About This BlogRanger-naturalists have been interpreting the natural and cultural resources of Yosemite for park visitors for nearly a century. In this blog, some of Yosemite's park rangers share recent observations from around Yosemite. All posts are shown below, or you can view posts by topic. If All Goes Well, There Will Be No Swimming
February 06, 2016
Like in summer, there are bodies of water to cross when travelling in the wintry Yosemite Wilderness. But winter has that extra bag of tricks: it’s cold. For some, the coldness itself may not be much of an obstacle to overcome, but winter changes to a landscape can test anyone’s abilities and common sense. Instead of fording a creek, one is forced to walk over ice. If all goes well, there will be no swimming. First to Bloom
February 08, 2015
When visitors ask “when will the first wildflowers be blooming?” an easy answer is May, June, or July. However, months before the poppies, pentstemons, lilies, and shooting stars show their pretty summer colors to the world, a small, special flower grows high up in seemingly harsh conditions. Bear Series, Part Four: “Bear-Men” of the American Frontier
November 19, 2014
Long ago, some believed the stereotypical rugged, resourceful, and individualistic American was created by challenging and pushing back against the wilds of the western frontier. Despite cultural connections dating back to the “Old World,” bears at first were not spared from extermination. Yosemite…A Soundscape, Landscape and Nightscape Escape!
October 03, 2014
Imagine the sounds you would hear in urban areas…horns honking, motors revving, car alarms blaring…these sounds quickly add up to what could be an unhealthy accumulation of decibels. Will these sounds soon flood out Yosemite’s natural sounds? Wildfire: Friend or Foe?
September 19, 2013
Wildfire: friend or foe? Within the Sierra Nevada, fire has been an integral part of the ecosystem for thousands of years. During that time the flora and fauna have adapted to a Mediterranean style climate of hot and dry summers allowing for a vastness of fire tolerant plants to adapt to that natural cycle. A unique plant that has a rich and distinctive life cycle within this unique ecosystem is buckbrush Ceanothus. |
Last updated: March 27, 2021