iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

brcarlson @fuhjenture.bsky.social · 09/08/2026

The backyard patio is done. It was a huge learning experience but so far it hasn't collapsed 😄 Now I can focus on what I'm much better at -- planting #NativePlants in all the new beds #NoLawn #DIYLandscaping #KillYourLawn

Photo of a circular patio with a section of retaining wall holding back a mound of fresh soil and native garden

170 0

brcarlson @fuhjenture.bsky.social · 25/07/2026

These descriptions make me miss something I never experienced every time: "Before the area was developed, the landscape looked like a vast, natural parkland, characterized by "oak savannas"—grassy areas with scattered oak trees—interspersed with dense groves of hardwoods."

Screenshot of the app Ecoseek with the ecoregion St. Croix Stagnation Moraines highlighted.

000 0

brcarlson @fuhjenture.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

We had a sad, muddy patch of yard left over from putting in the greenhouse. In a low-effort attempt at damage control, I tossed some extra clover and western yarrow seeds at it and hoped for the best. It's now one of my favorite corners of the yard. #NoLawn #Gardening #GardenSky

Photo of white clover and western yarrow overgrowing a concrete paver. A serviceberry is visible in the background.

030 0

brcarlson @fuhjenture.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

Cover crop terminated. A tough moment in #RegenerativeAgriculture: tradeoffs between displacing beneficial insects (and even a deer!) against the long-term work of building this soil. Weed pressure forced my hand, but the guilt is real. How do you all manage these kinds of tradeoffs?

Photo of a tractor on a field. Half of the field in the photo is recently mowed and the other half has weeds and other broadleaf plants growing tall. Forested mountains are in the background.

130 0

brcarlson @fuhjenture.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

*sniff* It's beautiful; I finally got Ecoseek on the App Store: apps.apple.com/us/app/ecose... Start your ecosystem life list, find public lands, log your visits, and see how far you've explored. #indiedev #NatureTech #buildinpublic #newapp #dotnetmaui #NatureApp

Screenshot of the Apple App Store listing of Ecoseek. It shows the icon, title, and a series of marketing screenshots of the app.

1111 0

brcarlson @fuhjenture.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

Update on our Okanogan-Colville Xeric Valleys and Foothills #NativePlants plots: SE plot is total failure, SW plot (2nd picture) has bunchgrass established, NW plot failure, NE plot (1st picture) has a good establishment of yarrow and a blanket flower! #Conservation #Plants #Restoration #Botany

Photograph of blanket flower with yarrow in surrounding area. The blanket flower has a flower head with remnant red-orange petals and three other seed heads and yarrow are in full bloom with white flowers.

Photograph of bunchgrass seedlings among small limestone rocks.

220 0

brcarlson @fuhjenture.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

My dad found a patch of showy milkweed in the horse pasture. His weed book recommended that he eradicate it because it's invasive (even though it's native). He saved it because he knew my wife and I would be upset. Thanks dad!

Photo of a tiger swallowtail butterfly on a showy milkweed flower.

020 0

brcarlson @fuhjenture.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

What do you all think of the new #Ecoseek logo? The leaf venation represent #ecoregion boundaries and the right, lime green, segments create a subtle "E".

000 0

brcarlson @fuhjenture.bsky.social · 27/04/2026

In hopes to somehow recover the $99 App Store fee, I implemented a support feature. I don't feel good charging for the app -- I want it to do good for this world. But, hey, if people want to support, who am I to deny them?? #AppDev #Android #Nature #MobileDev

Screenshot of Ecoseek showing a Support screen with 3 support tiers; 0.99, 2.99, 4.99.

100 0

brcarlson @fuhjenture.bsky.social · 25/04/2026

Yo! It took a lot of fiddling, but I got #Ecoseek on iOS! Here it is running on an emulator. Now I need to navigate the #AppStore. That will be easy, right? 😬

030 0

brcarlson @fuhjenture.bsky.social · 13/04/2026

Got the cover crop into the ground right before a good rain. This field has been abandoned since homesteaders left in the early 1900s and had been a weed bed since. #farming #covercrop #rurallife

Photo of young trees in front of a freshly harrowed field with pine covered mountains in the background.

080 0

brcarlson @fuhjenture.bsky.social · 12/04/2026

I don't like tillage, but it's a necessary evil to control weeds and plant without a drill. How evil? I'm trying to find out! I sampled soil in tilled soil, non-tilled soil left degraded from original homesteaders, and native forests. I'll have a lab analyze for PLFA and basic nutrients. #farming

Photo of plastic vials used to collect soil samples next to native bunchgrass and organ grapes.

