Do You Really Want To Dismantle U.S. National Monuments?

Sequoia National Monument

President Trump’s Executive Order 13792 to review national monuments “created under the Antiquities Act” may seem innocuous, but it threatens who we are as Americans.

Our National Parks and National Monuments protect wilderness, natural landscapes, historic, cultural, and scientific treasures so they will out last any single generation and benefit all Americans into the future. So what is going on with EO 13792? 

The Executive Order is asking for a review of national monuments that encompass 100,000 acres or more. Apparently size is the only reason to question the value of a monument. A letter sent by 17 members of Congress to Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke, containing their recommendations regarding 27 current national monuments, reveals the real reason for the reevaluation. Read the Letter.

The national monuments being recommended for either rescission (which means repeal of national monument status) or dramatic reduction in size, are not just Bears Ears National Monument, which was designated at the end of the Obama presidency, but national monuments established or expanded over the last 20 plus years by the past three presidential administrations–Clinton, Bush, and Obama. 

Sequoia National Monument

You’ve probably visited some of these national treasures. Here are a few of the recommendations I find particularly troubling:

Giant Sequoia National Monument, CA - (designated by Clinton in 2000) We know so much more about giant sequoias than we did 20 years ago. These unique and ancient trees depend on the forest and watershed that surrounds them. They are not single trees, but organisms interconnected with their entire ecosystem. Recommendation: reduce the current size “so that the monument is ‘confined to the smallest area compatible with proper care and management of the objects to be protected’.” Harvest “timber resources.”

Craters of the Moon National Monument, ID - (established 1924 by Coolidge, expanded by Clinton in 2000) Expanding the monument protected three lava flow areas, Native American cultural sites, and unique wildlife. Concessions were made to allow continued hunting in some areas. In 2017, even the Idaho State Senate voted in favor of petitioning congress to designate Craters of the Moon as a National Park. Recommendation: reduce the current size “so that the monument is ‘confined to the smallest area compatible with proper care and management of the objects to be protected’.”

Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, UT - (designated by Clinton in 1996) We visited this monument for the first time this August; the geology was stunning. New dinosaur fossils are being discovered here every year and the record of human habitation goes back nearly 2,000 years. Concessions made to ranching allow continued grazing by cattle. Recommendation: “total rescission” of the National Monument. Pursue mining of coal and gas exploration.

Carrizo Plain National Monument, CA - (designated by Clinton in 2001) Largest expanse of native grassland remaining in California; home to pronghorn, tule elk, endangered kit foxes, and a variety of birds. San Andreas Fault crosses the plain. BLM land and land purchased by the Nature Conservancy were combined to create monument. Recommendation: reduce the current size “so that the monument is ‘confined to the smallest area compatible with proper care and management of the objects to be protected’.” Develop fossil fuel resources. (45 oil wells remain on monument land and 15 are active; future development is prohibited by current monument status.)

Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, AZ and Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument, AZ - Both of these monuments are part of the Grand Canyon area. Vermillion Cliffs is to the north and Parashant is along the north rim of Grand Canyon. There are no paved roads accessing Parashant, it was initially BLM land, part of the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, 23,000 acres of AZ state lands and ~8,000 of private land. It is a designated a Dark Sky Park. Cliffs was initial protected by the Desert Wilderness Act of 1984. Both areas are vital wildlife habitat: elk, mountain lion, desert bighorn sheep, and CA condor. Recommendation: “total rescission” of the National Monument. Pursue mineral and geothermal development at Vermillion Cliffs and mineral resources at Parashant.

Yellowstone National Park

What would Yellowstone National Park look like today if 50 years ago, we as a country had abandoned the idea of preserving natural places and wildlife, and reduced the Park to a small area around 'Old Faithful' and developed the rest for geothermal energy? 

Yosemite National Park

What would Yosemite National Park be today if it went the way of Hetch Hetchy and was dammed to generate hydro-power? 

Developing these unique landscapes for short-term gain is shortsighted. When you think of a place that feeds your soul, makes you happy to be alive, what do you think of? A coal mine? An oil field? Or do you think of a natural place?

We protect and preserve too little. We treasure too few. Stand-up for preserving our National Monuments. If we don't, the National Parks will be next.

