Early Spring in the High Desert

Through our exploration of the High Desert, we cultivate a world where people and the landscape thrive together.

Spring is an exciting time of year to explore the High Desert. In April and May, desert habitats begin to come alive after months of frigid weather. Warming temperatures and sunny days make it more comfortable for humans to be outside observing wildlife. Deer and pronghorn begin to move on their seasonal migrations to the high country, while an enormous diversity of birds arrive either to nest or to use desert lakes and streams as stopover habitat on their way to distant breeding grounds. As the sun warms the ground, plants make use of water stored in the soil from rain and snowfall to grow, bloom and reproduce before the bone dry, scorching summer months end the growing season. Spring is when the hidden biodiversity of the High Desert is most visible.  

Today it can be difficult to imagine the wide-open expanses of this part of the High Desert region being full of water, covered with huge lakes and marshes. Native peoples have inhabited this region continuously from time immemorial until today, living alongside the wildlife and making a living in the dynamic and ever-changing landscape. It’s humbling to consider the passage of time and think that the people who made these petroglyphs likely looked out over a landscape that looked quite a bit different than what we see today.  

For much of the year the High Desert can be somewhat drab. Spring weather and seasonally abundant water bring color to the region for a few months of the year, but lichens can be found year-round in splashes of dramatic color. Bright oranges and yellows paint the rocks in many locations. These organisms are a mutualistic relationship between an algae or cyanobacteria and fungi. The bright colors come from usnic acid and other pigments, some of which may be related to photosynthesis, others that are toxins to discourage herbivory, or serve to protect the lichen from damaging UV rays. If you pour a bit of water from your water bottle on the lichens you can watch them change dramatically before your eyes, becoming even brighter and more colorful.