My need to name things that I come across in the desert

I’ve become somewhat obsessed with learning about what I’m looking at when it comes to the desert outdoors. I think it’s the diversity and uniqueness that pique my interest. I mean, that’s the reason (I think) why I started observing and studying birds and their behaviors about six years ago and have since developed a level of expertise. And now there’s this relatively recent offshoot of wanting to delve into other aspects of the natural landscape.

Maybe I’m in a place in life where I have a need to discover more meaning and make more sense of things. Perhaps this is a spillover from trying to figure myself out, which I still haven’t done! Sure, I’m part of the human species. But among species, you have your hybrids, and those can be quite puzzling. But they also make life more interesting and magical.

Anyway, when I hike or go to nature preserves, I invariably carry a camera and zoom. Whereas previously, a pair of binoculars would do just fine. And like I said, my curiosity about what I’m seeing now extends beyond birds. Questions that pop up in my mind in whack-a-mole fashion as I walk through, say, somewhere in the Spring Mountains, include things like: What is that plant? That wildflower? What type of shrub is this? What about that sedimentary rock, or this dry soil?

So I bought a couple of new field guides and also discovered some places online that are good resources, such as Jim Boone’s astoundingly detailed Bird & Hike website. Boone holds a PhD in ecology and says the aim of his website is to spark interest and enjoyment of the Nevada outdoors. Thank you, Jim!

Back in New York, where I was born and raised, plants and wildlife were just part of the overall landscape and sort of blended into the background when I went bicycling in places like Whiteface Mountain Bike Park or meandering on foot in spots such as the New York Botanical Garden. So, my strong sense of curiosity around nature seems to be a Nevada-specific phenomenon for me. But then again, like I said above, maybe it’s  more of a reflection of where I’m at in life. Spiritually. Mentally. Who knows.

But I also am convinced that maybe sometimes, you just have to accept the mystery, and then maybe circle back to it some other time. Like those days when I go birding and there’s that one bird I’m unable to identify. Perhaps I only heard it but could not catch a glimpse. Or maybe the glimpse was too fleeting, or the sun’s glare was too strong. So many factors affect our experience.