Photo of a freshly tilled field with forested mountains in the background

000 0

brcarlson @fuhjenture.bsky.social · 12/04/2026

The dream of converting the machine shed into the ultimate gym took a huge step today -- top rope climbing wall nearly complete!

Photo of kids on scaffolding bolting on rock climbing holds onto new plywood.

020 0

brcarlson @fuhjenture.bsky.social · 10/04/2026

Just had my morning coffee with a small elk herd

Photo of five elk browsing on a hill slope with grass shoots and small brush just budding out

130 0

brcarlson @fuhjenture.bsky.social · 10/04/2026

It can take the arrowleaf balsamroot 3 years to produce its first flower under the best conditions. Given the challenging shallow soil here, it’s likely these took much longer. Knowing this puts their resilience in perspective and makes their bloom all the more beautiful. #nature #photography

Photo of an arrowleaf balsamroot lite by the sun and in full bloom on top of a mountain that overlooks the Columbia River.

0130 0

brcarlson @fuhjenture.bsky.social · 08/04/2026

I told myself I’d skip the iPhone version (and the $99 fee) for #Ecoseek until hitting 100 Android downloads. I’m still convinced it’s a niche app, but enough iPhone-using friends have shown interest that I’ve finally caved. Let the cross-platform headaches begin. #BuildInPublic #IndieDev #Ecology

Line graph showing total installs as a function of time. The daily installs start at 16 on October 9, 2025 and slowly step up to 23 on April 6, 2026.

250 0

brcarlson @fuhjenture.bsky.social · 07/04/2026

A new #Ecoseek version! This is a big one! I revamped the Discover page to get your motivated to explore through dynamic content (thanks #iNaturalist!); added support for multiple photos, added achievements, improved the map, and more. #appdev #buildinpublic #ecology #nature #conservation

020 0

brcarlson @fuhjenture.bsky.social · 29/03/2026

Considering adding social features to #Ecoseek. Beyond 'collecting' ecoregions, I want users to help track ecosystem health to help discovery and provide research data. Imagine 'checking in' to a prairie and flagging its condition for others. What do you think about contributing to citizen science?

010 0

brcarlson @fuhjenture.bsky.social · 27/03/2026

It's partially eaten and was buried in weeds, but I think I found our Arrowleaf Balsamroot (Balsamorhiza sagittata)!!

Close up photo of a small Arrowleaf Balsamroot. There are only a few small leaves popping out of the ground, one of them is partially eaten.

020 0

brcarlson @fuhjenture.bsky.social · 25/03/2026

One thing I'm trying to do with #Ecoseek is to encourage exploration of new ecosystems. I'm experimenting with nudges if users are close to completing an area; featured ecoregions; and highlight regions that have relatively higher #iNaturalist activity -- assuming phenological changes.

Screenshot of Ecoseek showing the Discover page. An "Almost there" nudge shows a progress bar of level 4 ecoregions explored in a level 3 region. A "Today's spotlight" lists an ecoregion with species that have been recently observed on iNaturalist. And a "Trending in Washington" that shows North Cascaded Lowland Forest at 14x higher iNaturalist activity than previous month.

030 0

brcarlson @fuhjenture.bsky.social · 22/03/2026

New weird personal goal reached: standing on top of columnar basalt in the scablands of Eastern Washington. #photography #geology #nature #pnw

Photo of hexagonal rock columns formed by basalt in the foreground with a huge valley of sage scrub steppe in the background

3212 0

brcarlson @fuhjenture.bsky.social · 20/03/2026

It’s alive! The aboveground vegetation of Ballhead Waterleaf (Hydrophyllum capitatum) completely dies back after flowering, so I was worried this little fella hadn't survived some recent disturbances in our #NativePlants bed. Apparently, it comes back with a vengeance!

Photo ballhead waterleaf showing new growth

081 0

brcarlson @fuhjenture.bsky.social · 19/03/2026

Ah, I love seeing the restored #PalousePrairie on the WSU campus come to life in early spring. #NativePlants

Photo of native bunchgrass in the foreground and replanted forest in the background. The bunchgrass shows year old gray stalks being encroached by new green growth

1120 0

brcarlson @fuhjenture.bsky.social · 12/03/2026

One of the many benefits of leaving your native garden messy in the fall is that you can find little treasures if you look closely. I'm excited that our yard is starting to support predator species! #NativePlants #Gardening

Photo of a messy garden with lupin stalks from last season. A praying mantis egg case is attached to one of the stalks.

