Brian Pidduck Photography

2012-02-09T19:44:00.000-08:00

All Thacher students have ridden a horse over the ridge (the Nordhoff Ridge that is) and camped in the Sespe at some point during their Thacher career. This past weekend we did a variation of this excursion, also riding, but under full human power – on mountain bikes!

Adam Silberberg (CdeP ’15) joined my twin brother (Kevin Pidduck), Bruce Rogers (brother to Karleanne Rogers) and I for an 11 AM departure from the Sisar Canyon Trailhead in Upper Ojai. Together we climbed up and over the ridge and descended the Lion Trail (passing faculty member William Okin with several freshmen on their horseback ride back to Thacher after a night at Patton’s Cabin) to the Sespe River and our home away from home – Patton’s Cabin. The cabin is a remarkable refuge for trail weary travelers, whether on foot, hoof or by bike wheel. It is rustic yet comfortable, spartan yet remarkably functional. What a superb backcountry cabin we have for our use! We at Thacher are very fortunate.

The next morning we were met by Bo and Julie Manson, Bonnie LaForge and Bob St. George (faculty at Thacher) as well as sophomores Grant Ellman and Jamie Rush (CdeP '14). Bo, Julie and Bonnie graciously carried our gear back out to the trailhead for us while we mounted our chromoly and carbon fiber steeds for an ascent back up the ridge via Henry Canyon. After admiring the view of the Channel Islands from the ridge top, we zipped down Gridley Canyon and were back at Thacher by 1:30 PM. It was a fantastic tour of the backcountry and a wonderful opportunity to share in the delights of bikes and trails with students and faculty. All of us can’t wait until the next mountain bike adventure we can cook up. It is remarkable to consider the potential for mountain adventures immediately out our back door at Thacher.

XTERRA Trail Race: giving thanks on the trails

2011-11-28T20:51:00.001-08:00

The organizers of the XTERRA trail race series put on a great event at Topanga State Park on Thanksgiving morning last week. I didn't see the 10k or 5k courses, but the 15k was a fun mix of technical and beautiful single track and smooth fire roads. I didn't run very fast, but managed to finish 19th overall. Most of all I was delighted to run into a fellow faculty member from Thacher at the starting line, Liz Mahoney, who came in second in her age group behind ultra trail runner extraordinaire Michelle Barton. I was very impressed by the quality of the trails in Topanga State Park and the diversity of terrain. Not to mention that it is only 30 minutes from Los Angeles!

Thanks XTERRA for a great event. I look forward to the Boney Mountain race next.

Biodiversity Fieldwork with The Thacher School

2011-11-15T21:04:00.000-08:00

I recently completed a field project with 30 students from The Thacher School in Ojai, California that involved sampling a local watershed for macroinvertebrates. We then used the data to calculate dominance of species and a corresponding water quality index rating (the watershed is of "good" quality!). Few things beat making the outdoors our science classroom and spending time doing work that is not only endlessly fascinating, but also serves to strengthen young people's connection with the natural world.

Toeing the Line

2011-11-15T20:56:00.000-08:00

I don't think I am a minimalist, per say, but I like to keep things simple. Too much gear seems to get in the way of fun - at least for me. The pile of shoes in my garage, however, would seem to suggest otherwise! And these are shoes that go through active, if not daily, rotation. For example, there are two pairs of Inov8 shoes for trails and road runs, a couple pairs (two sizes!) of the do-everything 5.10 Guide Tennies, a pair of 5.10 trail running shoes (ran the LA Marathon in these), some aging La Sportiva Boulders left over from guiding in the Tetons and Sierra (still holding together with Seam Grip and speedy-stitcher patches), Scarpa Freneys for climbing ice, 2 pairs of 5.10 Anasazis (once again, 2 sizes) for rock climbing, La Sportiva Makalus for spring tromps on snowfields, a pair of Sidi mountain bike shoes that I bought in Italy while mountain biking the Dolomites, a pair of Sidis for the road, some booties for surfing winter swells, LA Dodgers sandals and a pair of mucking boots that I use to photograph birds in our local estuaries. So much for keeping it simple.

