Nature Notes Previous Episodes

They were more than a thousand miles from the Aztec cities they’d conquered, but when the Spanish arrived in what’s now the Southwest, similarities were what they noticed. Maize farming, painted ceramics, village societies – this was a “new Mexico.” … Continue reading →

Guadalupe Mountains National Park launched an artist-in-residence program in 2013. It’s one of more than 50 residencies at national parks and monuments. For artists, the residency is an extended encounter with a compelling, if forbidding, West Texas place. The artists … Continue reading →

The ancient Southwest was a place of tremendous diversity. Among the deserts, high plateaus and wooded canyons, cultures grew and flourished, influencing one another. They mastered agriculture in some of the most forbidding landscapes on Earth. Ceramics were ubiquitous – … Continue reading →

West Texans can sample and learn about sotoles, at Marfa’s third annual Agave Festival, June 1-9. Distilled agave spirits have long been a mainstay of Mexico and the borderlands. But they’ve gone global. Tequila exports from Mexico have doubled since … Continue reading →

It’s a curious thing to say about creatures that are in fact dinosaurs, and have endured for tens of millions of years, but birds are having a moment. Birding has a growing number of young practitioners. In city and town, … Continue reading →