Old-Growth Coastal Redwood Forests Of Muir Woods National Monument (Northern California)

Recently, I visited Muir Woods National Monument, one of the last surviving old-growth coastal redwood forests in the world. I’ve been fascinated with old-growth forests since I was an Artist-in-Residence for the National Park Service at an old-growth Douglas fir forest in southwestern Oregon.

The monument was named for John Muir, an American conservationist, and a personal hero. Coastal redwood forests like this boast the world’s tallest trees. The tallest redwood in the park is a mere 258 feet. That’s over three blue whales (our largest animal) stacked end-to-end.

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Wildflowers of Mores Mountain | Boise National Forest

For the last few months, I’ve been learning the native wildflowers on Mores Mountain in Bogus Basin and Boise National Forest. Mores Mountain is known for spectacular views and incredible wildflower displays, the best I’ve seen in the Treasure Valley. I thought I’d share some of the flowers I saw on the trails in May, June, and July.

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Residency | Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area AiR

This summer, I was chosen by the Bureau of Land Management as the 2019 Artist-in-Residence for the Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area (NCA).

The NCA contains the largest concentration of nesting raptors in North America, and one of the largest concentrations of nesting prairie falcons in the world. It also boasts the highest recorded density of ground squirrels, which is why so many raptors nest there.

For the residency, I wrote poetry about the sagebrush steppe ecosystem along the Snake River and the birds of prey that live there.

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Residency | Oregon Caves National Monument AiR: Old-Growth Forest [Part 2]

In May, I got to be an Artist-in-Residence for the National Park Service for the second time. I spent two weeks writing poetry about Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve’s old-growth forests and stunning cave formations.

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The preserve is situated in the Klamath-Siskiyou ecoregion, a world biodiversity hotspot that boasts nearly 70,000 species.

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Residency | Oregon Caves National Monument AiR: Cave Formations [Part 1]

Last month, I got to be an Artist-in-Residence for the National Park Service for the second time. I spent two weeks writing poetry about Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve’s old-growth forests and stunning cave formations.

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The cave at the monument is a type of marble dissolution cave. Acidic rainwater flowed through blue-veined marble to create it.

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