Huachuca water umbel

[guppiecat]

The Huachuca water umbel is a plant that looks like grass, but isn’t grass. It’s a water plant that needs flooding to propagate and survive. It’s an Arizona native … where flooding is pretty rare now that humans consume the water as fast as they can get it.

Of particular interest is the approximately seven meter run that you see here. This is the largest habitat for this plant in the world.

That’s right, the largest, healthiest stretch of this plant is at the Phoenix Zoo, in a non-public area.

Zoos don’t save only the animal species.

Originally posted at stories.starmind.org.

Comments

[sonia]

Just wanted to let you know how much I enjoy your photos and bits of information and whimsy.

Also the glimpses of how committed you are to getting the photos, building the relationships and skills it takes to be allowed behind the scenes at zoos.

Thank you.

[guppiecat]

I don't talk about it a lot, but what really drives me is that I feel this need to see/experience/photograph as many of the endangered species as I can before we lose them. Yes, other people are doing this sort of work too (some professionally), but it's like I can't not do it. I feel like I'm missing out on so much, and if I don't move quickly, I'll never have another chance.

I'm glad others appreciate the work as well.

Thank you.