George
@woodsyguy.bsky.social
Retired NPS backcountry ranger now teaching emergency incident mapping & GIS -- fire & SAR. California, Sierra Nevada.
Yes! Even above lists -- which are fun! -- the memories of how we see critters is the great part: coming up a Sierra slope at ~12,000' at dusk, disturbing a group of Bighorn bedding down for the night just a a pika gives an alarm and a long-tailed weasel comes scampering over looking for dinner.
November 29, 2025 at 8:58 PM
Yes! Even above lists -- which are fun! -- the memories of how we see critters is the great part: coming up a Sierra slope at ~12,000' at dusk, disturbing a group of Bighorn bedding down for the night just a a pika gives an alarm and a long-tailed weasel comes scampering over looking for dinner.
Yes! Occasionally NPS gets it right. Although there's been a cascade of problems, the same has been true of Mountain Yellow legged frog in Sierra. Fast action from research showing a cause for initial pop crash -- non-native trout; removing fish; restoring populations in basins. Then Chytrid hit...
November 29, 2025 at 7:32 PM
Yes! Occasionally NPS gets it right. Although there's been a cascade of problems, the same has been true of Mountain Yellow legged frog in Sierra. Fast action from research showing a cause for initial pop crash -- non-native trout; removing fish; restoring populations in basins. Then Chytrid hit...
Also a great example of research & fast action to save a species by NPS. Populations < 100 in early 2000s, Dave Graber, Chief Scientist/Seq Kings got NPS to do crash program to restore them: captive breeding, removal of Golden Eagle predator (no others preds on islands). Pop now ~> 1,000.
November 29, 2025 at 7:26 PM
Also a great example of research & fast action to save a species by NPS. Populations < 100 in early 2000s, Dave Graber, Chief Scientist/Seq Kings got NPS to do crash program to restore them: captive breeding, removal of Golden Eagle predator (no others preds on islands). Pop now ~> 1,000.
Mt. Lyell Salamander
Sierra Bighorn Sheep
Pacific Fisher
Frolics of Pika (I propose 'frolic' to describe a group of pika...)
Sierra Mountain Beaver
No wolverine, alas!
Sierra Bighorn Sheep
Pacific Fisher
Frolics of Pika (I propose 'frolic' to describe a group of pika...)
Sierra Mountain Beaver
No wolverine, alas!
November 29, 2025 at 6:19 PM
Mt. Lyell Salamander
Sierra Bighorn Sheep
Pacific Fisher
Frolics of Pika (I propose 'frolic' to describe a group of pika...)
Sierra Mountain Beaver
No wolverine, alas!
Sierra Bighorn Sheep
Pacific Fisher
Frolics of Pika (I propose 'frolic' to describe a group of pika...)
Sierra Mountain Beaver
No wolverine, alas!
And let's not overlook the ever-adorable Channel Islands Fox -- now recovered to a fairly healthy population on Santa Rosa Island and several of the Channel Islands NP.
November 29, 2025 at 6:10 PM
And let's not overlook the ever-adorable Channel Islands Fox -- now recovered to a fairly healthy population on Santa Rosa Island and several of the Channel Islands NP.
Yep. First i'd even heard about Walz. Outstanding review of GIS in gov for the benefit of people AND by governor himself. He clearly knew subject. One of the best speakers at ESRI in years.
November 28, 2025 at 10:08 PM
Yep. First i'd even heard about Walz. Outstanding review of GIS in gov for the benefit of people AND by governor himself. He clearly knew subject. One of the best speakers at ESRI in years.
Uh, guys do you mean to have the propane tank and hose involved in flame too?? Even with full PPE & truck that seems dangerous... .
November 26, 2025 at 12:36 AM
Uh, guys do you mean to have the propane tank and hose involved in flame too?? Even with full PPE & truck that seems dangerous... .
Amidst the true depravity of our Admin and government, it is returning to say hi to the Blackie/Whiteys that keep me semi-sane. Can't remember which one, but the B/W who'd run out and make sure your big lumbering dumb azz could find his house to deliver breakfast & dinner on time!
November 16, 2025 at 4:32 AM
Amidst the true depravity of our Admin and government, it is returning to say hi to the Blackie/Whiteys that keep me semi-sane. Can't remember which one, but the B/W who'd run out and make sure your big lumbering dumb azz could find his house to deliver breakfast & dinner on time!
For censorship -- a guess! -- but books were probably reviewed by Interpretive division for censorship and then passed on to Conservancy to not buy again. So, two follow ups: Conservancy & find a mole within NPS Interp division of who, exactly, made that decision.
November 13, 2025 at 9:30 PM
For censorship -- a guess! -- but books were probably reviewed by Interpretive division for censorship and then passed on to Conservancy to not buy again. So, two follow ups: Conservancy & find a mole within NPS Interp division of who, exactly, made that decision.
If memory serves -- and it might not! -- book ordering and selling is done by the Yosemite Conservancy, the non-profit that operates to sell stuff, get grants & etc. that it then passes on for NPS projects. It has its own shop in the old Yosemite Visitor Center. 1/2
November 13, 2025 at 9:29 PM
If memory serves -- and it might not! -- book ordering and selling is done by the Yosemite Conservancy, the non-profit that operates to sell stuff, get grants & etc. that it then passes on for NPS projects. It has its own shop in the old Yosemite Visitor Center. 1/2
British intel has full copy of epstein files and shared with king chuck.