At the same time, the goal of being outside and challenging oneself with the endless opportunities of mountains, streams, crags and the ocean is simple. I don't think much about the gear or about what sport I am going to pursue; the conditions decide that for me. Clear, cold and dry? Rock Climbing. Cold rain in the foothills? Head for the mountains to ski. Northwest swell in January? Surfing. All the other times? Running, biking and photography. So, maybe it is simple, or, at least, it is simple enough. I am reminded of a saying by the Japanese poet Matsuo Basho: "Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the wise. Seek what they sought." In other words, it isn't in the particular sport, it is in the doing. Yup, simple enough.

"A" Campers at the Thacher School

2011-11-05T14:51:00.000-07:00

"A" Campers at The Thacher School from Brian Pidduck on Vimeo.

Two years ago I shot and edited the above movie which chronicles a backpacking trip I did with 4 students from the Thacher School. This trip was a culmination of their work in attaining "A" Camper certification within Thacher's Outdoor Program. I didn't include the movie back then, and just came across it today while organizing media files, so I am including it now. I think it captures the sense of beauty and adventure of the Los Padres National Forest as well documenting a great weekend trip. It makes a teacher proud!

Birthday Trail Run

2011-07-26T14:42:00.000-07:00

I dearly love the Sierra Nevada and often find myself wishing that I lived in Mammoth Lakes or Bishop. The abundance of superb rock climbing, incredible mountain trails, fantastic skiing and the breath taking play of light on the valleys and peaks are the stuff I dream about. The thing is, however, is that the Los Padres offers a lot of the same things (although without the depth of snowpack are height of peaks!). For my birthday I went for a run on one of my favorite trails in my hometown of Ojai - Gridley Canyon - which accesses the summit of Nordhoff Peak. My twin brother and brother-in-law rode their mountain bikes while I ran. It wasn't an ambitious outing, but it was a great opportunity to be in the mountains with family and feel the flow of running up mountain trails. All told it is 14.6 miles round trip with 3,300 ft of gain. I couldn't have asked for a better day or a better way to spend my birthday. Not to mention that the view from the summit includes the Sespe Wilderness and the Pacific Ocean. Although we are only an hour-and-a-half north of Los Angeles, we are surrounded by wilderness and tremendous potential for outdoor adventures.

The Magic Hour

2011-05-14T12:21:00.000-07:00

Galen Rowell coined the term "magic hour" and described in great detail the science behind light, color and perception in his monthly articles in Outdoor Photographer. I couldn't agree more with his description of the quality of this light and what it does to any natural setting. In this case, an outdoor bath at my family's beach house with my daughter Adeline is rendered in remarkable gold and orange hues using an iPhone camera.

Twin Peaks Run

2011-05-05T12:32:00.000-07:00

Directly behind The Thacher School is the perfect afternoon trail run: the Twin Peaks Trail. There are other trails that cover more ground or are more technical, but the Twin Peaks Trail is just the right length and difficulty for an afternoon adventure. In many ways, a trail such as this offers far more than just exercise. Rather, it is an opportunity to challenge oneself, to connect with nature and to share with others the difficulty of a steep trail and the elation of reaching a summit. I often feel like I live an entire day just in the process of running the Twin Peaks Trail; as if life is condensed into just the most important things: movement, nature, camaraderie, and beauty. Even better when I have the opportunity to share, as today, the run with some students from my school.

Capturing the trail and summit panorama in photographs was difficult due to the fog, but we had a great time nonetheless.

Spring is here - climb and ski

2011-04-16T14:27:00.000-07:00

I spent the weekend rock climbing and skiing near Mammoth Lakes with students from the Thacher School. The conditions were perfect for rock climbing -- cool, crisp, and dry -- yet they were also perfect for spring skiing at the resort and in the backcountry. At times like this I couldn't ask for more. Fantastic!

The Sartorialist - a short film by Tyler Manson

2011-03-03T21:20:00.001-08:00

I love this short film by Tyler Manson - a talented film maker from a family that I have been very close to for many years.

I am inspired by the reference to "a visual life." There is something to be said for simply getting out there each day and being in one's surroundings. There is always something surprising, revealing or just plain beautiful to experience. I have learned a lot about perspective and design just from reading/viewing The Sartorialist blog as well.

Galen Rowell spoke of a similar sort of inspiration in his descriptions of running in the mountains with a camera. In fact, his stories of just getting into the mountains and recording his feelings on film is one of the things that originally inspired me to take a camera on a climbing or mountaineering trip.

Intel, "The Sartorialist: A Visual Life" from Tyler Manson on Vimeo.

