brcarlson

Four shots of Boylston Ridge SE of Ellensburg, WA showing the shadowing that occurs in spring and fall as the earth rotates on it's axis. In full summer and winter this is not as apparent because of the angle of the sun. Also show the sage brush, bunch grass which is the predominant feature on the landscape, until the wildflowers begin to really bloom in the next 2-3 months.

Four shots of Boylston Ridge SE of Ellensburg, WA showing the shadowing that occurs in spring and fall as the earth rotates on it's axis. In full summer and winter this is not as apparent because of the angle of the sun. Also show the sage brush, bunch grass which is the predominant feature on the landscape, until the wildflowers begin to really bloom in the next 2-3 months.

Four shots of Boylston Ridge SE of Ellensburg, WA showing the shadowing that occurs in spring and fall as the earth rotates on it's axis. In full summer and winter this is not as apparent because of the angle of the sun. Also show the sage brush, bunch grass which is the predominant feature on the landscape, until the wildflowers begin to really bloom in the next 2-3 months.

Four shots of Boylston Ridge SE of Ellensburg, WA showing the shadowing that occurs in spring and fall as the earth rotates on it's axis. In full summer and winter this is not as apparent because of the angle of the sun. Also show the sage brush, bunch grass which is the predominant feature on the landscape, until the wildflowers begin to really bloom in the next 2-3 months.

Back to Boylston Ridge for some shots to show how fast the snow disappears and how quickly the seasons change. The shadowing along the ridge is a spring/fall thing, in summer the sun is too far north, in winter too far south.

I'd really like that! Likewise if you're ever in Pullman or Northport. We have small Palouse prairie plots around Pullman but a lot of acreage that we're restoring near Northport.

You're doing the good work! ✊

Again, good point. And that's the exact kind of perception that I'm hoping to quell with the app.

If you don't want to download my app (it's android only at the moment, unfortunately), PlantMaps shows similar regions that you can view: www.plantmaps.com/interactive-...

Good points, and I agree! You can't tell from my screenshot, but the app uses the EPA's definitions of "ecoregions", which they've defined 57 different ones in WA state. I believe the two you referred to may be Yakima Folds and Palouse Hills, respectively

Screenshot of Ecoseek showing three ecoregions that were visited with a submitted image as the background of a text area with a checkmark. The first background is of an oak forest, the next is a rocky waterfall, and the last is a desert.

I'm playing around with how the ecoregions that you've visited are displayed in the checklist. By making the featured images more prominent, I'm hoping to give a sense of the rich natural diversity as you scroll through. What do you think?

#Ecoseek #Appdev #Nature #Biodiversity

Photo of a basalt rock covered in lichen and moss

If you pretend you are very very small, even a lone rock in a field of bunchgrass can be a lush forest full of life.

#lichen #moss

Screenshot of Ecoseek, an android app that helps you discover all the natural diversity around you. The screenshot shows 10 of 57 ecoregions explored with a listing of those checked off the list and photos taken during the exploration.

My quest to show my kids all the landscapes in #Washington state has a ways to go but I'm happy with the progress so far! They've seen oak forests, vast grasslands, sand dunes, flood scoured scablands, and more.

#Nature #Ecosystems #PNW #WashingtonExplored #Outdoors #Landscapes

Discover, Log, and Track your adventures across diverse ecosystems.

www.ecoseek.app

Screenshot of the Ecoseek app that shows a simplified description of an ecoregion. The example says "The Glaciated Low Allegheny Plateau is a vast, fairly uniform landscape that spans much of the northern Allegheny Plateau. When viewed from above, it looks like a patchwork quilt of farms and small woods draped over rolling hills. This terrain was shaped by ancient glaciers, which acted like giant sheets of sandpaper to grind down the landscape, resulting in flattened hilltops and..."

Huge update to #Ecoseek that makes #ecoregion descriptions accessible to everyone! All 1700+ descriptions have been updated to use clear language and less jargon.

This is a very important update to me as I want everyone to understand the beauty of #nature.

Photo of a person collecting water from a natural mountain spring where lush green plants grow all around

Photo of a small stream flowing down a hill with western red cedar trees all around

Atop an ancient mountain, shaped by limestone formed 500-million years ago, is hidden a humble spring where mineral-rich water, forced by downward pressure within the rock, seeps from the Earth and nourishes a cedar grove.

Photo of the forest floor covered in moss

Look at this stuff!

