Tag Archives: niobrara river

Photo of the Week – September 18, 2014

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I’m writing this from The Nature Conservancy’s Niobrara Valley Preserve in north-central Nebraska, where I’m attending a prescribed fire planning workshop.  The weather up here is beautiful, and the prairies are already wearing their autumn colors.  The most conspicuous color on the landscape is the bright red of smooth sumac, which contrasts wonderfully with the more subtle browns and golds of the grasses.

Smooth sumac and prairie along the Niobrara River at The Nature Conservancy's Niobrara Valley Preserve.

Smooth sumac and prairie along the Niobrara River at The Nature Conservancy’s Niobrara Valley Preserve.

This photo was taken in one of the few parts of the Preserve that wasn’t impacted by the big wildfire of 2012.  I walked and photographed areas that were affected by the fire as well, and I’ll post some of those photos and descriptions soon.  In short, everything I saw is looking great; no significant invasive plant issues, complete recovery of grasslands, and positive developments under the burned pine woodland areas.

 

Photo of the Week – July 3, 2014

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I was back up at the Niobrara Valley Preserve last weekend.  The weather was beautiful, and so were the sandhills.  A few of us went exploring in the late evening, but the sun was hiding behind clouds, so photography wasn’t much of an option.  However, after we got back to headquarters, I glanced up and noticed the entire sky had turned almost blood red!  I grabbed my camera and the closest vehicle and raced up to my favorite vantage point.

The color was already starting fade a little by the time I arrived, so I quickly popped my wide angle lens on and looked around for some foreground to put in front of that sky.  I found a spot, set up the tripod and  ….the camera wouldn’t work.  Ack!!  It took me a few frantic moments to figure out that the lens hadn’t mounted correctly, and a few more to get it off and back on the right way.  By that time, much of the color had left the sky, but there was still enough to squeeze off about three photographs before it disappeared completely.

Here’s one of those three photographs…

Sunset over the Niobrara River. The Nature Conservancy's Niobrara Valley Preserve.

Fading sunset over the Niobrara River. The Nature Conservancy’s Niobrara Valley Preserve.

Have a great Fourth of July!