Tumbleweeds Remix

I was first introduced to the concept of invasive plants and species by my father, an amateur horticulturalist, when I was a child. He taught me about Japanese beetles, Popillia Japonica, which threatened to destroy his prized heirloom rose bushes. My father and I walked sadly but fiercely picked off the beetles and dropped them into a can of kerosene. For my REMIX project I was interested to learn about the invasive tumbleweeds of California, Iowa, and Nebraska. Although we often think of these floating weeds as wild and beautiful and an integral part of the western landscape, many tumbleweeds are actually an invasive species which came from Russia. The giant weeds scatter their seeds prolifically, reproducing thousands weeds, which choke out other plants, and pile up around homes and businesses. My remix envisioned a utopian scene where the tumbleweeds have been eliminated.    

Remixed by Nancy Merrifield

Original image citation: National Geographic December 2013, page 139