Backcountry Powder - short movie

2011-03-02T21:55:00.001-08:00

Thacher Skiing the Backcountry at Mt. Pinos from Brian Pidduck on Vimeo.

I took 2 students from The Thacher School up to Mt. Pinos to ski after a recent storm blew through Southern California (February 25-26th). We found some pretty good powder on the northern aspects. This trip was a day trip from Ojai: departed at 6:20 AM, back by 7:00 PM. If it hadn't been for an accident, and traffic, in Frazier Park, we may have been able to get to the beach to catch a few waves before sunset! Not a bad day for Southern California.

Powder at Mtn. High, San Gabriel Range

2010-02-12T14:26:00.001-08:00

After another foot of snow fell in the San Gabriel Mountains this week, I made a Thursday trip up to Mtn. High with some students from The Thacher School. I ventured out to the west of the ski area and found good coverage in the trees and glades. This was one of the few times that I didn't take a camera, but I recorded some of my turns on my very low resolution (!) camera-phone and have included them here. In some cases I was only 40 yards from the top of one of the lifts, but I had the place pretty much to myself, that is except for one run early in the day in which 8 students, a faculty member from Thacher and I put tracks down a bowl faster then you can say "So Cal."

Dry powder on the northern aspects

One of my favorite runs of the day

Below the West Summit, late in the day

Grace Lowe, MacKenzie Boss and Jake Gannon on the bus ride home.

Backcountry Powder Skiing on Mt. Pinos on Super Bowl Sunday (Los Padres National Forest, California)

2010-02-08T14:00:00.001-08:00

Alex Macmillan, a senior at The Thacher School (Ojai, CA), and I discovered 5-6" of fresh snow on Mt. Pinos this past Super Bowl Sunday. We left Ojai at 6:20 AM, and by 8:30 were skinning up the first hill before dropping down our first run of the day (the first image below). We marveled at the gray-blue skies, the cold (22 degrees F), the thickly rimed needles on the conifers, and, of course, the superb skiing. Mt. Pinos is described as a nordic ski area (with a road to the top but no lifts), but with the right snowpack it also has good backcountry downhill skiing.

We made it back to Ojai in time for Alex to join his classmates for a Super Bowl party and for me to enjoy the rest of the afternoon playing in the sunshine with my twin daughters Adeline and Daisy. I may be a little biased as a seventh generation Californian, but I am consistently surprised and impressed by the variety of landscape and the potential for honest adventure in our backyard.

A-Mac on our first run of the day

Alex Macmillan - aka A-Mac

Skinning back up after one of the best runs of the day

Skinning up through Jeffrey Pine encased in rime below the summit plateau

Glade skiing below the summit plateau

Man in the landscape: Alex airing off granite boulders

Second to last run before heading home

Hitching a ride back up the road. We squeezed into the back of a Ford Bronco (I emphasize the "squeeze") of a snowboarder also named Alex. He turned out to be a Chewonki/Maine Coast Semester grad as well. Small world! Thanks for stopping and giving us a ride buddy!

Sycamore and the Pink Moment in Ojai

2010-01-28T20:13:00.001-08:00

Ceanothus Silk Moth

2010-01-14T21:43:00.001-08:00

My favorite moth of the chapparal - the ceanothus silk moth (Hyalophora euryalus). I have seen a few of these already this year, although it is a little early in the season. By the spring they'll be out in force.

Sea Walls

2010-01-07T20:34:00.001-08:00

It is human nature to seek out boundaries in nature. Coastlines are one of the most classic examples. After all, there are few things quite like standing on the edge of the continent (or close to it) and gazing out on the expanse of the Pacific. (My family has owned one of these beachfront homes in California since the 1910s)

Heavy armament is required, however, to live here. Concrete, rip rap, steel and wood are assembled into bunker-like forms that bear evidence of how tenuous beachfront property really is. Battered by storms and salt, the sea walls and homes are in a near constant state of decline. Jeffrey Manson, a friend of mine, has a good song about the "armored coast" - you can hear his work on his My Space music page.

Sea walls represent one of human being's relationships with nature. They are fortification against the elements, and in many ways they diminish the aesthetic and ecological function of coastlines, but they also allow us to sit on the edge and look out on something that will always be bigger than us.

