THE SEARCHLIGHT GOLD BEAM, ISSUE #3:
INTERCONNECTIONS IN AVI KWA AME

What unseen systems are connecting everything together in this beautiful place we call Avi Kwa Ame National Monument? What delicate influences create a Joshua tree heavy with fruit, tie a family to their home, or introduce a new species to the landscape? How are we, visitors and locals, bound to each other– to earth and sky and community, and to this time and space? 

Countless elements make up what we now know of as the East Mojave. In this issue, we explore the linkages between and within this marvelous ecosystem, map movements across the broader Southwestern region, look for pathways between cultures, stories and timelines, and describe a small portion of the endless chain of influence at work on this fascinating desert world.

The visual style for this issue is inspired by book design from the 1930s (that’s almost 100 years ago, folks!), when text was straightforward, fonts were bold, and adventure books that romanticized the American desert west abounded, populated with colorized photos, line drawings and color block illustrations that evoked the wonders of the western landscape. We’re pretty fond of this landscape too, and hope you enjoy this tribute from 15 contributing authors and 10 illustrators.


Cheers!

Kim Garrison Means, Steve Radosevich
Editors, Searchlight Gold Beam

ARTICLES & FEATURES

  • The Monument’s Second Year.    

  • Honoring Landscape Interconnectivity

  • Mrs. Frugal Suggests

  • The Fort Mojave Indian School

  • Finding Awe in Avi Kwa Ame

  • The Joshua Tree and Yucca Moth

  • Rex Bell’s Nevada Legacy

  • Rex Bell’s Nevada Legacy

  • A Season Studying Thrashers 

  • The Monument and the Military

  • Ask the Professor

  • Life, the Desert, and Climate Change

  • A River Crossing 

  • Local Resources

  • Uncle Ivan’s Desert VHS Pick

  • Springtime for Birds

  • The Celestial Cartographer

  • The Magnificent Tree – A Poem

  • Trail of the Opal Skull Chapter V.

  • There Were Camels in Avi Kwa Ame

  • A Desert Horoscope

  • The Castle Mountains Grasslands Trail

  • Map of Avi Kwa Ame National Monument

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The Gold Beam is made possible through the time, energy and love of many contributors, with funding through Friends of Avi Kwa Ame National Monument, and additional collaboration and support from the Fort Mojave Indian Tribe, the San Manuel Gaming and Hospitality Authority, the Western Conservation Foundation, and the Conservation Lands Foundation.

Editors: Kim Garrison Means and Steve Radosevich
Graphic Design: Carin Agiman
Poof Reader: Leland Means

Fort Mojave Indian Tribe Consultant: Paul Jackson Jr.

Illustration by: Maria Volborth, Patrick Zolp-Mikols, Rachel Hillberg, Cat Johnson, Nancy Ko, Kyle Larson, Alina Lindquist, Kim Garrison Means, Bertha Gutierrez, Shannon La Bounty