See what other groups are saying about Executive Order 13792:

Advisory Council on Historic Preservation: Letter regarding Bears Ears https://www.grandcanyontrust.org/sites/default/files/resources/ACHP_Bears_Ears_letter_to_Sec_Zinke.pdf

letter from 121 law professors
https://www.nationalparkstraveler.org/sites/default/files/attachments/national-monuments-comment-letter-from-law-professors.pdf

Letter from the US Senate committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry
https://www.agriculture.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/6.15.17%20Letter%20to%20USDA%20on%20Monument%20EO.pdf
Letter from the International Dark-Sky Association
http://www.darksky.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/IDA-Comments-on-E.O.-13792-Review-of-Certain-National-Monuments-Designated-or-Expanded-Under-the-Anitquities-Act-of-1906.pdf

Cassini's Legacy

NASA image taken by Cassini Spacecraft from Saturn looking back at Earth

A bright round planet distantly twinkling in a vast dark sky. 

The image of Earth as photographed by Cassini looking through Saturn's rings gives me shivers. It is the same feeling that I experience during total solar eclipses. The Earth is a small place in the vast cosmos; a special garden and watery wonder.

Space is a cold and hostile place, yet here on our rock veiled in water and atmosphere life thrives in great diversity.

The spacecraft Cassini and its international support team have given humankind an invaluable gift: vision. Vision of a global community of scientists working together. Insight into Saturn's moons with their hints of possible life. But also, they have given us a vivid visual reminder of Earth's fragility. While we search for other life forms in the cosmos, may we work harder to preserve the unique place we call home.

Farewell Cassini and thank you for the images: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/09/14/science/cassini-saturn-images.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=photo-spot-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news 

More about this NASA Cassini image: https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/cassini-earth-and-saturn-the-day-earth-smiled

Celebrating The First Day of Spring 2017

This year the Vernal Equinox finds Southern California lush from winter rains. The garden is flush with flowers. The Lady Banks rose has more blooms than leaves. While she isn't a native, the birds love this thatch of thorn-less climbing rose. The house finches and white-crowned sparrows actually nibble on the rose buds. It is a great place for small birds to hide when the Cooper's hawk is on the prowl.

Several natives are in bloom already. It has taken this ceanothus (snow flurry) years to establish itself, but this year the white blooms are stark against the deep green foliage. Typically our blue-colored ceanothus (concha) is more visible.

The native verbena have been strong bloomers throughout the years of drought. Several of the sparrow and finch species explore beneath them. They may be eating tiny seeds produced by the plants or be thinning out the native insects that are attracted to this flowering species.

Rising summer temperatures in our area have pushed us to incorporate more natives from Baja Mexico into our backyard habitat. This Euphorbia xanti, or Baja spurge, flowers in spring and has tiny green leaves year round. It can be invasive, but up on our hillside it helps with erosion, is drought tolerant, and provides another thatch for avian parents to leave their youngsters. It has served as a play pen for our California towhees and Bewick's wrens. The maze of tiny branches provides roosting and protection for young birds left on their own during parts of the day.

While native plants are a priority for me, I have to admit that two of my favorite flowers in the yard right now are decorative non-natives: the wisteria and the clivia.

Named in honor of Lady Clive, Charlotte Percy the Duchess of Northumberland, in the early 1800s, Clivia miniata, or Kaffir lily, are beautifully flowering plants from shadowy forests of Africa. They are incredibly sturdy. The hybrid individuals in our yard came with us to this house over 20 years ago. They were separated from ancestors in Pasadena about 30 years ago. Clivia are somewhat drought tolerant if planted in shady protected locations. And if they don't seem to be thriving, you can dig them up and move them. Some of my plants have been moved three or four times before finding a location with protection, but enough morning sun to inspire blooming. One huge plus: the gopher won't eat them.

The Wisteria sinensis is a Chinese import, but known for adapting to Southern California weather. My wisteria is doing fine in a pot on the patio. It is also drought tolerant, but in a pot requires closer water attention. Not only are the blooms natural art, the valley carpenter bees love to visit them. This surprises me, but I am thankful that such a beautiful flower plays an important role in my backyard habitat. The hummingbirds also like to sit on its thin vine stems.

On this first day of spring. Take a moment to refresh your mind and spirit with the new life around you. Our first hummingbird chicks of the year fledged on Friday and the Bewick wrens have seven eggs in their nest. Soon the yard will be filled with baby birds.