New Years Day at Pitas Point, California

2010-01-07T20:15:00.001-08:00

I grew up and learned to surf along this stretch of coastline north of Ventura. It is still one of my most favorite places in the world.

I am delighted to be able to share it now with my daughters Adeline and Daisy.

We were treated to this remarkable sunset at low tide with Santa Cruz Island on the horizon.

Santa Cruz Island, Channel Islands National Park

2009-12-23T22:21:00.001-08:00

Three days on Santa Cruz Island - returned home just last night. I don't know how to write about Santa Cruz Island without sounding trite. The emotion and wonder that I feel about this place now, however, is the same as what I felt when I first visited as a child. Maybe it is because I am a Californian, but the landscape, unique animals and the ranching history are captivating.

Eastern Santa Cruz grassland and Anacapa Island

Cavern Point

Sea Caves

Island Scrub Jay

Santa Cruz Ironwood

Scorpion Cove

Ravens, Smugglers Ranch

Windmill

Smugglers Ranch

Morning Glory and Yellowbanks

Farm Equipment

Sunset on Montanon Ridge

Winter in the Los Padres National Forest: Horn Canyon, Ojai, California

2009-12-16T22:30:00.001-08:00

Subtleties characterize winter in Southern California: a little rain, cooler temperatures, maybe even a frost snap.

The cottonwood and sycamore trees are the first to change color and lose their leaves, owing to their preference for creek bottoms, where the coldest air sits in dense pockets before sunrise.

Native succulents, dormant during the summer months, plump up with the rain and reveal their hiding places high on shale cliffs (a bit of rock climbing was necessary to get these photos). Whereas mushrooms emerge on the shaded side of boulders sustained by a trickle from the creek.

It can seem dry, woody and bare, but the chaparral is full of color and surprises.

Paul Nicklen's Leopard Seal Documentation

2009-11-20T17:29:00.001-08:00

Yesterday I referred to Paul Nicklen's encounter with a leopard seal in Antarctica. Here is a brief interview with Nicklen I cam across on You Tube. My understanding of leopard seals up until this point was fairly limited, informed mostly by an account from Shackleton's expedition to Antartica (aboard the Endurance) in which a member of the crew nearly fell as prey. Nicklen'a encounter suggests these animals may be more complex than previously believed (although I hesitate to anthropomorphize here). The snout-to-snout perspective is only rivaled by the stunning clarity and sharpness of his images.

"Polar Obsession" - the work of Paul Nicklen

2009-11-19T16:53:00.001-08:00

I first learned about Paul Nicklen's work in National Geographic Magazine in a series of images of a female leopard seal. The contrast of the leopard seal's teeth with the eerie blue light gave a haunting quality to what has to be one of the most incredible animal/human interactions I have every heard of, or seen documented. In a larger context, I admire Nicklen's efforts to inform people about the poles - places that few of us will ever visit, yet which play a critical role in Earth's ecological processes. You can see some of his work on NPR and hear an interview with him on NPR's photo blog The Picture Show as well as in the most recent issue of National Geographic Magazine.

Macroinvertebrate Survey/Biodiversity Field Work with Thacher students

2009-11-12T22:47:00.001-08:00

Giant Water Bug

Kyle

Dobson Fly Larvae (hellgramite)

Fans of the Giant Water Bug

Sorting and Identifying Samples from Reeves Creek

Sunrise on Black Rock Pass, Mineral King, California

2009-11-11T11:38:00.001-08:00

Sunrise on Black Rock Pass, Mineral King, Sierra Nevada from Brian Pidduck on Vimeo.

HD-DSLRs

2009-11-09T22:16:00.001-08:00

I've been following recent developments in DSLR technology with an interest in the HD Video capability of some models. Although I haven't done any field tests, I am intrigued by what they might be able to offer me in communicating environmental issues . . . and the wonder of the natural world. At times I realized a sort of inner desire to show motion and interactions in a way that I a single frame doesn't do justice (although I also see these limitations as a positive component for creativity). Until I have the chance to test one of these cameras, I'll learn what I can reading about and viewing Vincent Laforet's work, such as his recent short films "First Look" and "Reverie". You can see these films here.

Chaparral Transect - ecology lab with Thacher students

2009-11-07T20:38:00.001-08:00

Transect field work with students from the Thacher School, Ojai, California.

