I first got my footing in the photography world by wanting to capture images of natural phenomenon that made me ogle, wow and sigh. I wanted to elicit the same emotional response of being in nature with a photograph (more on this short-sight later). I was fortunate to work in various capacities with organizations that would take me out to such places. Yosemite was an obvious first stop, soaked in citric acid of Adams photos that were yet to be exposed properly. Next was the Sierra high country, often coupled with climbing adventures to remote (literally) cracks of the earth. In these locations I was drawn to the awe and wildness of the place. As my botanical and ecological taste became refined, I began to see the wonder in places close to home in the Bay Area.

Wilderness settings with rich flora and fauna exist and arguably thrive at the edges of our human reach. Rural landscapes in particular can have exceptional richness and a sense of place associated with them. In Marin, the community has made an active effort to value the conservation of working landscapes. The Nicasio Native Grasslands Ranch is one such place where you can sense how well-intentioned and trained human stewardship can create a refuge for rare and common species alike. Many of the plants you will see below are sensitive and require high quality habitat to thrive: Calochortus, Castilleja, Delphinuim, and Lomatium, to name a few of the more notable denizens of this fantastic ranch.

A few images can be accessed as a slide show below (after the jump). Click the title image and then use the arrow keys to move through the slideshow.

The Nicasio Grasslands Ranch PDF is a brief visual introduction to this wonderful place that. Please note that all rights are reserved for this publication and its images.