L.A. Women's March Jan. 21, 2017 - Activists Should Come Together

Where were you on Jan. 21, 2017?

Yesterday was a historical day. You felt that in your bones if you marched in one of the Women's Marches and saw images of like-engergized people around the world. 

I've heard disgruntled people saying "The election is over, stop whining." To these people I say "You are missing the point."

The president, his administration, and ALL of our elected officials need to hear the voices of the democracy. The people have the responsibility to speak out.

• We marched to support women's rights, from Choice, to equal pay, to health care, to civil treatment around the world.
• We marched for a healthy environment for our children and the future.
• We marched for justice and fair treatment for all people, ALWAYS.

In Los Angeles we experienced a respectful, joyous, merging of all ages, racial backgrounds, sexual identities, religious faiths, and political priorities. If you hear someone speaking words of fear mongering and hate, claims of violence at the March in L.A., you are not hearing the truth. Ask what that source has to gain from those statements? Are they trying to silence your voice?

If you want to know what happened at one of the Women's Marches, talk directly to someone who was there. So many people were involved, that someone you know or have a connection to, marched. Ask a participant, reach out to a primary source. Here's our video of the day.

As a white woman, active in women's rights and environmental issues, marching beside activists from other priorities was a moment of awakening. When Black Lives Matters activists or Marriage Equality & LGBTG activists are marginalized, I am marginalized. When immigrants or people of any religious group are marginalized just for who they are, I am marginalized. When women are treated as second class citizens, humanity suffers. When the environment is compromised, the future is threatened for us all.

Let's galvanize the powerful inclusion demonstrated around the world on Jan. 21, 2017. Let's come to the table to find common strengths and shared values. Let's open our minds and hearts to understand each other and work toward shared solutions.

Divided we are issue activists. United we are unstoppable.

Why is the Endangered Species Act important?

How Can Conservationists Move Forward Following the 2016 Election?

The World Turned Upside Down - I think that is how most of us are feeling. This photo sums it all up for me. Do you know what it is?

This summer a wildfire roared through the hillsides west of our house. This is a coast live oak. It's trunk burned completely through and the whole tree tumbled onto its crown. It flipped upside-down. Destruction prevailed.

Unexpectedly, however, the downed part of the tree did not burn. The skeleton remains, an alien looking structure.

Destruction is a natural process and regeneration is its second chapter. Look in the left lower corner–green shoots sprouting. Ashes can provide nutrients and reinvigorate. 

If we believe in nature, then let's take heart in it's lessons. Let's listen, examine closely, and use the ashes to reinvigorate support for clean air, clean water, safe habitats, and action to limit climate change. 

And if you need a little uplift, try A Romp On The Beach

Young Alligator Lizard

It's small, it squiggles across the floor, and it makes you jump back.

Wait! Before you do something drastic ! Take a closer look.

That strange creature that has wandered into your kitchen, laundry room or garage could be an important member of the local ecosystem. Don't panic just help it get outside.

This juvenile southern alligator lizard (Elgaria multicarinata) was trapped in our garage. It was looking for a quiet safe place, but instead found a food desert. Alligator lizards are important predators in the yard. Let them help you with insects and other garden pests. All you have to do is help them get back outside.

This guy was very docile in-hand. 
Watch for yourself: Rescuing an Alligator

Too many ants and other bugs in your yard? Embrace your lizard and amphibian neighbors. 

Western fence lizard - Backyard Superhero 
CA Amphibians
 

What's That Butterfly?

This butterfly was recently in our Southern California garden. Do you know what it is?

Look at the general size and shape of the wings. It is resting on a lemon leaf. Look for unusual markings. Note the color, but remember color can fade with age or vary regionally. Pay more attention to pattern.

Check your answer:

• Monarch
• Mourning Cloak
• Anise swallowtail
• Painted Lady

How to bring more butterflies into your yard.

Watch a variety of butterflies in Illinois on a summer day and butterflies in the tall grass prairie.

Baby Birds and Protective Parents

The California towhee is one of my favorite birds. They are the first bird we hear in the morning and the last species to stop for a nightcap each evening.

Watch a CA towhee vocalizing and guarding its chick.