Calculating biodiversity in two sites in the chaparral ecosystem. The first is undergoing secondary succession after being cleared by a bulldozer in the spring of 2009 in order to establish a firebreak (wildfires are frequent in the chaparral). The second represents an intact ecosystem with higher biodiversity and plant density, having reestablished after a wildfire in the late 1990s.

Data was collected to determine coverage of species, density, frequency and diversity (according to the Shannon-Weiner Diversity Index). The most inspiring example of transects are those conducted by Michael Fay, such as the African Megatransect and the Redwood Transect.

Joshua Tree

2009-11-07T20:28:00.001-08:00

Stunning colors and clarity in the dry air of the High Desert.

King Dome

Album Cover: The Renders

Nick Orr on Saddle Rocks

There is a certain comfort in the austerity and sharp spines of the plants. A notion that I struggle to explain even to myself.

Mineral King

2009-10-12T20:20:00.001-07:00

Sunrise on Black Rock Pass, Mineral King, Sierra Nevada, California.

You can see a time lapse of the sunrise on Black Rock Pass here.

The bivvy with the lights of Visalia and Exeter (San Juoaqin Valley).

The west side of Black Rock Pass

Noelani on Cliff Creek

Tim, the Kern River Valley and the Sierra Crest

7 Thacher Students;
6 days;
September;
Incomparable sights of secluded cirques,
desolate passes,
trout dimpled lakes,
peppered with the sounds of laughter
and the quiet assuredness of camaraderie.

A bivouac on Black Rock Pass, with views of the sunset over the Coast Range, the lights of Visalia and Tulare,
and then sunrise over an expanse so great that Whitney and Langley are but blips on the horizon.

With colors and clarity that I have only known in the Sierra , Mineral King is among the most remarkable and varied regions of my beloved home range.

Graduated Filters, Galen Rowell and Ethics

2009-01-31T14:57:00.001-08:00

I have been exploring the benefits of shooting with graduated neutral density filters, as in the case of the above shot (Carpenter's Orchard, Ojai, California). These filters had there place when shooting with film, and in many ways they can still be used very effectively. Yet is there a compromise in quality by placing a layer of glass or resin in front of a lens? If you can do it more cleanly in Photoshop, and in some ways it may more closely replicate what the human eye sees, then does the end justify the means?

What is ethical?
1. Multiple exposures then masked to reveal what the photographer saw?
2. multiple versions of the same master, processed for highlights and shadows and then masked in photoshop?
3. Shot with a neutral density filter and left as is? As with Galen Rowell’s work.
4. Shot with a neutral density filter, then without, then painting in a mask to reveal detail otherwise obscured?
5. HDR

Galen Rowell was OK with rescanning an image for highlights in a moon, but it was the same 35 mm frame. Is this discussion moot considering the digital times? Do we use the tools available to us and be happy with the result if it is what we saw and felt? After all, improvements in technology supposedly allow the artist to be more creative. But is this true? The work produced by today’s photographers isn’t necessarily more artistic or sharper for that matter. Artistry with negative film and darkroom processes yielded remarkable results . . . and in many ways these processes are more available to more photographers now. After all, a computer is practically ubiquitous. I don't completely buy the adage that Ansel Adams's work was heavily manipulated and that makes all manipulations OK. I acknowledge that Adams worked creatively with a variety of tools in the darkroom in order that his vision come out in his final prints, but I don't believe that this fact is carte blanche for today's crop of digital photographers and digital darkrooms.

Is disclosure the only concern? If disclosed properly is their no problem? Is the public familiar enough with digital that HDR is OK?

How when you some one asks: ‘is this real, or is it digital?’ Yes! It is digital and it is real. Nothing added an nothing taken away aside from some ‘darkroom’ processing (tone, color, vibrancy).

Is film the benchmark by which all digital work is judged?

I haven’t satisfactorily answered many of these questions for myself, and I have a feeling that I may never actually reach a decisive conclusion. For the time being I am going to keep my mind open and see what the options are. My gut tells me, however, that maintaining a standard is essential in nature and environmental photography. I work hard to make the shots and I don’t want to misrepresent. One of the things that inspires me in photography and the environment is that they are entities vastly larger than myself. What I get out of others appreciating my work is important, but it isn’t the only thing or the most important. Capturing my response to the wilderness is my goal, but not by showing something that was not there."

(Via .)

