photos: 2yrs post-plant. Seed mixes (not my recc.) lack early successional component, also a contributing factor.
Daylight Saving Time is the dumbest thing. Make Standard Time permanent!
March 9, 2025 at 2:39 PM
Daylight Saving Time is the dumbest thing. Make Standard Time permanent!
In case you wanna know how it all goes through at least 2028, read this.
March 5, 2025 at 3:14 AM
In case you wanna know how it all goes through at least 2028, read this.
First known restoration *and* research planting using native species in the South Plains Region. 32 species. 75% grass, 22% forbs, 3% shrubs. The majority of native mixes in the state are generally 6-10 spp. and primarily grass. This is about as diverse of a mix as you can get commercially in TX.
March 1, 2025 at 7:47 PM
First known restoration *and* research planting using native species in the South Plains Region. 32 species. 75% grass, 22% forbs, 3% shrubs. The majority of native mixes in the state are generally 6-10 spp. and primarily grass. This is about as diverse of a mix as you can get commercially in TX.
Ladies and gentlemen, the Trump presidency:
February 9, 2025 at 3:53 PM
Ladies and gentlemen, the Trump presidency:
A first-year native plant research plot holds onto the 10”+ of snow that fell two weeks ago (1/10/25). The plants have experienced temperatures ranging from 108 degrees F (8/22/24) to -6 degrees F (current lowest, 1/21/2025). The winners in year 2 will be those that survive the winter.
January 25, 2025 at 1:41 AM
A first-year native plant research plot holds onto the 10”+ of snow that fell two weeks ago (1/10/25). The plants have experienced temperatures ranging from 108 degrees F (8/22/24) to -6 degrees F (current lowest, 1/21/2025). The winners in year 2 will be those that survive the winter.
Happy New Year from Wyoming’s beautiful Powder River Country.
January 2, 2025 at 6:43 PM
Happy New Year from Wyoming’s beautiful Powder River Country.
The Cereal Man had some wacky ideas about drought. The image in my head of his methods is cartoonish.
December 12, 2024 at 8:19 PM
The Cereal Man had some wacky ideas about drought. The image in my head of his methods is cartoonish.
About 12 years late, but finally getting around to reading this. Highly recommend it based on what I’ve read so far.
December 2, 2024 at 1:36 AM
About 12 years late, but finally getting around to reading this. Highly recommend it based on what I’ve read so far.
Every morning I read the forecast discussions posted at the local National Weather Service offices. (If you don't, I encourage you to!) A trend I've noticed so far with the cold fronts this season is how much they struggle once the frontal boundary enters the Southern Great Plains. Concerning.
November 21, 2024 at 1:36 PM
Every morning I read the forecast discussions posted at the local National Weather Service offices. (If you don't, I encourage you to!) A trend I've noticed so far with the cold fronts this season is how much they struggle once the frontal boundary enters the Southern Great Plains. Concerning.
One of two trees I springboarded in my timber days. Cutting hazard trees for a state park. This one loomed large over a very popular trail. Had to double cut. 066 with a 32" bar. Full wrap handle, none of that half-wrap East Coast nonsense.
November 19, 2024 at 11:56 PM
One of two trees I springboarded in my timber days. Cutting hazard trees for a state park. This one loomed large over a very popular trail. Had to double cut. 066 with a 32" bar. Full wrap handle, none of that half-wrap East Coast nonsense.
Little bluestem once dominated much of North America, especially the Southern Great Plains. The State of Texas choosing (1971) sideoats grama as its state grass is, I believe, an unintentional commentary on the degraded ecological state of its grasslands.
November 19, 2024 at 3:40 PM
Little bluestem once dominated much of North America, especially the Southern Great Plains. The State of Texas choosing (1971) sideoats grama as its state grass is, I believe, an unintentional commentary on the degraded ecological state of its grasslands.