We return to the healing desert playa to fulfill yet another season of watershed restoration. This time we mobilize in a different project area.

During the past several mobilizations we focused our work within a conspicuously deep incised channel. To the lay person, standing within this channel gives a false impression it is a naturally occurring seasonal arroyo when rather, it likely began as a mere cattle trail across the desert. Overtime, and after many a cattle adhered to the trail over the years, a new scar across the land developed eventually giving way to the great power of monsoonal rains. Year after year, the rains weathered away its path creating the incised channel now portrayed across the earth today. As the water flowed with abandon following the gradual descent eastward, it carried along with it actual earth. Rocks, roots, dirt and sand became displaced building to a head along what is known as a Pleistocene shoreline located directly in its path. There it accumulated until it reached the playa’s limits eventually rupturing through. In fact the water breached at two different points along this unique desert shore.

These massive breaches are where much of the desert substrate deposits at the bottom of the prehistoric inland lakebed. What was once a massive inland lake is know a radically impressive, yet strikingly beautiful barren and unique landscape. Ultimately in a way, the mountains to the west have become much of the surrounding desert substrate. Also becoming dispersed on the currents of flash floods from monsoonal rains and windstorms, this sometimes not so gradual process happens with great intensity during the windy and rainy seasons.

The ancient dried up inland lake is located within the Chihuahuan desert, this desert experiences particularly intense windstorms. Ordinarily, thanks to the great diversity of plant life, the Chihuahuan desert can be quite resilient and adapt to strong winds. However, as expanded upon in one of my earliest posts, diverse deserts by nature carry a fine line of resilience and vulnerability to the elements especially succumbing to human-driven influences. Because of those influences this desert is now rampant with increasingly dangerous flooding and dust-storms.

In modern human history {meaning within the last 250 years or so} cattle grazing is most often to blame for this type of ecological desertification worldwide. Grazing is so harsh on the already semi-arid landscape. Surrounding this particular project area, dust storms have actually lead to lost human lives on the main highway which quite literally runs right through this damaged landscape. In fact, cattle grazing accounts for the lost lives of multiple species. Especially the multiple native species who once and still call this area home. Grazing too much grass and other plant food sources while trampling habitat resources undermines, quite rapidly in fact, the resiliency of such ecosystems.

Sadly, far too often cattlemen historically (and sadly, presently still) tend(ed) to vilify and fear many native predator species including coyote, wolves, bobcats, cougars and bears. In fact, during the first season on the playa, we unfortunately encountered this firsthand. In an arroyo not far from the project areas, a pile of 3-4 coyotes carcasses lay shot, dead and discarded under a large mesquite and behind shrubbery. Some times cattlemen “err of the side of caution” even though coyote pay virtually no threat to cattle, or humans, for that matter.

I’ll digress since I’ve written too, in much detail the nuances surrounding the work that I do in the playa and beyond in previous articles, work that often includes unfortunate facts such as this. All the more reason to carry out yet another season with fervor.

This time around we came to get to know a new project area quite well within the playa. Putting our bodies to work we ended a successful seven week mobilization having built over a hundred natural grade control features within the new work zone of eroding desert. Our previous years’ work proved gratifying and successful, well into our groove we feel optimistic of this years’ work thus far and look forward to seeing the rewards of restoration in the coming seasons. Until then, we have lots to think about and double up on to ultimately close out the area and move onto another, provided funding continues.

A sweet feature that marked this mobilization was not one dealing in erosion, but of a living feature. After we had staged our areas of field work we soon were aware of a pair of burrowing owls inhabiting a mound just outside our work areas. I was delighted by their presence and was able to observe them during our seven week mobilization. While in the field I learned a bit of their daily routines and behaviors. I even witnessed them bring in their catch after hunting, which they are apparently very efficient. They seemed to recognize our patterns as well. During our lunch breaks I very much enjoyed watching the two of them fly in and out of their den, sometimes with a lizard they caught or just out to perch on a few selected posts and plants. I especially enjoyed watching their curious bobbing motions as well as their spectacular aerobatics when landing.

There is a lot of love in what I do. That love comes especially from things like this. Knowing that I am helping to heal a broken landscape, habitat to the wildlife present. Mending Gaia’s wounds directly with my hands, muscles and tons of sweat is and has always been the most gratifying aspect of the work that I do.

I’ll be following up on the groundwork carried out during this mobilization, come late this Fall. I’m very hopeful we’ll be able to share more successes. Stay tuned.