tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2206460070533660576.post4299661365051048651..comments2023-06-02T08:05:44.213-07:00Comments on Timeless Environments: Ökenliv (Desert Life 2012 - Part VI ) The Cactus HouseChaparral Earthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00618976919417073750noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2206460070533660576.post-57616807979527458782012-08-21T01:42:01.840-07:002012-08-21T01:42:01.840-07:00When you drive down there to Elgin, just south of ...When you drive down there to Elgin, just south of there on the Lower Elgin Road which turns into Hwy 83, which itself is or at least was graded dirt road, there is a grassland research preserve called "The Appleton-Whittell Research Ranch of the National Audubon Society". Here is the link:<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://researchranch.audubon.org/" rel="nofollow">http://researchranch.audubon.org/</a><br /><br /><br />One main componant of grassland or prairie health often overlooked is the necessary animals needed for proper maintenance. My son and I drove down alonh this road in 2001 on our backroad way to Fort Huachuka and Sierra Vista. You could see a contrast of differences between the preserve and land still under Cattle grazing management. The problem never was Cattle grazing, but the greed and selfishness from old western corporate interests from Europe and eastern USa who dumped far more cattle than the land and specific ecosystem could handle. We're talking in the 10s of 1000s. Animals are important for renewal, but even nature has controls, most of which have been destroyed and eliminated completely from many areas.<br /><br />Chaparral Earthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00618976919417073750noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2206460070533660576.post-29892099241134639952012-08-20T21:24:33.359-07:002012-08-20T21:24:33.359-07:00The wine may indeed motivate me:) Sacaton is a be...The wine may indeed motivate me:) Sacaton is a beautiful area. As for ranching, several lands that once were use for ranching are now being reclaimed for grasslands again. There are some interesting things going on around Arizona and I have to say that I like this preservation movement going on. Even the Santa Cruz may come back fully...but we shall see:)Rohrerbothttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02136631378931478644noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2206460070533660576.post-54927811499171746822012-08-19T23:42:22.396-07:002012-08-19T23:42:22.396-07:00Desert Dweeler a while back had a piece which allu...Desert Dweeler a while back had a piece which alluded to Sacaton in a riparian area of New Mexico. It was beautiful. Those plants are prolithic along the San Pedro and if you ever take a trip to Elgin just south of Sonoita, there are some huge examples in the stream bed there along the old railroad rightofway where pure Sacaton meadows still exist in the moist habitat. There is a winery there if that further motivates you.<br /><br /><br />*smile*<br /><br /><br />BTW, you may enjoy this link which demonstrates the mismanagement by Giant Cattle Operations in the West where an entirely different ecosystem from the eastern USA and Europe had improper practices forced upon it which actually caused the degredation of what the land use to look like and the abundant biodiversity that once existed and now in many areas completely devoid of.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.mikehudak.com/PhotoEssays/LivestockGalleryVS/" rel="nofollow"> Mike Hudak’s - Photo Gallery of Ranching on Western Public Lands </a><br /><br /><br />--Chaparral Earthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00618976919417073750noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2206460070533660576.post-31706142788737511212012-08-19T16:10:20.009-07:002012-08-19T16:10:20.009-07:00Very very nice:) I'd like to sit in that room...Very very nice:) I'd like to sit in that room. So I went on a tour south yesterday for you with the riparian grasslands in mind. I snapped several shots of the area showing off the green area. It has been a great monsoon this year and everything looks so so nice. Hope you had a good weekend. <br /><br />Oh and I've had those Coca leaves in Peru. It makes a great tea:) Great for altitude sickness:) ChrisRohrerbothttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02136631378931478644noreply@blogger.com