Tessera

Robb Hannawacker

@hannawacker.bsky.social

A naturalist of the US-American Southwest, with an emphasis on entomology. Trailer-traveler, since 2012. Retired USNPS Park Ranger Naturalist (2003-2024). Spoony - Demi - AuDHD - he/him/his

1874 Posts1729 Follower 2058 Folgt

Robb Hannawacker @hannawacker.bsky.social · 2w ago

rs.bot/GfwSRX

NO MORE FUNDS for illegal unwinnable unaffordable war in Iran. NO MORE FUNDS for Pentagon

Join 2,168 people. Please: NO MORE FUNDS for the illegal incompetent and destructive war in Iran. NO MORE FUNDS for the Pentagon. WE CANNOT AFFORD THE COSTS, THE LOSS… Sign and Resistbot delivers your...

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Robb Hannawacker @hannawacker.bsky.social · 2w ago

Reassert all the congressional powers usurped by Trump. Block, impeach.

Join 114 people. It's time for Congress to fully reassert its powers -- war powers, tariffs, appropriations. Trump has usurped all these while a feckless GOP house… Sign and Resistbot delivers your le...

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Robb Hannawacker @hannawacker.bsky.social · last mo.

m.youtube.com/watch?v=-ydX... democrats-naturalresources.house.gov/imo/media/do...

How Trump Hijacked America's 250th Birthday | Natural Resources Democrats

YouTube video by House Natural Resources Committee Democrats

m.youtube.com

Robb Hannawacker @hannawacker.bsky.social · last mo.

Has USA ever had a president that is so corrupt and cruel? It would take much digging to see his redeeming qualities. It’s punishment to listen to his supporters explanations. Shitty time.

Stop Trump from silencing whistleblowers

What happens when the people working in our government are no longer allowed to tell the public what’s really happening? If we don’t take action now, we may soon find out. That’s because right now,...

act.commoncause.org

Robb Hannawacker @hannawacker.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Don’t Let Trump Sabotage Vote by Mail!

In a new proposed rule, the USPS would be required to keep a list of voters it believes should be allowed to vote by mail—as well as the power to stop those ballots from being delivered. Urge them to ...

click.actionnetwork.org

Robb Hannawacker @hannawacker.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Snowbrush Ceanothus Ceanothus velutinus Verdi Ridge, California, USA

A broad expanse of dense clusters of creamy-white blossoms creating the appearance of late-season snow draped across Verdi Ridge, stretching toward a low ridgeline backed by the layered blue silhouettes of distant mountains fade into atmospheric haze.

Snowbrush Ceanothus is one of the most conspicuous shrubs of western montane forests, occurring from California and Oregon eastward into the Great Basin and Rocky Mountains. It thrives on dry, sunny slopes, forest openings, and disturbed sites, often forming extensive stands such as this one. The species is easily recognized by its shiny, resinous leaves and masses of fragrant white flowers that bloom from late spring into early summer.

This shrub plays an important ecological role in post-fire landscapes. Its seeds can remain dormant in the soil for decades, protected by a hard seed coat. Heat from wildfire helps scarify the seeds, triggering germination. Following fire, Snowbrush often becomes one of the dominant early successional plants, stabilizing soils, reducing erosion, and providing cover for wildlife.

Like many members of the buckthorn family (Rhamnaceae), Ceanothus velutinus forms a symbiotic relationship with nitrogen-fixing bacteria in root nodules. This allows it to enrich nutrient-poor mountain soils by converting atmospheric nitrogen into forms usable by plants. As a result, Snowbrush frequently improves site fertility for the conifers and other vegetation that follow.

The flowers are highly attractive to native bees, butterflies, flies, and other pollinating insects. During peak bloom, stands such as this can hum with insect activity. Deer, elk, and other browsing mammals feed on the foliage and young growth, while dense thickets provide nesting and escape cover for birds and small mammals.

This scene captures a fire-adapted shrub community in full bloom, simultaneously supporting pollinators, enriching soils, and preparing the way for the next generation of forest.

