Natural History Wanderings

Submitted by Spencer Westbrook

There have been numerous postings regarding the SUPER BLOOM in Death Valley National Park so I will not add additional information other than to say the major bloom is in the south end of the Park, Badwater Road being the access to the area. Most of the thick bloom was seen south of milepost 24.

On my return from the Park I took the opportunity to drive Hwy 138 west (from Hwy 14) across the Antelope Valley which is currently covered in a beautiful green carpet with some goldfields and poppies blooming roadside about Ave 168. May be a preview of things to come in the next 3-4 weeks in this part of the valley.

I drove the Gorman Post Road which parallels the I-5 to Gorman before heading south to Ventura on the I-5, and Hwy 126 .

The east end of Gorman Post Rd has a nice bloom of coreospis and phacelia on the hillsides in the area of the duck pond (all but dry), again perhaps a nice preview of things to come in the next few weeks.