Pen and Ink
PEN & INK
These drawings are from a series of books about the history of a private ranch in northern California. The ranch is held in conservation to protect both the cultural and natural resources there. It sits in the Sierra foothills, just above the convergence of three rivers, and features a wide variety of important habitat. Some of the cultural artifacts on the land indicate that humans have occupied this territory for perhaps thousands of years.
From a series depicting the characteristic plants of the Sierra foothills.
Crotalus oreganus - the Northern Pacific Rattlesnake - is an abundant resident of the western states. Rattlesnakes have a key role to play in ecosystem balance.
These baskets are currently housed in the Sutter County Community Memorial Museum. They were made by the indigenous communities of the Sierra Foothills near the confluence of the Yuba and Feather Rivers in California.
From the indigenous people of the Sierra foothills, at the confluence of the Yuba and Feather Rivers.
This basket was used to collect seeds from native plants. Indigenous women were the primary tenders of this critical food source. This basket was likely made by a woman living in the Sierra foothills at the confluence of the Yuba and Feather Rivers.
Male and female pair of the California state bird.
In the Sierra Foothills, just above the confluence of the Yuba and Feather Rivers, the presence of these mortars indicates a thriving community of people living in this area. Mortars were used to grind nuts, seeds, and fruits. This area has one of the largest concentrations of bedrock mortars in the state of California.
From a series of books about the natural and cultural history of a ranch in the Sierra foothills of California.
Another from the series depicting native bunch grasses of California. This features Creeping Wild Rye (Elymus triticoides) and Purple Needlegrass (Stipa pulchra).