Photographs from a Recent Photographic Expedition to Santa Cruz Island, Channel Islands National Park, California

2008-12-08T22:56:00.000-08:00

Lorquin's Admiral (Limenitis lorquini)

2008-12-08T22:19:00.001-08:00

The Lorquin's Admiral is a native butterfly to Southern California. I photographed this individual in a small "studio" that I set-up on the spot. She was momentarily captive, shot in a miniature studio, and then released.

Cumulative Impact

2008-04-02T16:00:00.000-07:00

Cumulative Impact

Impact upon the environment comes in many forms, and often the impact is profound: an oil spill from a ship that coats the shoreline with a noxious film, the devastation to a region overwhelmed by radiation emitted from a nuclear reactor accident, or the accumulation of factory emissions that kill people as they go about their daily lives.1

Yet just as significant are the small changes and impacts that occur all around us, albeit at a rate and visibility that often warrants little notice. These are the unreported sewage spills that spoil our rivers and render our beaches unsafe for swimming, the oil derricks that sprout up on our wild lands to feed an ever-increasing appetite for petroleum, or the disappearance of a fish species once so numerous that it filled the bays and inlets of the northeast and was the backbone of an economy and culture. We are less apt to respond to incremental changes in our environment; we adapt to and accept our surroundings, sometimes out of necessity. And often we are unaware when we contribute to these very same problems by virtue of the food we buy, the products we consume or the lifestyles we lead.

By turning my lens upon these things I hope to inspire people to take a second look at something that they may have already seen and accepted. I hope to inspire my audience to recognize that these small impacts stack up such that their cumulative impact is greater than the sum of the parts.

At the same time, there is a great deal of beauty and mystery in the natural world and to experience it either directly or indirectly, as through photographs of wild animals, is to feel the stirrings of wonder and awe. These emotions can then lead to appreciation and then, hopefully, an elevated conscientiousness. There are also individuals and groups that demonstrate the positive influence we can have upon one another and the environment, from the local organic farmer supplying produce to local schools to the National Resource Defense Council levying political weight on important issues.

As photographers we play a powerful role in revealing the human impact evident in our communities, our country and our planet. We can instigate a double take in our audience and help others to see the world from a perspective that is both critical and celebratory.

1 Exxon Valdez oil spill, 1989; Cosco Busan oil spill, 2007; Chernobyl reactor failure, 1986; Donora tragedy, Pennsylvania, 1948

Caption for first image: Offshore oil platform and Santa Cruz Island, California. There are currently 20 offshore oil platforms in the Santa Barbara Channel. 15 are located in federal waters, 1 is located in state waters in Santa Barbara County, and the remaining 4 are in state waters in Ventura County. The federally run Minerals Management Service estimates that there is a 41.2% chance of a 1,000 barrel or greater spill for the next 28 years in this area.* Such spills represent a significant hazard to marine ecosystems, which is of even greater concern considering the proximity of these offshore platforms to Channel Islands National Park, home to several species found nowhere else in the world. (*www.sbck.org)

Winter rains in southern California funnel pollutants from urban, agricultural and industrial areas into creeks and rivers, which in turn concentrate pollutants along the coasts. Water quality is often so poor that local environmental health groups advise against entering the water.

Delapidated fishing stage in Prospect Bay, Nova Scotia. Structures such as these are remnants of a once thriving Atlantic codfish industry. This plight, however, is not unique to Nova Scotia. Around the planet marine species are in massive decline, which is having a resounding impact upon the economies and livelihoods that were based upon a resource previously believed to be inexhaustible.

A juxtaposition of three California Icons: the Pacific Ocean, offshore oil platforms and cars. The consequence of our love of oil comes in the form of degraded ecosystems and polluted oceans. Despite the ubiquitousness of these oil platforms on our coastlines, the U.S. imported 59% of its oil in 2006*. Analysts predict that we will import 70% by 2025**. (*www.eia.doe.gov, ** usinfo.state.gov)

Emissions from the Mandalay Power Plant in Oxnard, California are released into the atmosphere. These include nitrogen oxides and carbon dioxide, although in smaller quantities then those released from coal power plants.