Robb Hannawacker @hannawacker.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Dog Valley Chilcoot County, California, USA

This picturesque landscape captures **Dog Valley**, located near the California-Nevada border in the eastern Sierra Nevada region (historically associated with Sierra/Plumas counties near Chilcoot). The photograph showcases a sweeping, elevated viewpoint of a vast alpine meadow system framed by dense coniferous forests and distant, rolling mountain peaks.
### Key Visual Elements:
* **Foreground:** The immediate foreground features the vibrant green needles of nearby pine branches, slightly soft in focus, which frame the right and bottom edges of the shot and establish a strong sense of depth.
* **The Valley Floor:** A wide, undulating meadow dominates the mid-ground. The valley floor transitions through various shades of green, pale yellow, and dry gold, indicating a seasonal alpine ecosystem. A small, meandering creek bed or seasonal drainage area is visible, marked by darker clusters of low-lying riparian shrubs and willows winding through the grass. Scattered, solitary pine trees dot the open pasture.
* **The Forested Ridges:** Rising sharply from the valley floor is a dense, uniform forest of evergreen trees—predominantly Jeffrey pines, ponderosa pines, and firs characteristic of the high-desert transition zone. The forest blankets a long, horizontal ridge that spans the entire width of the mid-background.
* **Background Mountains:** In the far distance, a massive, barren mountain peak rises above the tree line under a clear, pale blue sky. The mountains exhibit a soft blue-grey hue with visible ridges and contours shaped by erosion, typical of the Great Basin and eastern Sierra topography.
### Atmosphere and Lighting:
The photo is taken during a bright, clear day with harsh, direct sunlight coming from the upper left, casting distinct shadows from the trees onto the valley floor. The overall atmosphere is peaceful, remote, and characteristic of the rugged, high-elevation wilderness found along the northern Sierra Nevada periphery.

Robb Hannawacker @hannawacker.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Lake Winnemucca, Nevada, USA

A solitary travel trailer and tow vehicle sit on a broad desert playa near Lake Winnemucca, Nevada, as the last light of day paints the surrounding mountains in shades of rose, amber, and lavender. The rugged mountain range dominates the horizon, its ridges and canyons highlighted by low-angle evening sunlight, while long shadows settle across the basin below.

In the foreground, the pale gravel surface bears the curved tracks of vehicles that have crossed the open desert. Sparse shrubs and low sagebrush stretch across the valley floor, emphasizing the vastness and isolation of the landscape. Two weathered rock outcrops rise from the plain, providing natural focal points between the campsite and the distant mountains.

The compact white travel trailer, parked independently from the tow vehicle, appears well-established for an extended stay. Storage bins, leveling blocks, and camping equipment surround the site, reflecting a self-sufficient off-grid lifestyle. Solar panels are visible on the trailer roof, suggesting reliance on renewable energy in this remote setting. Beside the trailer stands a blue heeler-type dog, adding a sense of companionship and scale to the expansive scene.

The atmosphere is calm and quiet, with clear desert air and subtle pastel colors spreading across the sky. The photograph conveys both the solitude and freedom of dispersed camping in the Great Basin Desert, where immense open space, rugged geology, and dramatic evening light combine to create a striking sense of place.

Lake Winnemucca, Nevada, USA.

Robb Hannawacker @hannawacker.bsky.social · 2mo ago

action.aclu.org/petition/tel...

Tell the BIA: Justice for Mahmoud Khalil

Mahmoud Khalil has been harassed, targeted, punished, and denied his right to a fair and full trial in immigration court. The Trump administration has had its thumb on the scale the whole time. Demand...

action.aclu.org

Robb Hannawacker @hannawacker.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Desert Marigold Crescent Dunes Nye County, Nevada, USA (More in ALT)

A vibrant cluster of Desert Marigold (Baileya multiradiata) glows in the foreground beneath the towering sands of Crescent Dunes in Nye County, Nevada. The bright yellow blossoms stand in striking contrast to the muted tans and shadows of the massive dune rising behind them. Long evening or early morning light casts soft illumination across the scene, emphasizing the textures of the wind-shaped sand and the silvery-green foliage of the hardy desert wildflowers.

The sweeping dune dominates the background with elegant curves and deep shadow, conveying both scale and the stark beauty of the Mojave Desert landscape. Sparse desert vegetation scattered across the sandy flats hints at the resilience of life in this arid environment. The composition balances delicate detail in the flowers with the monumental simplicity of the dune, capturing a moment where fragile seasonal bloom meets the timeless forces of wind, drought, and shifting sand.

Crescent Dunes is known for its remote desert scenery and dramatic dune formations, and this image highlights the contrast between harsh conditions and sudden spring vitality after favorable moisture.

Robb Hannawacker @hannawacker.bsky.social · 3mo ago

A dune, duning itself. Crescent Dunes, Nevada, USA

Robb Hannawacker @hannawacker.bsky.social · 3mo ago

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We say NO: NO FUNDS for the ballroom, NO slush fund, NO funding illegality

Join 605 people. We say NO to funding cruelty and corruption, NO to our tax money going into a slush fund that rewards criminals and insurrectionists, NO to executive… Sign and Resistbot delivers your...

