An Earth Camp Experience By Alana Huffmon, Educator and Earth Camp staff Earth Camp is a unique experience that connects high-school students in Tucson with hands-on stewardship and restoration experiences in the Coronado National Forest. Earth Camp brings STEAM skills to life as students experience three days in the Santa Catalina Mountains working, learning, and laughing…
Category: Education
Enriching Environments
What is animal enrichment and why do we do it? We’re not talking vitamin supplements (though they might be included!) but ways to engage and entertain the animals in our care. Read on to learn from our amazing young collaborator Sarah Green, who earned the Girl Scout Gold Award for her project researching and creating…
Clues from the Past: Geologic Origins of the Sonoran Desert
How did the Sonoran Desert form? And why should we care about the geologic origins of our region? Geology creates topography, which influences climate, watersheds, temperatures, and migratory pathways. Understanding the geology of a place is like unfolding the story of the land itself, which sets the stage for understanding our local ecology. But it also reminds…
Monsoon Magic: Your Next Hike
On your walk, you’ll find every color of the rainbow. Don’t forget to bring a camera or sketchbook, and if you have one, a magnifying glass.
Wildlife Cams: It’s a Snap to Get Started!
By Catherine Bartlett, Education Program Manager At the Desert Museum, we use wildlife cameras (also known as trail cams or camera traps) in exhibits (to track health and activity of animals), in student research projects, and in partnership with the Sky Island Alliance’s FotoFauna Project. You too can capture backyard biodiversity with these devices. Give…
Swing into Spring with These 11 Beautiful Blooms
While it may not be a banner wildflower year in the Tucson metro area due to low germinating fall and winter rainfall, the desert is still blooming and awash in color and new growth. Swing into spring and look for these 11 blooming plants at the Desert Museum and in your neighborhood! Hedgehogs, Echinocereus The…
Our Spectacular Sonoran Sea
Seven Things to Know About Our Desert Ocean Sometimes called “The World Aquarium,” The Gulf of California, also known as the Sea of Cortez, divides the Sonoran Desert into two halves with the Baja peninsula to the west and Arizona and Mexico to the east, and is an often overlooked component of the Desert ecosystem….
2020 in Hindsight
2020 still looms large, and though we are looking forward to what 2021 will bring, we must acknowledge that the pandemic continues, too many individuals and families are still struggling to meet their basic needs, and businesses and organizations the world over have suffered severe and unprecedented financial loss. Thanks to the generous support of…
Junior Docents become Earth Camp Conservation Stewards
By Catherine Bartlett and Amy Orchard New challenges brought new opportunities for a cohort of teen volunteers at the Desert Museum. Due to COVID-19, in the spring of 2020 the Museum made the safe decision to pause all volunteer work which included having Junior Docents on grounds. The decision felt heartbreaking until the Education Team…
We’re Batty for Bats!
Na na na na na na na na na na … bats! A full moon rises over the saguaro cacti and rocky desert mountains on another day in the Sonoran Desert. But this day is special, because it is also October 31st, and the last day of International Bat Week! Celebrate with us by learning…
Desert Diaries 