Pesticide resistant larvae feeding on sweet corn. The mere presence of this larvae on corn that received heavy applications of pesticides is evidence of genetic resistance and resurgence of an agricultural pest. In many ways, the use of pesticides initiates a treadmill in which the only solution is to increase the concentration and toxicity of pesticides. The outcome, however, is not to our benefit. Studies indicate that pesticide resistance results in losses that total at least $1.4 billion per year in the U.S. alone.*

The remains of a feral pig on Santa Cruz Island, Channel Islands National Park, California. Pigs were introduced to Santa Cruz Island beginning in the 1850s and had negative impacts upon the native flora and fauna. A controversial pig eradication program was initiated in 2004 and completed by July 5th, 2006.

A male land iguana after a failed attempt to feed on the buds of an opuntia cactus. Although land iguanas are common throughout the Galapagos Islands, the colony on each island is unique due to the fact that each population is geographically isolated from the others. The regulations that protect the Galapagos Islands were developed with the intent of managing the area for the sake of the flora and fauna, many of which are found no where else in the world.

Low tide on Sal's Island, Nova Scotia

Grace Bueti tends to organic crops and serves as an education coordinator for Rio Gozo Farm in Ojai, California. The farm supplies produce to local schools and supports a community service program that trades produce for volunteer labor.

December Surf

2007-12-13T20:08:00.000-08:00

Joshua Tree National Park

2007-11-16T19:53:00.000-08:00

Climbers sometimes joke about the poor rock quality in Joshua Tree and fleets of RVs that flood the park, but I'll always jump at the chance to get lost in the Wonderland of Rocks, or to limp back to camp after a few bouts with some overhanging crack climb. The most compelling aspects of Joshua Tree, however, are the landscape and the unique flora and fauna. The rugged terrain and hardy vegetation speaks of tough ecosystem that with a little rain, and some exploration, shows itself in a mosaic of miniature Edens.

California Coastline

2007-10-06T21:00:00.000-07:00

November 12, 2007 - This evening I surfed alone near where I grew up as child and easily lost myself in the rhythms of catching waves and paddling through the backlit breakers. Subtle connections such as this are my primary motivation for being outside, but sometimes they catch me by surprise, as if some primordial being inside me is more cognoscint of them than my conscious self.

Despite this connection with the ocean, I have to admit to feeling somewhat unresolved as to how we, as humans, have influenced a place that in many ways is our lifeblood. We clearly love our coastlines, but like a pack of surfers scrambling for a single wave, we are dealing with a resource that is finite. And yet unlike a wave, the sea is sending us signals that all is not well.

Consider the decline in marine species that were previously abundant, such as tuna and swordfish. Also troubling are the increased incidences of red tides, brought on by agricultural and domestic run-off that flows into creeks and tributaries and then instigate a "bloom" of growth along the coasts - a bloom that although essentially natural now occurs so frequently that it disrupts marine ecosystems (and tonight gave the water the look of amber ale). And perhaps worst of all are the offshore platforms, there because of our increasing demand for petroleum energy.

Of course, in many ways the same means that provided me with a childhood at the beach and the experience I have had in the ocean have been at a cost, whether it is due to my family's beach house or the gas that I burn to drive to the beach. I am a part of the problem. As I consider my role as an environmental photographer, and a soon to be father, I need to give back more than I take away.

Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne River

2007-09-11T13:03:00.000-07:00

As Yosemite Valley's sister valley, the Hetch-Hetchey Valley and Tuolumne River Gorge provides a glimpse of what the Yosemite may have looked like a century prior to the influx of paved roads and RVs. Perhaps most telling of the state of this valley was my companion's remark of how unusual it was to be hiking through a landscape of such beauty with so few named landmarks. Yet even our mark as a species is felt in this canyon; where Hetch-Hetchy Dam blocks the Tuolumne River a reservoir has back filled the canyon to just below Pate Valley (seen in the image second from the left). John Muir fought the construction of the dam in his later years, but was unable to dissuade the politicians - San Fransisco's thirst represented a greater need.

Nonetheless, this valley remains as a reward for those willing to work to get there. Even during the fall, when the series of waterfalls below Glen Aulin have lost some of their punch, the inky-black pools worn into the granite and the alpenglow on the towering cliffs are as they have been since long before John Muir first experienced them.

California Agriculture

2007-08-15T15:01:00.000-07:00

The variety and abundance of food in California hits its peak in the summer. But at what cost? When shopping at farmer's markets, one is practically delighted to see worms and grubs on the fruit and vegetables - after all isn't the presence of bugs an indication that food is organic? Yet what if food that receives heavy application of pesticides still bears pests, as in the case with this ear of corn? (left hand image) The reality is that insects can develop resistance to pesticides. The war on pests is actually a treadmill; over time it will take more and more effort to go nowhere.