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Robb Hannawacker @hannawacker.bsky.social · 3mo ago

www.inaturalist.org/projects/idb...

IDB 2026: Acting locally for global impact

Observe local species May 15–31 for International Day for Biological Diversity! Join this project so your observations count. Together, we create a global snapshot of life on Earth. The theme of IDB 2...

inaturalist.org

Robb Hannawacker @hannawacker.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Crescent Dunes Northwest of Tonopah, Nevada, USA

The bottom half of the image consists of a gently rising sandy slope that serves as the transition zone into the true dunes.

• Vegetation: The sand here is stabilized by a sparse but resilient network of low-growing scurf pea. The plants are scattered unevenly, with more concentrated, slightly taller four-wing Salt Bushes are clustering near the base of the massive dune on the mid-right side of the frame.

• Texture and Ground: The sand in the foreground is a pale, neutral tan color, lightly textured by wind ripples and the shadows cast by the small plants. The sparse vegetation leaves plenty of exposed sand, highlighting the arid environment.

The Midground: The Great Crescent Dune
Rising sharply from the right and middle sections of the photo is a massive, towering sand dune.

• Form and Line: The dune forms a magnificent, sweeping crescent shape. A clean, razor-sharp ridge line curves diagonally from the center-left of the image up toward the top right corner, separating the windward slope from the steeper slip face.

• Texture and Light: Unlike the scrubby foreground, the sand on the upper dune is completely pristine, smooth, and devoid of vegetation.

The Background: The Great Basin Desert Floor and Mountains

On the far-left side of the frame, the dune slopes down to meet the flat desert floor, revealing a wide-open perspective of the surrounding Basin and Range topography.

• The Flats: A distant, flat plain of dark green and brown desert vegetation stretches horizontally across the left third of the image.

• Human Scale: In the middle-distance on this flat plain, a small white travel trailer or RV is parked next to a tiny dark vehicle.
• Mountain Range: On the far horizon, behind the flat plain, a chain of low, jagged mountains stretches horizontally.
The Sky

The upper third of the photograph features a vibrant, deep blue sky.

Robb Hannawacker @hannawacker.bsky.social · 3mo ago

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Trump’s $1.776 Billion Slush Fund Is an Impeachable Abuse of Power

Join 1,545 people. Donald Trump’s proposed $1.776 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund” is not merely unethical, improper, or politically offensive. It is an impeachable… Sign and Resistbot delivers your ...

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Robb Hannawacker @hannawacker.bsky.social · 3mo ago

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No Trump Slush Fund to Pay Off His Thugs With Our Money

Join 12 people. The President of the United States sued the government he runs and is crafting a settlement with agency heads he can fire to give him $1.7 billion of… Sign and Resistbot delivers your ...

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Robb Hannawacker @hannawacker.bsky.social · 3mo ago

resist.bot/petitions/PS...

Try A New Way To Undo Citizens United, Stop Corporate Money in Politics

Join 1,945 people. A compromised Supreme Court opened the floodgates with Citizens United, and now American democracy is drowning in corporate money. Creative advocates… Sign and Resistbot delivers yo...

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Robb Hannawacker @hannawacker.bsky.social · 3mo ago

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Pass voting rights. Expand Scotus. Question Roberts about his Purcell principle

Join 399 people. I'm appalled by the outcome of Scotus's Callais decision, appalled by the response in Louisiana, and appalled by the bad faith jurisprudence. I ask… Sign and Resistbot delivers your l...

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Robb Hannawacker @hannawacker.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Tell Your Republican Members of Congress: Not One Penny More for ICE Brutality act.indivisible.org/sign/tell-yo...

Tell Your Republican Members of Congress: Not One Penny More for ICE Brutality

Email your Republican Members of Congress and urge them to vote NO on any budget reconciliation bill that will shovel more taxpayer dollars to ICE and Border Patrol.

act.indivisible.org

Robb Hannawacker @hannawacker.bsky.social · 3mo ago

project8647.info

Sign the Project 8647 Pledge

They're trying to turn "remove him" into "kill him." Sign the Project 8647 Pledge: no violence, no threats, no criminalizing dissent.

project8647.info

Robb Hannawacker @hannawacker.bsky.social · 3mo ago

𝘗𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘥𝘰 𝘕𝘖𝘛 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘮 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘫𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘯𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘑𝘢𝘯𝘶𝘢𝘳𝘺 6𝘵𝘩 𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 2020 𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘺. 𝘑𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘭 𝘴𝘰𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘵𝘺 𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘱𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘤 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘥𝘰 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘩𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘶𝘴.