1102 0

brcarlson @fuhjenture.bsky.social · 11/03/2026

The Gypsiferous Dunes ecoregion is one of the largest dune fields in the United States and the biggest collection of gypsum sand dunes in the world.

Photo of white sand dunes under a blue sky

020 0

Reposted by brcarlson

windlandlady.bsky.social @windlandlady.bsky.social · 28/02/2026

Back to Boylston Ridge for some shots to show how fast the snow disappears and how quickly the seasons change. The shadowing along the ridge is a spring/fall thing, in summer the sun is too far north, in winter too far south.

Four shots of Boylston Ridge SE of Ellensburg, WA showing the shadowing that occurs in spring and fall as the earth rotates on it's axis. In full summer and winter this is not as apparent because of the angle of the sun. Also show the sage brush, bunch grass which is the predominant feature on the landscape, until the wildflowers begin to really bloom in the next 2-3 months.

051 0

brcarlson @fuhjenture.bsky.social · 26/02/2026

I'm playing around with how the ecoregions that you've visited are displayed in the checklist. By making the featured images more prominent, I'm hoping to give a sense of the rich natural diversity as you scroll through. What do you think? #Ecoseek #Appdev #Nature #Biodiversity

Screenshot of Ecoseek showing three ecoregions that were visited with a submitted image as the background of a text area with a checkmark. The first background is of an oak forest, the next is a rocky waterfall, and the last is a desert.

240 0

brcarlson @fuhjenture.bsky.social · 24/02/2026

If you pretend you are very very small, even a lone rock in a field of bunchgrass can be a lush forest full of life. #lichen #moss

Photo of a basalt rock covered in lichen and moss

0202 0

brcarlson @fuhjenture.bsky.social · 22/02/2026

My quest to show my kids all the landscapes in #Washington state has a ways to go but I'm happy with the progress so far! They've seen oak forests, vast grasslands, sand dunes, flood scoured scablands, and more. #Nature #Ecosystems #PNW #WashingtonExplored #Outdoors #Landscapes

Screenshot of Ecoseek, an android app that helps you discover all the natural diversity around you. The screenshot shows 10 of 57 ecoregions explored with a listing of those checked off the list and photos taken during the exploration.

030 0

brcarlson @fuhjenture.bsky.social · 21/02/2026

Huge update to #Ecoseek that makes #ecoregion descriptions accessible to everyone! All 1700+ descriptions have been updated to use clear language and less jargon. This is a very important update to me as I want everyone to understand the beauty of #nature.

Screenshot of the Ecoseek app that shows a simplified description of an ecoregion. The example says "The Glaciated Low Allegheny Plateau is a vast, fairly uniform landscape that spans much of the northern Allegheny Plateau. When viewed from above, it looks like a patchwork quilt of farms and small woods draped over rolling hills. This terrain was shaped by ancient glaciers, which acted like giant sheets of sandpaper to grind down the landscape, resulting in flattened hilltops and..."

120 0

brcarlson @fuhjenture.bsky.social · 20/02/2026

Atop an ancient mountain, shaped by limestone formed 500-million years ago, is hidden a humble spring where mineral-rich water, forced by downward pressure within the rock, seeps from the Earth and nourishes a cedar grove.

Photo of a person collecting water from a natural mountain spring where lush green plants grow all around

Photo of a small stream flowing down a hill with western red cedar trees all around

031 0

brcarlson @fuhjenture.bsky.social · 12/02/2026

You like #ecoregion descriptions but wish those scientific terms were defined? Maybe you want them understandable without needing five advanced degrees? Well #Ecoseek has you covered! The new version will have links to Wikipedia for all complex terms and an optional "simplified" description.

Screenshot of the Ecoseek app for Android showing technical terms like "sedimentary rock" and "grand fir" underlined suggesting a link to wikipedia.

Screenshot of the Ecoseek app for Android showing a "Simplified" toggle on and a more understandable description where "sedimentary rock" is described as "layers of hardened sand and silt."

110 0

brcarlson @fuhjenture.bsky.social · 10/02/2026

Give @jtimmer.bsky.social a raise. This article was excellent! Way more thoughtful than the clickbaity title suggests - I felt like I was back in my philosophy of science course. arstechnica.com/science/2026...

arstechnica.com

NIH head, still angry about COVID, wants a second scientific revolution

Can we pander to MAHA, re-litigate COVID, and improve science at the same time?