On the flip-side, even if one was adamant about the use of pesticides in order to maintain crop yields, the fact remains that food production requires pollinating insects and the nutrient cycling services provided by detritus feeders. Most pesticides, however, are broad spectrum, and kill all insects regardless of whether or not they are beneficial. In fact, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reports that one-fifth of beneficial honeybees colonies, along with 67 million birds, are killed each year due to pesticide exposure. This results in a scenario which requires even more time and energy to correct.

The answer seems not to be in attempting to eradicate pests, which develop resistance to the chemicals we throw at them, but rather in modeling healthy ecosystems using a method known as Integrated Pest Management. With IPM, both beneficial and detrimental insects exist in the field, but a balance is achieved that still provides abundant harvests. We also avoid forcing future generations to develop increasingly toxic pesticides and from bearing the responsibility for rehabilitating degraded ecosystems.

The Piolet

2007-05-30T13:48:00.000-07:00

The humble piolet takes a beating, but is unfailingly resolute in its duty. When arresting a falling climber, anchoring the rope in a boot-axe belay, or interned as a deadman, it serves without complaint. To see one in the hands of an experienced mountaineer is to see beyond its Neolithic appearance. Smoke Blanchard comes to mind, leaping, balancing and clambering through the Sierra with his long-shafted mountain axe; in his hands it was more than a snow-bound device.

At the moment, however, the ice axe is little more than an awkward accoutrement to my students as we transition from snow to rock, and back to snow on an ascent in the Palisades. It is constantly in their way unless the going is straightforward -- always occupying the hand they would otherwise use to clutch the rock for balance -- and all too often I have to remind them to return the axe to their uphill hands. Given that their piolets seem intent on casting them off-balance, and the novelty of the axe’s resemblance to medieval weaponry wore off several days ago, my students want to abandon them. I eventually strap their axes in a tight bundle to my pack, reasoning that I am already asking enough of them in braving the thin air and frigid belays.

Resurrected as a prop for our summit photographs, the axe’s function is unmistakable on a choppy, bum-bruising glissade down the “L” couloir. We pick our way down through the piles of rocks to the top of the glacier for a final glissade, but a student narrowly knocks off a block when the spike of his axe jams in a crack and he wrenches it out in frustration. These kids are tired, and I can see their patience towards these hunks of metal has worn thin. Moments such as these, when fatigue has worn away false precepts, are ripe for learning, so I strike, delivering an impromptu lesson on a gravel-strewn ledge of a classroom.

“Here, see how the pick jams in this tiny crack? Or how it serves as a long arm for this reach-across . . .?”

I continue with a reference to Michael Jordan, who as a young man was rumored to bounce a basketball wherever he went, eventually making it a natural extension of his body.

“The piolet is the most functional of tools at this level – you want to feel so comfortable with it that it’s as if there is no tool, only you.”

All I see in response are blank stares. It would be better for us just to get down.

I don’t blame them; openness and connection between mind, body and the landscape can seem a little too far-out for the unitiated. The next morning, however, they leave camp with their ice axes in hand, while mine is on my pack.

It has been 14 years since the first time I took students into the mountains, but they still surprise me in the ways they learn--sometimes with such subtlety and expressionless-ness that you never know if you’ve reached them until they surprise you at some moment by exceeding your instruction.

They no longer seem to notice the piolets in their hands as we descend into the aspen grove at Cienega Mirth, but I notice. I see the ease of their grip and the confidence of their stride; they are proud of their ascent – wearing their scrapes and bruises and piolets like badges. I see them as the next generation of Palisade climbers and wonder if Smoke would see it that way too.

Nova Scotia

2006-08-21T09:11:00.000-07:00

The town of Prospect clings to one of the many fingers of rock that make up the inlets of Nova Scotia. It was here that I was particularly captivated by the play of light on the water and on the fishing stages that surround the harbor. I was also struck by how this particular stage (second photo from the left), with a For Sale sign, tells the story of the codfish industry in this area. Note that the lobsterman next door is still in business - trap fishing is sustainable by nature - but codfish populations have been virtually decimated along the Atlantic Seaboard. We have to face the reality that fish populations are declining world wide; this is the cost of our love of seafood.