Sandra Faber is University Professor of Astronomy at the University of California, Santa Cruz.
Neighboring Lancaster has increased its population since the early 1980s to around 3 times its former level. Major retail has followed the population influx, centered around Palmdale's Antelope Valley Mall. The Antelope Valley is home to over 475,000, and is expected to reach 1,000,000 people by the year 2020.
Antelope Valley poppy blooms expected to be moderate, but 'surprise' wildflowers may save the day. Visitors hike through dense California poppy blooms in 2008, one of the most recent great wildflower seasons at the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve. 1