020 0

brcarlson @fuhjenture.bsky.social · 01/02/2026

Doh! I got automated build and publish working to my internal release track for #Ecoseek but the build failed. Just when I left for an adventure to explore a new #ecoregion. 🤣

Screenshot of Ecoseek app showing an error

120 0

brcarlson @fuhjenture.bsky.social · 29/01/2026

The highly anticipated update on the #nativeplants restoration plots: they are still sleeping 🤣 We got some wet and cold weeks though, so hoping the seeds are going through stratification finally.

Photograph of Palouse loess soil with a few weeds and mostly bare soil. Some research flagging are in the background to show a plot outline

050 0

brcarlson @fuhjenture.bsky.social · 20/01/2026

After many hours, I have finally finished a full database of ecoregion descriptions and added it to #ecoseek. It contains data for all continental states - and now anyone there can use the app to discover new ecosystems around them! Download, explore, and become great stewards of the land!

Screenshot of the app details page for the app Ecoseek in the Google Play Store. The screenshot highlights the "What's new" section that reads: Added descriptions for all states -- and that makes 48! All continental states are now supported! Well, Florida is a bit weird, but we all knew that."

020 0

brcarlson @fuhjenture.bsky.social · 04/01/2026

The #palouse is looking pretty green for it being early January.

Photo of patches of green grass in the foreground and the loess hills of the Palouse in the background. Taken on top of Kamiak Butte.

Photo of a trail up Kamiak Butte showing lush green grass grasses and moss on the rocky hill slopes on the left of the trail.

070 0

brcarlson @fuhjenture.bsky.social · 03/01/2026

Spent some time doing some #trail maintenance in one of our #rewilding areas.

Photo of a brush covered trail with a lady moving a cut branch and a man pulling down a branch out of a tree. The trail is an old logging road within a Douglas fir forest with the occasional western red cedar

Photo of a cleared trail with a few cut logs on the right and a brush pile on the left. The trail is an old logging road within a Douglas fir forest with the occasional western red cedar

030 0

brcarlson @fuhjenture.bsky.social · 02/01/2026

These neat rock pockets were likely formed from the wet ground expanding upward as the water froze (frost heave) then the rocks warming faster than the surrounding soil, melting the ice, and falling below. #naturemiracle #nature #frostheave

Photo of a rock that has fallen into a pocket of ground with leaves and needles scattered around

Photo of two rocks that have fallen into pockets of ground with leaves and needles scattered around

060 0

Reposted by brcarlson

Little Green Space 🐝 @lgspace.bsky.social · 02/01/2026

Leaving stems and seed heads in gardens and green spaces can help insects survive in cold weather by giving them a safe place to shelter. Birds eat the seeds too! So wait until spring before cutting dead plants down 🐞 More ways to help winter wildlife: littlegreenspace.org.uk/features/win...

13516 0

brcarlson @fuhjenture.bsky.social · 02/01/2026

A few calm and cold nights left us with a pond covered with ice as if a Zamboni drove over it. How could we not bust out our skates?!

Photo of a woman ice-skating on a frozen pond between clusters of bull rush and below a setting sun

150 0

brcarlson @fuhjenture.bsky.social · 31/12/2025

In the late 1800s to early 1900s the town of Northport transported water from Deep Creek through miles of aqueduct. If you know the right people, you can hike through a few hundred feet of tunnel where the aqueduct cuts through a mountain

Photo of a century old aqueduct running though a tunnel

Photo of moss covered limestone rock with a person climbing out of a small hole, which was once a exit point of the old Northport aqueduct

030 0

brcarlson @fuhjenture.bsky.social · 30/12/2025

After many years of anticipation, we successfully grew, pruned, picked, pressed, fermented, racked, reracked, reracked again, and bottled our first wine. It's basically magic and I want to babysit more yeast as it turns sugar into alcohol.

Photo of resealable glass bottles being filled with wine via a syphon from a 3 gallon carboy

110 0

brcarlson @fuhjenture.bsky.social · 20/12/2025

Fun fact about snowberries, the mature fruit build up internal pressure and make a *pop* sound when squeezed.

070 0

brcarlson @fuhjenture.bsky.social · 11/12/2025

It's overcast here and all the photosynthetic organisms are hunkered down for the winter. So here is a compromise: a fairly recent trip to #DenaliNationalPark during summer. #photography #mountains #alaska #alpine #hiking

Photo of an alpine trail with mountains in the background shrouded with most and a woman standing in the distance

0180 0

brcarlson @fuhjenture.bsky.social · 11/12/2025

My wife and I have a taxable brokerage account in addition to our other investments. We call it our Nature Trust and we give 1% of its total worth to a nature-related cause every year. We are by no means filthy rich, but it allows us to word the donation letter like we are 😂

010 0