November 1, 2025 at 3:54 PM
British intel has full copy of epstein files and shared with king chuck.
Really?! Using gun to smash window WITH finger on trigger. Mein gott how poorly trained and incompetent are these bozos...
October 22, 2025 at 2:56 AM
Really?! Using gun to smash window WITH finger on trigger. Mein gott how poorly trained and incompetent are these bozos...
Plus, not to get too cop tactics tech here, but he`s holding the taser horizontal -- when the probes come out vertical. Best case, he fires and only one probe hits -- or neither. No complete circuit, no shock.... . Incompetent.
October 22, 2025 at 2:51 AM
Plus, not to get too cop tactics tech here, but he`s holding the taser horizontal -- when the probes come out vertical. Best case, he fires and only one probe hits -- or neither. No complete circuit, no shock.... . Incompetent.
Yep. Hauled first bag of wood up the stairs and started morning fire.
October 5, 2025 at 4:22 PM
Yep. Hauled first bag of wood up the stairs and started morning fire.
Gotta say, I'm a bit unhappy with memorializing Kirk & Burton in the same report. One spent his life helping all people, especially the poor, children, civil rights, environment. Kirk seemed only interested in pursing a hateful vision of a white's only nation & lawful discrimination (trans, LBGTQ).
September 13, 2025 at 6:32 PM
Gotta say, I'm a bit unhappy with memorializing Kirk & Burton in the same report. One spent his life helping all people, especially the poor, children, civil rights, environment. Kirk seemed only interested in pursing a hateful vision of a white's only nation & lawful discrimination (trans, LBGTQ).
Also talked to someone reviewing a paper that recent fire showed correlation between sequoia survival and Rx burn of ground fuel but not, necessarily, ladder fuels. NOTE: loud party, very preliminary paper so I may not have understood. Exciting if so that Rx on grd fuel - only - can make difference.
September 12, 2025 at 10:11 PM
Also talked to someone reviewing a paper that recent fire showed correlation between sequoia survival and Rx burn of ground fuel but not, necessarily, ladder fuels. NOTE: loud party, very preliminary paper so I may not have understood. Exciting if so that Rx on grd fuel - only - can make difference.
A few years back, I was talking to a friend at Sequoia Kings NP involved in Rx planning. He said the lead time was 5 years, some of which was scheduling archeologists required before a burn (not many of them...). Of course, before many of those plots got Rx, most burned in recent wildfires... . 1/2
September 12, 2025 at 10:06 PM
A few years back, I was talking to a friend at Sequoia Kings NP involved in Rx planning. He said the lead time was 5 years, some of which was scheduling archeologists required before a burn (not many of them...). Of course, before many of those plots got Rx, most burned in recent wildfires... . 1/2
"The Father of Waters again goes unvexed to the sea" -- Lincoln (probably the best and most pithy announcement of a military victory ever).
August 30, 2025 at 5:46 PM
"The Father of Waters again goes unvexed to the sea" -- Lincoln (probably the best and most pithy announcement of a military victory ever).
Amazing output: daily solid (!) columns or interviews. I have a forlorn hope that Substack or a group of writers will offer a combined subscription -- 5 for, I dunno, $120? I've dropped WaPo & NYT. Now only substack & bluesky. Hey, maybe put PK & others in newsprint and deliver to my door!!
August 16, 2025 at 5:15 PM
Amazing output: daily solid (!) columns or interviews. I have a forlorn hope that Substack or a group of writers will offer a combined subscription -- 5 for, I dunno, $120? I've dropped WaPo & NYT. Now only substack & bluesky. Hey, maybe put PK & others in newsprint and deliver to my door!!
Surround/follow these guys wit instant respnse trombone corp.
August 12, 2025 at 1:53 AM
Surround/follow these guys wit instant respnse trombone corp.
PS: @michaelwara.bsky.social next time in Evolution, try a side trip to McCabe Lakes. I think there were trapping/reintroductions there. Also, I saw some YLF's in Sapphire & Wanda (~2010) -- even though fish, they were breeding & surviving in the very shallows shelfs that large fish couldn't get to.
August 11, 2025 at 10:29 PM
PS: @michaelwara.bsky.social next time in Evolution, try a side trip to McCabe Lakes. I think there were trapping/reintroductions there. Also, I saw some YLF's in Sapphire & Wanda (~2010) -- even though fish, they were breeding & surviving in the very shallows shelfs that large fish couldn't get to.
research by a number of outstanding scientists (V. Vredenburg, R. Knapp, D. Graber and many others) and quickly implementing results. Pre-covid, it's the fastest response to a catastrophe I've ever seen -- worth a long story all its own.
August 11, 2025 at 10:22 PM
research by a number of outstanding scientists (V. Vredenburg, R. Knapp, D. Graber and many others) and quickly implementing results. Pre-covid, it's the fastest response to a catastrophe I've ever seen -- worth a long story all its own.
off meadowy banks and into the lake. Great experience and, with fish trapping and reintroductions, that was happening again. Chytrid became another challenge (world-wide!) but some populations are hanging on and even increasing. Uber froggie might make the difference. It's a great story of rapid 6/n
August 11, 2025 at 10:14 PM
off meadowy banks and into the lake. Great experience and, with fish trapping and reintroductions, that was happening again. Chytrid became another challenge (world-wide!) but some populations are hanging on and even increasing. Uber froggie might make the difference. It's a great story of rapid 6/n