For almost 70 years, the Desert Museum has been a leader in the industry. Known for its natural habitat exhibits and critical conservation work, the Museum has weathered these challenging few years, thanks to our generous community of volunteers, donors, members, visitors, social media fans, and readers like you! As the COVID-19 pandemic caused upheavals…
Weaving the Web of Life
Do you recall the grade school diagrams illustrating a simple food chain? This predator eats that prey and that prey eats plants, and plants obtain their energy from the sun and nutrients from soil. Arrows represent one organism eating another. Food chain diagrams help us visualize the flow of energy through an ecosystem. While the…
What Is Conservation Really About?
By Michelle Nijhuis, author of Beloved Beasts: Fighting for Life in an Age of Extinction Join Michelle at the Desert Museum on Saturday, November 13, from 3:00 – 4:30 p.m. for a brief reading from Beloved Beasts, a lively discussion with renowned field ecologist and conservationist Harry Greene, and a book signing. Books will be available…
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…
Respect the Rattlesnake
Scared of rattlesnakes? You’re not alone. Many people fear or simply misunderstand these incredible animals. Legend and lore may talk up the fearsome qualities of these venomous pit vipers, but ultimately humans are much more of a threat to these animals than they are to us. At the Desert Museum, we believe the best way…
Plant with Purpose
Build backyard biodiversity with native plants from the Desert Museum’s Annual Plant Sale! Imagine sipping your morning coffee or tea with a kaleidoscope (the beautiful and fitting name for a group of butterflies) of butterflies fluttering around your backyard garden as early sunlight creates a mesmerizing glow. Birds fill the morning air with their calming…
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.
Beautiful Shiner Released into Wildlife Refuge
Arizona Native Fish, Beautiful Shiner, Released into San Bernardino National Wildlife Refuge Visualize the Sonoran Desert and saguaros, rattlesnakes, and lizards might come to mind. But the region’s waterways contain an amazing aquatic universe! The desert’s native aquatic animals have adaptations allowing them to thrive in a unique environment, and are an essential link in…
The A Bee Cs of Arizona’s Native Bees
Conjure an image of bees in your mind. Do you imagine a fuzzy insect with black and yellow stripes, a honeycomb nest, maybe a queen bee? If so, you’re not alone. But did you know there are over 20,000 species of bees worldwide, and only a few that produce honey? Of the approximately 5,000 different…
Desert Diaries 