Thoughts about…

Because I was so delinquent in publishing last month’s correspondence, I’ll spare you my usual sermon. Instead, I present to a sort of “greatest hits” from the plant and wildflower species that I submitted to the Tahoe Wildflower Big Year – 2019.

So long as nobody’s out there sandbagging (i.e. planning to post their million-and-one wildflower observations/IDs at the last minute), I should have second place for Most Species locked up. I currently have 349 species (first place has 715!). And, although, I may have incorrectly ID’d a handful of species throughout the season, I’m currently 40 species ahead of the number three person so I think I’m good to go.

A couple of notes about this selection of Sierra Nevada plant and wildflower species:

• I’ve posted the common names used on iNaturalist, so they may or may not be different from what you’re familiar with (scientific names are included).
• Not all of the species presented here have been ID’d by other iNaturalist community members, meaning they’re not classified as “Research Grade” on iNaturalist. This is not uncommon, however, as there are so many observers and posted observations and far fewer identifiers in the iNaturalist community.
• For more photos and information about any of these species, just go to my iNaturalist account and find them on my list of observations.
• Not all of the species on this list are native to Lake Tahoe, but they’re here now and probably won’t be leaving anytime soon (kinda like me!).
• If there’s one lesson I’ve learned this summer, it’s that the more I learn the more I find out just how much I don’t know. Until I started really looking closer at each individual plant, I took for granted the majority of them.
• These are not necessarily my best photos. Instead, I wanted to offer a diverse selection of species that even long-time Tahoe locals would find interesting.
• It’s a bit late in the season now, but to plan for next year read some of my tips about finding Lake Tahoe wildflowers.

I intend to (eventually) upload many of these species to my RedBubble account so that people can order prints of them. That will take some time but if any pique your interest and you’d like to order prints sooner rather than later, write the species’ name(s) in the comments below. I’ll expedite the process of making them available for purchase and notify you when I’ve done so. Keep in mind, however, that the largest format of prints that I’ll offer will most likely be no bigger than 8x10s. My current camera just doesn’t have the power to output larger format (for print) images.

Thanks for being a part of my life. Until next time…

-Jared Manninen

Tahoe Trail Guide is an online magazine for sharing my knowledge about hiking, backpacking, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing, as well as information about traveling to (and through) the Lake Tahoe region. I refine that information for a younger audience and produce it in a printed format under the title Wilderness Activity Books. Lastly, Tahoe Swag is a collection of art and design products I create based on my love of the outdoors and appreciation for Lake Tahoe.