I'm humbled at that. Even though I'm kind of tuned into the looking down, it seems to me, for bikepacking, trying to notice the unusual flora and insect life, as well as the fauna, is a gift to take advantage of when out in the Great Wide Open. Not to mention, there's probably someone somewhere who's observed the benefits of shifting focus from the far and away, to the close and near.
I hope I can join you on one of your trips, I'd really like that.
I need to get my dog bike travel trained first.😄 But that is on a short list of things I want to do this year.👍
I have to say, as a hiker though, I notice small blooming plants even earlier. Granted for cyclists, they are likely overlooked as you roll past…perhaps, if on March and April rides, people wanting to view their surroundings in a new way, schedule a half hour earlier stop when setting up camp and take time to slowly look down and around whenever you pick your camping spot. Give yourself the time to scan low and around, you might catch a small vetch, or buckwheat, or who knows what, if you take a few minutes as you walk around and pay attention to plants that catch your vision as you ramble.
So many can be 3/8” or smaller, it’ll be the unique leaf form, or a brief unusual dot of color that catches one’s eye, and often, they bloom only for a few days, at that.
For Nevadans, it’s a pleasant gamble to start this habit.
I'm humbled at that. Even though I'm kind of tuned into the looking down, it seems to me, for bikepacking, trying to notice the unusual flora and insect life, as well as the fauna, is a gift to take advantage of when out in the Great Wide Open. Not to mention, there's probably someone somewhere who's observed the benefits of shifting focus from the far and away, to the close and near.
I hope I can join you on one of your trips, I'd really like that.
I need to get my dog bike travel trained first.😄 But that is on a short list of things I want to do this year.👍
I have to say, as a hiker though, I notice small blooming plants even earlier. Granted for cyclists, they are likely overlooked as you roll past…perhaps, if on March and April rides, people wanting to view their surroundings in a new way, schedule a half hour earlier stop when setting up camp and take time to slowly look down and around whenever you pick your camping spot. Give yourself the time to scan low and around, you might catch a small vetch, or buckwheat, or who knows what, if you take a few minutes as you walk around and pay attention to plants that catch your vision as you ramble.
So many can be 3/8” or smaller, it’ll be the unique leaf form, or a brief unusual dot of color that catches one’s eye, and often, they bloom only for a few days, at that.
For Nevadans, it’s a pleasant gamble to start this habit.
terrific post Mr K! I'll send you a native bee and prairie species list from our urban refugia...
Mark Griswold Wilson, urban ecologist