Tall grasses dance in waves as the wind whispers through the canyon of Coronado National Memorial, gently greeting every being on its way to the open valley below. The serenity of being completely surrounded by the natural world cannot be taught, bought or superficially manufactured. It is an experience unique to itself, to the…
There’s a hole in a 218-year-old building in Tumacácori National Historical Park. It’s the result of rain affecting the historic building’s adobe structure. It’s what can happen when environmental effects impact cultural resources, and it’s the focus of a new study by a University of Arizona team. The team, comprised of six UA experts hailing…
Last June, a jaguar named “Sombra” wandered in front of an isolated wildlife camera in the Chiricahua Mountains. Detecting motion, the camera began recording an infrared video. Sombra stopped in front of the camera. Crickets clicked in the darkness while the big cat looked around before wandering off. These wildlife cameras, often used by hunters…
Francesca Claverie adores Heuchera, a hot pink and coral-red wildflower that calls to hummingbirds. She clings to Ratibida columnifera, a reddish-brown and yellow wildflower that grows in sunny, open grasslands. She cherishes Asclepias asperula, a perennial milkweed that monarch butterflies need to survive. Fastened to Claverie’s bright multicolored, striped apron is a pin that reads, “I love…
Caution: “Smuggling and illegal immigration may be encountered in this area.” Visitors to state and national parks, monuments and memorials in Southern Arizona have undoubtedly seen these signs posted along popular hiking trails. The sites near the Mexico border are great spots to find hiking, bird watching and camping, but also provide the perfect place for undocumented…
