Creating Beauty out of a Threatened Species!

I'm continuing my love for texture and sharing with you my own personal experience and concern. I like to visit and take a vacation in British Columbia during the summer. They have a wealth of beautiful landscapes, natural forests, waterfalls and fauna but some of the species that thrive there are also being threatened. On a trip to Opaw, the photography workshop weekend conference, I got to photograph in some of Kelowna's gorgeous parks. I discovered the natural beauty of the Ponderosa Pines that grow all over there and most of BC. These trees are composed of millions of naturally abstract layers of bark piled on top of each other piece by piece to form the Ponderosa Pine Tree. Not only that but they are made up of a multitude of colors that radiate from the deep dark color of the external layer of bark. It's quite remarkable and beautiful up close and from far away but these special trees are threatened by the pine beetle.
A small creature that burrows into the bark of the Ponderosa Pine eventually killing the tree. Thousands of pine trees have been killed by these tiny insects already and thousands more will die. These outbreaks have been getting worse as the population of pine beetles increases. I've seen the effects personally!
Just looking at the forests on the mountainsides in BC you can see a dynamic of green trees amongst the dead red ones. The pine needles turn a reddish color when the tree dies and it's quite evident how large the mass of dead trees that exist in the forests. It would be a shame to see this species wiped out entirely.
I wanted to share with you this story and the beauty that the Ponderosa Pine holds. Here is a photo I took of the Ponderosa Pine Tree's bark up close with all it's unique layers and colors.
Enjoy!
If you would like to find out more please visit these sites;

Ministry of Community Development for British Columbia

Trees for Tomorrow

Texture!!! There is a wealth of textural drama happening in my own backyard!

Have you ever gotten down low and really observed nature's brilliance up close? There is such an abundance of texture, shapes, creatures, lines, and color that occurs on the smallest of scales.
I implore everyone to take a walk through their favorite hiking trail or path and walk right up close to a tree. Observe the texture of the bark and the beauty of the lines nature creates!
I love texture and am fascinated by its discovery in the most creative places;P
Nature creates these amazing visual abstractions full of texture that is there for us to discover and capture.
Here is an image I captured in my own backyard with a 60mm Macro lens. It's the root of a tree that has become unearthed and exposed to the elements.
I will be teaching a workshop in Kelowna, BC Aug. 7-9th at Opaw on "Abstract Designs in Nature". It's a great weekend retreat for photographers where you'll learn new techniques and nourish your creative senses! For more info please visit the website at www.opaw.ca