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CA towhee parents move their chicks out of the nest early to avoid snakes and other bird predators that might easily find their low-built nests. Baby CA towhee on the ground. Tiny Towhee in the grass. I've had numerous calls from people thinking that these chicks were abandoned. 

Nothing could be further from the truth. Most birds are excellent parents. Birds leave young chicks in a protected place and come back to feed them. From hummingbirds to hawks, I've had youngsters hanging out during the day while their parents are off looking for food. Before you try to "help," wait and let the avian parents do their job. You might even be rewarded with seeing a private moment between bird parents and offspring.

For more video of birds and wildlife - Visit my videoblog TheEarthMinute.com

Science and Art Celebrating Birds

Here's a great combination of science and art. Spend a few moments experiencing the creation of the Wall of Birds at Cornell University's Dept. of Ornithology. It will bring a smile to your day.

Wall of Birds in Progress

I count birds for Cornell's eBird and Project FeederWatch. You should too. When you document the birds you see, you watch with greater detail and it opens your world to include your wild neighbors. Band-tail pigeons at the feeder.

This year my visiting ruby-crowned kinglet and hermit thrush left two weeks earlier than in the past. Do they know something about the weather that we don't?

Cornell's Global Big Day, where people all over the world count birds, is coming up May 14th. Join in and help document bird population dynamics on a global scale.

New Book On Women in American History

The role of women in history, science, and culture often goes unheralded. I'm proud to announce that I contributed to a new four-volume reference book now available from ABC-CLIO Publishing.

Women in American History: A Social, Political, and Cultural Encyclopedia and Document Collection 
edited by Peg Lamphier and Rosanne Welch
Available in the Spring 2016 catalog: http://www.abc-clio.com/ABC-CLIOCorporate/product.aspx?pc=A4276C

More than a standard encyclopedia, it brings together the women, movements and original documents connected with social change, court cases, science and culture. You might know the role Rachel Carson played in alerting the public to chemical toxins and inspiring the modern conservation movement, but did you know her earlier work The Sea Around Us sold more copies than Catcher in the Rye in 1951? She encouraged average people to be interested in science.

Did you know that your cell phone depends on science developed by Hedy Lamarr, a woman most known for starring as a sex kitten in Hollywood movies from the 1940s. Her beauty made it difficult for her to be taken seriously as an inventor.  

It's time to peel back the misconception of "women's roles" and understand the influential positions women held in pre-Revolutionary America, the true social status of Native American women prior to the erosion of their original cultures, and the influence of female French colonists in North America. How did women of all race contribute to politics, business, culture, and science help to build modern society? What can we learn from them and use to build a better future?

Finding The Positive in Los Angeles - The River and Local Wildlife

Los Angeles River west of Balboa Blvd.

On a day like today, following another mass assault on our own humanity, it can be difficult to see the world as a positive place. But we all have a choice and I choose to reach out to people making positive differences in the world. 

Los Angeles River just above Sepulveda Dam

Walking the Los Angeles River we have seen the neglected waterway being embraced and re-imagined as part of our communities. The neighborhoods we have walked through so far have been as varied as the River. We all should step out of our own neighborhoods more often to understand the lives of people we think are different from ourselves. The L.A. River holds the potential of uniting disparate peoples across a large city.

The River also can connect disengaged people with the natural world. The section through the Sepulveda Basin is wildness contained, a place to experience wildlife in the city.

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Channel Island fox

The non-profit that I work with, Friends of the Island Fox (a program of the Channel Islands Park Foundation) has just wrapped up a year of numerous successful efforts to support island fox conservation. The Channel Island fox has made a strong recovery from the brink of extinction because of the determined efforts of local people.

There is much to celebrate, but too often it is overshadowed by mindless tragedy caused by people. Today I reject fear and pledge to reach out and build connections with more of my neighbors. Safety doesn't come through weaponry, it comes through bonds of respect and understanding.

Walking the Los Angeles River

Water is life giving. The current drought should be making us more respectful of the naturally occurring water in southern California. Still many people laugh when Angelenos say we have a river.

The Los Angeles River was the center of human habitation in this area for thousands of years. When it created havoc and catastrophic flooding, people confined it to a concrete pathway in order to control its unpredictable ways.

