By Kyleigh Sacco, Education Specialist Conservation actions can seem straightforward – use less plastic, recycle, buy native plants – but for our youngest ones with limited resources and buying power it can be hard to know where to start. However, conservation is an act of empowerment – the more that we can teach young people how they can make a…
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Monarch Vs. Queen Butterflies and Tracking Migration
When visiting the Museum’s pollinator garden between September and November, you’ll likely notice a fluttering cloud of orange around the violet blooms of Conoclinium dissectum, commonly known as palm-leaf mistflower. Look a little closer, and you’ll see that among those orange wings are not only queen butterflies (Danaus gilippus), but occasionally well-traveled monarch butterflies (Danaus Plexpus) on their migratory journey….
Creating Bee Friendly Landscapes at Home
In recent decades, populations of important pollinators have been declining throughout much of North America. Beekeepers in the U.S. have been suffering from unusually high rates of colony loss of the domesticated honey bee (Apis mellifera). The abundance of several bumblebee species in the western U.S. has declined dramatically, with at least one species now…
Exploring Sahuaripa, Mexico: Our Botany Department Beyond the Museum
When visiting the Desert Museum, one of the most spectacular elements of our grounds is the incredible variety of Sonoran Desert flora. From brightly blooming passion flowers and resilient guayacán trees to iconic favorites like blue palo verde and saguaros, each plant requires expert care to not only thrive in their beauty but help sustain…
Happy Birthday Desert Museum: Celebrating 73 Years of Conservation!
The Sonoran Desert is a place of staggering beauty and biodiversity—home to towering saguaros, tiny elf owls, hovering hummingbirds, colorful gila monsters, and many other uniquely adapted species. But it’s also under pressure from increasing temperatures, invasive species, habitat loss, and drought.. For over 70 years, the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum has been much more than…
Rehoming Sabino Canyon’s Native Fish
Sabino Canyon, one of Tucson’s most cherished natural areas, is renowned for its rugged beauty and diverse wildlife. Among its inhabitants is the Gila Chub (Gila intermedia), a rare native fish species found primarily in this region and one that has faced significant challenges in recent years. In June 2020, a lightning strike ignited the…
Battling Buffelgrass: How Sheep Could Help Restore the Sonoran Desert
Chances are if you are a Tucson local, you understand the threat of buffelgrass (Pennisetum ciliare) to our biologically-diverse Sonoran desert, iconic saguaros, and wildlife habitats. This pesty, invasive plant was first brought from Africa and introduced to the Tucson area in the 1930s. Initially used for cattle feed and later erosion, it has spread rapidly…
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…
Are perennial intercrops of arid-adapted plants the answer to the agriculture of the future?
As heat waves, drought, and disease challenge food security in the Southwest U.S. and Mexico, scientists set their sights on a novel model for desert farming.
We Love Our Volunteers!
This week is National Volunteer Appreciation Week and we couldn’t be more appreciative of our 600 active volunteers here at the Desert Museum! On average, our volunteers donate over 130,000 hours of their time (which is equivalent to 63 full time employees) a year! We have 39 volunteers who have been with the Museum 15…
Desert Diaries 