Close up photo of rough gooseneck moss showing new healthy vigorous growth and a large patch of more in the in background

It's been a great winter for #moss

#photography #nature #bryophyta

That's right! Rewritten descriptions for all 1700-something ecoregions! Magic? Pretty much! Democratizing #nature exploration? You bet!

Screenshot of the Ecoseek app for Android showing technical terms like "sedimentary rock" and "grand fir" underlined suggesting a link to wikipedia.

Screenshot of the Ecoseek app for Android showing a "Simplified" toggle on and a more understandable description where "sedimentary rock" is described as "layers of hardened sand and silt."

You like #ecoregion descriptions but wish those scientific terms were defined? Maybe you want them understandable without needing five advanced degrees? Well #Ecoseek has you covered! The new version will have links to Wikipedia for all complex terms and an optional "simplified" description.

NIH head, still angry about COVID, wants a second scientific revolution Can we pander to MAHA, re-litigate COVID, and improve science at the same time?

Give @jtimmer.bsky.social a raise. This article was excellent! Way more thoughtful than the clickbaity title suggests - I felt like I was back in my philosophy of science course.

arstechnica.com/science/2026...

Compiler *trimming issues. Always re-read posts before pub.

Screenshot of Ecoseek showing the Discover mode where 11 protected areas can be found in the current screen.

Whew, fixed -- compiler trying issue. Always check release before pub :)

Screenshot of Ecoseek app showing an error

Doh! I got automated build and publish working to my internal release track for #Ecoseek but the build failed. Just when I left for an adventure to explore a new #ecoregion. 🤣

Photograph of Palouse loess soil with a few weeds and mostly bare soil. Some research flagging are in the background to show a plot outline

The highly anticipated update on the #nativeplants restoration plots: they are still sleeping 🤣

We got some wet and cold weeks though, so hoping the seeds are going through stratification finally.

Screenshot of the app details page for the app Ecoseek in the Google Play Store. The screenshot highlights the "What's new" section that reads: Added descriptions for all states -- and that makes 48! All continental states are now supported! Well, Florida is a bit weird, but we all knew that."

After many hours, I have finally finished a full database of ecoregion descriptions and added it to #ecoseek. It contains data for all continental states - and now anyone there can use the app to discover new ecosystems around them!

Download, explore, and become great stewards of the land!

Photo of patches of green grass in the foreground and the loess hills of the Palouse in the background. Taken on top of Kamiak Butte.

Photo of a trail up Kamiak Butte showing lush green grass grasses and moss on the rocky hill slopes on the left of the trail.

The #palouse is looking pretty green for it being early January.

Photo of a brush covered trail with a lady moving a cut branch and a man pulling down a branch out of a tree. The trail is an old logging road within a Douglas fir forest with the occasional western red cedar

Photo of a cleared trail with a few cut logs on the right and a brush pile on the left. The trail is an old logging road within a Douglas fir forest with the occasional western red cedar

Spent some time doing some #trail maintenance in one of our #rewilding areas.

Photo of a rock that has fallen into a pocket of ground with leaves and needles scattered around

Photo of two rocks that have fallen into pockets of ground with leaves and needles scattered around

These neat rock pockets were likely formed from the wet ground expanding upward as the water froze (frost heave) then the rocks warming faster than the surrounding soil, melting the ice, and falling below.

#naturemiracle #nature #frostheave

Teasel seed head dusted with snow

Leaving stems and seed heads in gardens and green spaces can help insects survive in cold weather by giving them a safe place to shelter. Birds eat the seeds too! So wait until spring before cutting dead plants down 🐞
More ways to help winter wildlife: littlegreenspace.org.uk/features/win...

Photo of a child ice-skating over a frozen pond with mountains in the background

Giving these kids the best life

Photo of a woman ice-skating on a frozen pond between clusters of bull rush and below a setting sun

A few calm and cold nights left us with a pond covered with ice as if a Zamboni drove over it. How could we not bust out our skates?!

Photo of a frozen pond in the foreground reflecting reds from a sunset alighting altocumulus clouds

Sunset alighting a frozen pond

#photography #easternwashington #nature #pond #sky

Photo of a century old aqueduct running though a tunnel

Photo of moss covered limestone rock with a person climbing out of a small hole, which was once a exit point of the old Northport aqueduct

In the late 1800s to early 1900s the town of Northport transported water from Deep Creek through miles of aqueduct. If you know the right people, you can hike through a few hundred feet of tunnel where the aqueduct cuts through a mountain

Lol, note the conetainers in the background :) always #nativeplant ing!