Bridge at Tampa

Finally, fear is giving way to respect and a desire to allow the River to reconnect with its natural ways. The L.A. River officially begins in Canoga Park, less than two miles from where I grew up and I've always wanted to think of it as a river rather than "a wash" or storm drain.

Heron gates at Canoga Ave.

We've been venturing down to the L.A. River for the past nine years. Gradually, new parks and pathways are inviting the public to rediscover the River. See the L.A. River Headwaters walking path.

I've been birding the L.A. River in the Sepulveda Basin for years. It is a gem of wildlife habitat surrounded by suburbs. Wouldn't it be wonderful if the whole L.A. River could become a ribbon of life winding its way through the city? 

I've gotten this idea that I want to walk the River from its birth as a trickle of water in the surrounding mountains to its eventual arrival at the sea.

native wildflowers along the bikeway

So far I've walked sections from the trail along Bell Canyon Creek to the mid-valley at Tampa.

Exploring the River is also seeing the land change, the neighborhoods change, and thinking about the city in new ways. Today, friends joined me in walking the River from Winnetka to the footbridge at Vanalden St. We saw thirteen species of birds and a variety of wildflowers on the native plants landscaping the bikeway. Check out my friend Doug Welch's flower photos on his blog. 

There is a river near you and it is worth exploring.

Video of the Tributaries:
Limekiln Canyon Creek
Arroyo Secco
 
Watershed: Las Virgenes Open Space and take a hike there

 

Fall is Time to Plant CA Native Plants

deer grass from SB Botanic Garden

Two weekends ago, we took a ride up to the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden for their fall native plant sale. 

Native plants can stand up to drought, but now is the time to plant those plants. If the rains really do come, it will give your native plants a jump on survival. For us, it is also about maintaining the stability of our hillside. 

I've been planting, planting, planting.

Calliandra from seeds

Even some of the seedlings I started this spring are going into the ground.

The Botanic garden also had a  cross-over art event, a fiber arts installation organized by Yarn Blaster Babes. 

Check out our Earth Minute videos of the installation How Do Trees Dream? and a school project that displayed How Tall is a Redwood Tree?

This creative installation reminds us all to play. Explore trees, plants, and flowers. Don't just look, interact. A new viewpoint may open up some other aspect of your life. The solution to that work challenge might be found while playing in the garden. Gardens don't have to be big; make a mini-garden.

The Santa Barbara Botanic Garden plant sale continues through the end of the month. What more can I say? GO. 

CA Native Plants Standing Up to Drought

mallow

The drought continues to be a challenge for all of Southern California, but I was heartened this morning by the survival skills of some of my native plants. 

It is October 1, but these plants are looking well.

Video - Take a look at the variety of adaptations in their leaves.

San Nicolas Island buckwheat

Many of the Channel Island species, especially those from the southern islands, are thriving. The San Nicolas Island buckwheat (Eriogonum grande timorum) continues to bloom and to reseed itself, while the San Nicolas Island chamise (Adenostoma fasciculatom 'Nicolas') is a rich green.

Now is the time to plant California native plants so they can establish themselves over the winter. In October, numerous native plant growers are offering special sales:

Theodore Paine Foundation
Santa Barbara Botanic Garden

Now's the time. Plant those natives!

Ring-necked Snake in the Garden

ring-necked snake

Creating habitat in your yard means inviting in predators as well as prey. You can't have healthy equilibrium without creatures at all levels of the food chain.

One of our predators isn't large or threatening, but it is important. We happened upon this juvenile ring-necked snake (Diadophis punctatus) spending the day between rocks at the bottom of the fence. See video of this snake on TheEarthMinute.com

Though small in size (typically 30-90 cm) the ring-necked snake is an important predator of small creatures, notably salamanders and lizards in its western distribution. We have both, especially a growing population of western fence lizards. We noticed a couple of years ago that the explosion of young fence lizards had slowed. Around that time came my first observation of a ring-necked snake. Not long after, I found the remains of one that had been eaten.

This snake species is found across North America. The eastern population tends to be smaller with a yellowish belly, while the western population has a bright red belly. In both cases this bright coloration is flashed at would-be predators to scare them off. The color red is often found in nature as a warning color suggesting venom or poison. There are theories that the red scares scrub-jays which might potentially eat these small snakes if they found them in the leaf litter. 

