BioBlitz: Charles Allen Biological Station

                                       
                                       

Straight and Tall

I am the beam that holds your house, 

the board of your table, 

the bed on which you lie, 

and the timber that builds your boat.
I am the handle of your hoe, 

the door of your homestead, 

the wood of your cradle, 

and the shell of your coffin.

 

--from an ancient prayer used in Portuguese forest preservation.

You can see why Loblolly pine is a favorite for builders and carpenters. But happily this lovely stand is on protected land--ULM's Charles Allen Biological Station near Columbia, La.
                     

BioBlitz: Charles Allen Biological Station

                                              
                                                    

Spiderwort (Tradescantia)

Happy Earth Day, everyone!

Saturday was BioBlitz Day at ULM's biology field lab near Columbus, La. It is a place I love to go: 80 acres of ridges and lowlands along the Ouachita River characterized by excellent biodiversity. I'll have many more to share from the 200 frames I shot!

The genus Tradescantia includes 71 species and even the biology students and faculty I was with did not want to hazard which one this might be!

Louisiana Natives

                                  
                                   

A Touch of Grace (Huckleberries)

                    
                            

Louisiana Road Trip

                                    
                             

Green Bower

The live oak trees that line the drive on The Oaks antebellum plantation near St. Francis, Louisiana, were planted in the 1800s. Today, their spreading limbs are home to thick coats of Resurrection Fern and curtains of Spanish Moss. To me, these trees are the very definition of "voluptuous." Walking into the space created by their welcoming arms is magical. I expect gnomes and elves and fairies to pop their heads out of the ferns or from behind the moss at any moment.

This photograph was taken earlier this year when the ferns were fresh and green and the Spanish moss it's most delicate shade of sage. All of the trees getting new leaves were a tender yellow-green and the grass had not yet hardened into summer green. What a tender, dream-like quality!
                                      

Happy Easter!

                                 
                                      
The Sun Always Rises

                       
                            

Chi-town Treasures

iPhone Diary: 22 March 2013

Cool Stuff

                                       
              

From tiny acorns...