One hundred years ago, construction began on a new road dubbed the Plank Road. It was built to cross the Imperial Sand Dunes and provided the first direct route for motorists traveling between San Diego and Arizona. The road became a reality due to a San Diego man by the name of Col. Ed Fletcher. Fletcher...

The Amargosa vole (Microtus californicus scirpensis) is a desert subspecies of the California vole (Microtus californicus). A vole is a small rodent that resembles a mouse, with a rounded muzzle. The Amargosa vole was previously thought to be extinct. However, in the late 1970s, Vernon Bleich, a biologist,...

What comes to mind when you think of Death Valley? Wide-open expanses of flat desert land? Immense sand dunes? 115-degree temperatures? Or higher? There is a completely different side to Death Valley that might not come to mind – Telescope Peak. Telescope Peak is located in the southwestern corner...

As we begin a new year, people are making plans for all sorts of things – such as a new exercise regimen, a new hobby, a new hairstyle, or maybe even a new vehicle. Here is something you probably had not thought of: How about adopting a wild horse or burro for the new year? About 1,750 wild horses...

California’s deserts are home to an extraordinary diversity of animal and plant species, many of which are threatened or endangered. Our deserts also contain some of our nation’s most prized recreational, historical and cultural lands. Over the years, there have been threats to our deserts. Interestingly...

I would like to say thank you to the Annenberg Foundation. It has stepped in to give a huge helping hand to a local and beloved nonprofit organization so it can continue to be of service to our community. The Los Angeles Residential Community (LARC) Ranch was founded in 1959 by a group of parents who...

I am happy to say  it is now official. California has a state amphibian: the California red-legged frog. The California red-legged frog is a rare species found almost exclusively in our state. It was once commonly found throughout California, but in 1996 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service designated...

A lobbyist is a person who tries to influence legislation on behalf of a special interest. This is what I do four days a year. I’m not a professional lobbyist, and I don’t get paid for what I do. But I believe certain things need to be protected, and I try to convince members of Congress that it...

Nathan Braun received a Father’s Day gift this year he will surely never forget. In October 2012, Nathan and his family took their dog, Murphy, on a camping trip to Hell Hole Reservoir Campground in the Tahoe National Forest. During the trip, something made Murphy take off. The Brauns searched for...

Monday was Memorial Day, a day set aside for honoring and remembering the men and women who died while serving in our country’s armed forces. Memorial Day was first known as Decoration Day, which originated after the Civil War to commemorate the Union and Confederate soldiers who died in the Civil...