The ring-necked snake is a member of family colubridae, the most numerous group of snakes. Most are harmless to humans. The large eyes indicate that this snake is a visual hunter and as a colubrid with a long thin, fast body, it most likely tracks down its prey. 

Lizards and amphibians can be tricky to catch and subdue. The ring-necked snake is one of many colubrids which is now known to have venom delivered by fixed fangs at the back of the mouth. The venom delivery system has evolved for prey like lizards. The snake bites the lizard, holds on and moves the mouth back and forth to work the venom into the struggling prey. The nature of the venom and the manner of its delivery makes most rear-fanged venomous snakes not dangerous to humans. This little snake does not want to use its valuable venom on a human or a bird predator, that is why it has the warning coloration on its belly. "I could bite you scrub-jay, but I really don't want to. Leave me alone."

We gently relocated the ring-necked snake to the other side of the yard while we were working on the fence. We hope that it stays and continues to live in our yard. Small, unassuming predators like the ring-necked snake are vital to biodiversity and habitat balance. Would you believe that a study of density, found a healthy ecosystem could have 719 - 1,849 of these small snakes in an area the size of two football fields? And most people would have no idea they were there.

  

Make a Fairy Garden

Between pocket gophers and the drought, I admit I'm garden weary. 

I needed a garden success so I redid my mini-gardens.

Take a minute and let's redo a mini-garden together.



If you are garden weary too, you might also visit a public garden or local California wild place. 

Hidden Gardens of Los Angeles and other California wild places on The Earth Minute

Visit for inspiration or a bit of nature's calm and let someone else worry about the watering.

The Rabbit that Sat on Dad's Shoulder & Other ANIMAL TALES by Keri Dearborn

Why is there a rabbit perched on that man's shoulder? 

Where else would it sit to watch TV?

My family is notorious for its Animal Tales and I've just finished compiling them in this book.

From California desert tortoises to red-tailed hawks, there were always more furred, feathered, and scaled creatures in our home than people. Travel wasn't worth the destination if it didn't include a skunk, a black bear, or a day dodging cattle on my uncle's farm. I learned parenting from a grizzly bear and survival from a goldfish.

Have you ever wondered what gifts a love-besotted hawk gives to his beloved? Do you know the "truth" about hamsters? Have you met my uncle the goat?

Dogs, cats, goats, bears, tortoises, even teeny tiny rabbits can bring love, wisdom, and laughter into your life. 

The Rabbit that Sat on Dad's Shoulder &
Other ANIMAL TALES
Paperback edition BUY Now

Kindle edition BUY Now

Diversity in Epiphytic Plants - Orchids and Epiphyllums

hybrid epiphyllum

People love flowers. We don't generally eat them. They don't provide us with shelter. Yet, humans are drawn to the beauty of flowers.

Thousands of years ago, when people began living closer together and sanitation was less effective, the fragrance of plants and flowers helped us mask our own stench. Roses were hybridized for their perfume. In the modern world, visual appearance is the main attraction to flowers and two groups of flowering plants have formed a mutualistic relationship with humans: orchids and epiphyllums.

Orchids are ancient flowering plants; species are found all over the world–typically with small flowers. 

The ancestral plants of epiphyllums live in the forest of Central and South America. While their flowers are fairly large, coloring is minimal because their pollinators are usually nocturnal creatures–bats and moths. 

Both orchids and epiphyllums are epiphytic plants. They depend on another plant host to provide  a safe location up off of the forest floor. Their seeds settle into the debris caught in the crouch of a tree branch and the epiphytic plant lives happily with little soil on the rain water and nutrients washing off its host. 

Living on the fringes of established plants seems to have required an ability to be flexible, to have genetic options. People admired the natural flowers of both these plants, but then found we could selectively breed these plants to create flowers with varying colors, sizes, and shapes. Growing epiphyllums

Both orchids and epiphyllums have amazing diversity.

See Orchid bloom diversity

See Epiphyllum bloom diversity

People have stepped in to replace the forest trees. We provide tended pots and protected patios. We have taken the place of host plants and the genetic plasticity of orchids and epiphyllums has enabled us to create a broad spectrum of hybridized plants with spectacular blooms.

Would these hybrid plants continue to exist in a world without human partners? It is a fascinating question. Could they adapt and attract another evolutionary partner? If there were no flowers, what would we find beautiful? What would take their place?