#conservaion

Teloschistes flavicans

Golden hair lichen

The sun is shining, the grass is green, and I am stuck inside! So I will instead bask in the gentle, golden glow of T. flavicans. This fruticose lichen is made up of long, tufted, entangled branches that can reach lengths up to 12 cm. The surface can be gray, but is more commonly dominated by that cheddar cheese yellow-orange color. Soralia are present, along with short tomentum (hair-like structures) along the smooth surface. Apothecia are .8-4 mm in diameter, and have a lighter orange rim and a darker orange disc. T. flavicans prefers humid, tropical forests, and can be found growing on wood, moss, and rocks. It can be found in the appropriate habitat in many locations all over the planet. Sadly this gorgeous pal is sensitive to pollution, which has restricted its range to isolated locations far from urbanization. But efforts are being made to conserve this gorgeous, cheesy friend where we can (particularly in the UK). Hooray for conservation! Remember, it’s not just the big, fuzzy organisms that need our help, but also some very small, sessile, secretive organisms, too. On that note: should I make lichen conservation country-western music videos a la Joe Exotic? Hmmm, something to consider with all the free time I have on my hands right now. 

The majestic South Fork of the Snake River flows 66 miles across southeastern Idaho, through high mountain valleys, rugged canyons, and broad flood plains to its confluence with the Henry's Fork near Menan Buttes. One-third of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem's bald eagles share the air space here with 179 bird species, including 21 raptor species.  

In the waters pictured here, the largest population of native Yellowstone cutthroat trout outside of Yellowstone National Park swims the clear river channels. One of the largest wildlife-rich, cottonwood gallery forests remaining in the lower 48 states is found here. The region also provides crucial winter range for deer, elk and other big game. 

So far, willing land owners have exchanged, sold or donated about 90 private properties to help conserve lands along the South Fork of the Snake River. Many of these were working farms and ranches intermingled with public lands. This has provided some 27,000 acres to help consolidate public lands and enhance the ecological integrity of an area under increasing development pressure. This work also adds tangible value for the more than half a million people who come here each year to fish, boat, camp, hike, watch wildlife or simply enjoy the area's stunning natural beauty and cultural richness.

Happy Wilderness Wednesday from the Mojave Wilderness!

This spring, the BLM completed the purchase of seven parcels within two Wilderness Areas in California - Sheephold Valley Wilderness and Old Woman Mountains Wilderness.  

The 183,500-acre Old Woman Mountains Wilderness is home to a granite monolith resembling the figure of an old woman, known as the Old Woman Statue. The Old Woman Mountains are also the discovery site of the Old Woman Meteorite, the largest meteorite found in California and the second largest in the United States.

The Wilderness encompasses many different habitats and is home to a permanent population of bighorn sheep, mule deer, bobcat, cougar, coyote, black-tailed jackrabbit, ground squirrels, kangaroo rats, quail, chuckar, roadrunners, rattlesnakes, several species of lizards, numerous raptor species, several species of songbirds, and the threatened desert tortoise.