NO JUDICIAL CONFIRMATIONS for a felon's nominees

Join 2,060 people. Please do NOT confirm any judicial nominees who cannot answer factual questions about January 6th or the 2020 election correctly and willingly.… Sign and Resistbot delivers your let...

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Robb Hannawacker @hannawacker.bsky.social · 3mo ago

MATCH EXTENDED for World Press Freedom Day: Support PBS News Your 2X gift by midnight Sunday May 3

Donate to PBS News Hour, support our journalism

Your tax-deductible donation to PBS News Hour will support our in-depth, trusted journalism. We are the public media news producer for PBS.

give.newshour.org

Robb Hannawacker @hannawacker.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Reject the Deportation & Detention Agenda act.indivisible.org/sign/reject-...

Reject the Deportation & Detention Agenda

Tell your Members of Congress to publicly oppose any warehouses or detention centers being expanded in your community or anywhere in the country.

act.indivisible.org

Robb Hannawacker @hannawacker.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Anna Knight is a friend. We’ve worked together. Her and I have the same passions, love of the land, and sense of duty. Health forced me out of my career with US Federal Agencies, before DOGE abuses. It’s been about punishment and destruction of public institutions. www.upr.org/show/access-...

The dismantling of government science on Access Utah

Every year on or near Earth Day, we check in with writer and photographer Stephen Trimble. Today we talk with Trimble and three scientists.

upr.org

Solomon @solomonrmissouri.com · 4mo ago

When you are targeting a marginalized community as a marginalized person... look at who is laughing with you... Because the ones laughing WITH you will be the ones laughing AT you

Jacquelyn Gill @jacquelyngill.bsky.social · 4mo ago

The acceleration of the closure of small liberal arts colleges is such a gut punch. These are often the kinds of places that are life-changing experiences for students, providing opportunities for exploration, connection, and learning outcomes that aren't possible at larger universities.

Benjamin Balthaser@blbalthaser.bsky.social · 4mo ago

While Hampshire’s case is in some ways unique, it is amazing to think that in a single lifetime - about 70 years - the US founded the greatest public and liberal arts college system in the world and then destroyed it, to build prisons, give tax cuts to the rich, and own the libs

Hampshire College to close permanently after fall 2026 semester
Emma McCorkindale

Robb Hannawacker @hannawacker.bsky.social · 4mo ago

United Nations Tablet Bears Ears National Monument San Juan County, Utah, USA 8 March 2016

$This photograph captures a massive, majestic sandstone butte known as the United Nations Tablet, located within the Bears Ears National Monument, in San Juan County, Utah. The image is taken during the "golden hour," where the low angle of the sun bathes the rock in a deep, glowing orange and burnt-sienna hue. The Landscape The Butte: The central focus is a towering, flat-topped rock formation. It rises vertically with rugged, sheer cliffs that show distinct vertical fractures and weathering patterns. The top is relatively level, resembling a giant pedestal or "tablet." The Base (Talus Slope): Surrounding the vertical walls is a wide, sloping apron of debris shattered rocks and boulders known as a talus slope. This slope is a darker, shadow-filled crimson, indicating the constant natural erosion of the monument. The Foreground: In the bottom-most section of the frame, there is a silhouette of a dark, horizontal ridgeline, providing a sense of depth and scale against the sunlit monument behind it. The Sky: The background is a clean, minimalist gradient of pale, dusty blue-grey, which makes the warm, vibrant colors of the sandstone "pop." Geography & Geological Context Bears Ears National Monument is a masterpiece of high-desert geology. The United Nations Tablet is primarily composed of Wingate Sandstone, a formation famous for its massive, cliff-forming properties and its ability to glow brilliantly under direct sunlight.$

The Salt Lake Tribune @sltrib.com · 4mo ago

Check out Pat Bagley's latest cartoon: This is the Place

Bagley Cartoon: This is the Place

Check out Pat Bagley's latest cartoon: This is the Place

sltrib.com

Digital Brain @yourdigitalbrain.bsky.social · 4mo ago

Female octopuses throw rocks at males that bother them, documented in Octopus tetricus

Princess Vimentin PhD | Cancer Biologist @princess-vimentin.bsky.social · 4mo ago

🧪While we are enjoying the stunning images from Artemis II, here is a reminder that: While F47 told the astronauts that he saved NASA, WH proposed massive cuts for NASA’s budget for FY27, including a 47% cut to its science division. Of course, the military budget could get a 44% increase for wars.