Mark asked me about an isolated part of the Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve - it was actually an Island in the marsh that had been connected to the Reserve by a narrow levee. I had never been out to the spot and so we arranged a walk in the spring.  It was a propitious time - things were blooming and we found a series of plants that we had not seen on any other slough properties. One whole section of the Island was covered with Perideridia gairdneri  from the Parsley family.  Mark explained that is was called Yampah by the Ohlone and was a prized food.  We went on to discover two species of Mariposa lillies, also used by Indians,  that have not been seen in any other slough locales that I am aware of.  The Island was named Yampah Island, in honor of Mark's discovery of this population.  He developed a hypothesis that these plants may have represented relict populations of plants that were tended by the indigenous people, an idea that intrigues and inspires me. I have forever linked Mark with this place and I can't go there without thinking of him and this link to the past.  I've posted images of the island  and some of the plants there in the photo gallery. 

Muchimas gracias Marco.

Mark Silberstein

A mutual friend invited Mark and I to his place in Baja Mexico - a small fishing village named Bahia de Los Angeles on the Sea of Cortez.  Mark wanted to hike to the top of a Mountain Ridge where big horn sheep were sometimes seen and he invited me along. Little did I know that it would be 4.5 hours to the top and about 7 hours round trip in temperatures near 100. I'm glad I went, despite being skunked on the big horn sheep.  As we hiked Mark was able to identify every bird, shrub, cactus and flower. At the top of the Ridge we had an amazing view of the Sea of Cortez on one side of the ridge and hundreds of miles of desert on the other side.  We had some lunch, saw some big horn tracks and hiked back.  I think that was the last time I visited Baja and I miss it.  I also miss my friend Mark, but I am thankful for being invited along on a great hike and will treasure the memory of that day always. 

 

Mark loved to go camping in remote places. One of his favorites was the Carrizo Plains in between the Caliente Range and Temblor Range. During much of the year this place is dry and hot with sparse vegetation. The first time we drove through, there wasn't much to see so we didn't stop. The next time, we caught this place in the spring after an El Nino year. What an amazing difference! Wildflowers covered the basin floor as well as into the ranges with colors from pale blues, through all the purples and oranges to reds. He was overwhelmed by the beauty and proceeded to take over a hundred pictures. It was the beginning of our annual wildflower hunts in the spring, always checking first to see if Carrizo had received enough rain for another wild year. We returned many times, sharing this favorite place with his parents after we moved back to San Diego. I now have enough slides of wildflowers to fill many books! This picture was taken in 2005.