Title: Two eagles
Description: Photographer Tupper Ansel Blake and writer Peter Steinhart provide a new way of looking at the United States-Mexico borderlands. Instead of seeing a wasteland of browns and grays, Blake and Steinhart, and all others who recognize the value of the resources here, see the pale pinks and purples of ancient rock formations, the clamorous reds of tropical bird species, the cool greens of alpine forests, and the sparkling silver of mountain waters. This new way of seeing is critical to the survival of a unique and fragile region.

Long dismissed as a desolate wasteland, the borderlands reveals, much to the contrary, startling beauty, variety, and biological richness. All along the border and for fifty miles on either side lies some of the world's most ecologically diverse land. It is rich in animal and plant species, many not found anywhere else, some in danger of disappearing forever. Blake's photos offer stunning portraits of the life and landscape to be found in this area: bighorn sheep, parrots, groves of cottonwood, jaguars, giant desert centipedes, a perfect rainbow over a desert scene. Steinhart describes the varied habitats - grasslands, desert, rivers, and floodplains - and the lives of the people who live there, as well as the environmental pressures being exerted on them.

Evident beside the natural beauties of the borderlands are the effects of environmental degradation. Grasslands once covered much of the region, but now, after more than a century of cattle grazing and the introduction of nonnative grasses, little pristine grassland remains. Steamboats once navigated the San Pedro River to deliver goods to Tombstone, Arizona, but today most of the San Pedro has no year-round surface flow, and many species of fish and amphibians have disappeared. In Tamaulipas, the future of farmers and ranchers is in jeopardy also as the slow-growing mesquite forests are depleted for charcoal production. For many, charcoal represents the only source of income for hundreds of miles.

While the picture is often grim, conservation efforts on both sides of the border are gaining momentum as preserves are developed and damaged habitat reclaimed. In the United States, private and federal agencies such as The Nature Conservancy and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are working to acquire land and nurture the recovery of endangered species. In Mexico, while conservation efforts at the federal level continue to evolve, more and more private groups are undertaking efforts to protect wildlife. Two Eagles/Dos Aguilas will allow citizens and policymakers of both countries to discover the immeasurable value of this area while there is still time to preserve it.
Subjects: Desert biology, Pictorial works
Places: Mexican-American Border Region