2006-03-20T10:35:00.000-08:00

Finally we get SNOW!!! And here I am playing in it!
It is true, snow happens in the desert, even as far south as Scottsdale (which in my mind is barely different than Phoenix) What a way to welcome in spring break. The school closed a little early in preparation for the storm, which held off until after dark. Walking home in the cold wind was "invigorating". I LOVED playing in the snow. I below is a pic of the snowman we built on Saturday morning. Anyone with familiarity to Calvin and Hobbes will see where inspiration came from! It was awesome to get some good precipitation that would have a chance to sink into our parched soil. Also, snow icecream for breakfast is always welcome. If we were to think that one snow storm was all we were going to get, we were wrong! Another welcomed us back last night (Sunday) so that school opened two hours late. I'll take all that I can get!

2006-03-10T09:26:00.000-08:00

I am constantly amazed by natural diversity of this state. I have grown used to the weather patterns. We have days of sunny and cool followed by hot or cold. Arizona is at the same time both fickle and fixed. What is still gets me is the diversity of the terrain, the plants, the animals, and the geology. Last weekend my Natural History and Ecology class traveled south for a four day field trip. We drove to the community of Arivaca and visited the Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge. Our instructor has connections with BANWR, so we were lucky enough to get to stay in a fabulous historic lodge in Brown Canyon. The four days we stayed were spent exploring the canyon, Arivaca Cienega, Arivaca Creek, the surrounding lands.
Brown Canyon has reported sightings of Jaguar, Bobcat, Coati, and an diversity of birds. While we were not as lucky as previous years with our wildlife sightings (likely due to the current drought) we did not lack in things to see. Our first walk up the canyon afforded us an amazing flight display from a Golden Eagle. It was spotted early on the horizon and spent several minutes riding the thermals in the morning air. Before we left the lodge we had been lucky enough to see several species of songbirds, both native and migrant. I had seen a few of these before. The Northern Cardinal (Candinalus cardinalus)has visited my home in Arkansas every winter that I can remember. The Pyrrhuloxia (Cardinalis sinuatus), however, was a totally new experience. These guys resemble the female Northern Cardinal at first glance, but if you are close enough, or have binoculars like we did, you will be able to see that this bird has a sorter, blunter, yellow bill; red crest; and that they lack the intense black markings around they eyes and chin. I think I was impressed by this bird mostly because it doesn’t get very far north. There are a few isolated patches of very rare spottings here in the states, but mostly Pyrrhuloxia is going to be found in Mexico, Southern Arizona or Mexico, or West Texas.
Our hike up Brown Canyon included many, many, new plants and a few familiar ones. Our instructor and his teaching assistant have an amazing wealth of knowledge, and it seemed at times we moved only a few feet before they would have more information to share. The several mile hike concluded at a natural rock bridge where we stopped for lunch. From this point we were encouraged to explore the canyon at our leisure as long as we made it back to the lodge for dinner by 6:30. Five students crossed the ridge to the north to explore Jaguar Canyon while a few others decided to spend some time observing in some of the various habitats in the canyon. Three of the other the ladies in the class and I decided that we would begin brainstorming our own projects on the way back to the lodge. We spent the walk intermittently giggling about our “Brown Canyon Interpretive Dance”, marveling at the plants we saw, and collecting dried specimens to study. By the time we got back to the lodge we were glad to be out of the sun and sitting in the comfy deck chairs. While we were resting we spotted a Rufus Hummingbird and a Broad-billed Hummingbird, both new to me. The Rufus was quite aggressive and vocal. It turns out that this tiny bird travels from his winter home in Mexico all the way to Alaska to breed. They do this every year for their entire life! With a lifespan of 8 to 12 years that’s some serious frequent flier miles! No wonder ol’ coppery Rufus was so aggressive. The Broad-billed Humming bird was a little more subdued in action but not appearance. This little guy was the most striking deep cobalt and emerald with a bright red bill. I will be able to recognize on instantly from now on.
On our way home Sunday morning we spent several hours at the Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum. What a very cool place. My Permaculture for Drylands class (winter block) spent an afternoon near there and discussed the parking lot setup, but we didn’t go inside. I am glad for the amount of time we had to explore this time. We were able to see all of the different wildlife that is known to inhabit the area. Several students spent a great amount of time observing and “hanging out” with these animals. In the van ride home I heard stories of great moments with the Mexican Wolves, Prairie Dogs, and a beaver. I spent much of my time exploring the vast outdoor museum, but really connected with the Hummingbird exhibit. I was able to get a really good look at a lot of the different species that are known to inhabit the area. While sitting on a bench observing a female Blue-Throated Humming bird guard a feeder, two older ladies joined me. They were from Canada and were touring with a group of senior citizens. As we were sitting there giggling at the antics of the tiny sugar-hyped birds, we talked about what we were seeing. They were amazed at the diversity of the birds. Apparently the only ones they get at home (where in Canada I failed to ask) were the Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds. I shared some of the information I had learned about the birds, and had a really nice time talking with them. It occurred to me that this was the most important part of my education here at Prescott College. What good does it do for me to fill my head up with the most exquisite, valuable knowledge if I fail to inspire others with it? How can I be a steward for the land or spark social change if I don’t get out and act. Since that moment I have tried to be cognizant of my actions and speak about what I see, know, and wonder. I haven’t been disappointed with the results.

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