Fog and Wildflowers at Mount St Helens Wood Print

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When Mount Saint Helens, a volcanic peak in the Cascade Range, southwestern Washington, U.S. erupted on May 18, 1980, it was one of the greatest volcanic explosions ever recorded in North America and left destruction over some 200 square miles. But over the intervening decades, flowers have fought their way into the death zone and sprout from the dead-looking gray soil made up of pumice and ash spewed out by the eruption. However, the flowers are more than beautiful patches of brightness enlivening a somber landscape: They’re pioneers in a slowly recovering ecosystem. As generations of plants grow, bloom, and die, they improve the soil for future plants. It will take hundreds of years to turn this area back to the old-growth forest it once was, but wildflowers are cheerfully leading the way. Fog partially obscures the view from the Johnston Ridge Observatory Center of the sediment-clogged valley of the North Fork of the Toutle River below Mount St. Helens.

Nature has always played a significant role in my life. On walks with my dad when I was a child, I was taught to notice the world around me and appreciate the wonder of nature and all of God's creation. To this day, being out in nature is balm for my soul and necessary for my well-being. When I took up photography, I suddenly had a way to express my joy in nature by preserving the wonder I see, and then being able to share it with others. While I initially did nature and especially macro (close-up) photography, my interests have expanded into photography from travels, scenes of local interest, historic buildings, and basically any interesting image I happen to come across! Since I have taken up photography, my enjoyment of the...