Desert Ecology: Home

Swallowtail butterflies frolic on the wind. Vireos and rock wrens sing their hearts out by the recovering creek. Spiders and other predators chase their next meal. Through it all, John Alcock observes, records, and delights in what he sees. In a once-burnt area, life resurges.

An exploration of the explosive illegal trade in succulents and the passion that drives it.

Signed on November 24, 1922, the Colorado River Compact is the cornerstone of a proverbial pyramid--an elaborate body of laws colloquially called the "Law of the River" that governs how human beings use water from the river system dubbed the "American Nile." No fewer than forty million people have come to rely on the Colorado River system in modern times--a river system immersed in an unprecedented, unrelenting megadrought for more than two decades. Attempting to navigate this "new normal," policymakers are in the midst of negotiating new management rules for the river system, a process coinciding with the compact's centennial that must be completed by 2026. Animated by this remarkable confluence of events, Cornerstone at the Confluence leverages the centennial year to reflect on the compact and broader "Law of the River" to envision the future. It is a volume inviting dialogue about how the Colorado River system's flows should be apportioned given climate change, what should be done about environmental issues such as ecosystem restoration and biodiversity protection, and how long-standing issues of water justice facing Native American communities should be addressed. In one form or another, all these topics touch on the concept of "equity" embedded within the compact--a concept that tees up what is perhaps the foundational question confronted by Cornerstone at the Confluence: Who should have a seat at the table of Colorado River governance?

Your Award-Winning Field Guide to Foraging for Wild Edibles: What, Where, and When to Look Foraging for food is an engaging and beneficial pastime that anyone can enjoy. It inspires connections to the land and can help to improve your health. Plus, many target plants for foragers are non-native, so the activity can support--if not improve--biological diversity and ecological well-being. Winner of a National Outdoor Book Award for best nature guidebook, Foraging Southern California introduces you to plentiful and delicious foods, from berries and fruits to roots, seeds, and even tasty aquatic options, like kelp and crayfish. Expert forager Douglas Kent shares his decades of experience in this handy guide that's perfect for beginners and intermediates. Learn what to look for, as well as when and where to look. Key identification features, written instructions, and full-color photographs help you to comfortably and confidently know that you're harvesting the right species. A compare section provides information on dangerous look-alikes, helping to ensure your foraging success and personal health. The "Top 10 Edibles" section provides a starting point for beginners, and species throughout the book are organized by harvestable quality, which quickly leads to the relevant information for your own foraging needs. Foraging must be done with knowledge and consideration. Foraging Southern California provides information that can benefit you and the environment. Grab the book, get outside, and enjoy nature's bounty.

Cactus flowers are jewels of the desert--they add brilliant pops of color to our arid surroundings. In this book, renowned Tucson photographer John P. Schaefer brings the exquisite and unexpected beauty of the cactus flower to the page. Hundreds of close-up photographs of cactus flowers native to the U.S. Southwest and Mexico offer a visual feast of color and texture, nuance and light. These stunning photographs allow us to appreciate the spectacular range of color and form cactus flowers have to offer. For the cactus enthusiast, the book offers a comprehensive collection of high-quality flower photographs unlike any other. The photographs cover more than 250 cactus species organized by genus. The book starts with an introduction by the photographer that is both autobiographical and informative. It offers a glimpse into his process for capturing these elusive desert gems, resulting in photographs so beautiful they were featured as a book of stamps issued by the U.S. Postal Service. This collection of cactus flowers in bloom is a one-of-a-kind work by a master photographer.