magazine of the mcdowell sonoran conservancy

Vol. 19 • No. 5 • Summer 2013

Mountain Lines

Yavapai traditions value A view worth the time it Preserve lands. takes to get there. Why did we have so many wildflowers Squash = PMS 116 = 0/16/100/0 this year? Find out here! Sage Green = PMS 5767 = 15/0/68/39 Blue = PMS 294 = 100/58/0/21 Preserve Ancestors The Lookout Families in Nature: Flowers of the Desert FROM THE DIRECTOR

The McDowell Sonoran Conservancy champions the sustainability of This Mountain Lines mammals, or one of the many reptiles that the McDowell Sonoran Preserve celebrates a fun- live there. for the benefit of this and future generations. As stewards, we damental reason others find physical and psychological connect the community to the why visitors come benefits from visiting. They hike, run, and PreserveAbout through education,Us to Scottsdale’s ride for the fitness benefits. Many come research, advocacy, partnerships and safe, respectful access. McDowell Sonoran with family and friends and enjoy the social Preserve: for inspira- interaction and time spent together, the op- Board of Directors tion, reflection, and portunity to share a passion for nature and Tom Headley, Chair connection with the natural world. It’s a place the outdoors. Jack McEnroe, Vice Chair to recharge the spirit and find physical and Visiting the Preserve helps people feel David Hay, Secretary Peter Rusin, Treasurer mental renewal in a beautiful natural setting. connected to nature and to earlier times. In Oliver Smith, Past Chair Visitors can connect with human his- this issue you can read about Native Ameri- Philip Bell Dana Garmany tory in the Preserve. People have hunted, can perspectives on the land and animal Cay Cowie Nancy Howe Leslie Dashew Greg Kruzel browsed, walked, and worked these lands spiritual imagery. Learn about the medicinal Dan Dixon Jane Rau for nearly 10,000 years. Ancient petroglyphs and ceremonial uses for plants found in the Rebecca Eickley John Simpson Con Englehorn Kevin Tripp on scattered rocks speak to the spirit of the Preserve. Consider the role that just being in Erik Filsinger Wendy Warus Hohokam people who once lived here. Old nature plays in lowering stress and enhanc- Daniel Froetscher stock tanks, building foundations, and fenc- ing mental health. McDowell Sonoran ing speak to the more recent human history, We need nature in our lives more Conservancy Staff remnants of the cattle-ranching tradition of than ever today. In creating the Preserve, Jill Feinstein the late 1800s to mid-1900s. Scottsdale citizens demonstrated that Program Manager Wildlife abounds in the Preserve and they care about and seek the opportunity Nancy Heck Office Administrator many visitors find delight in viewing it. to foster deep connections and daily con- Judi Irons Spring wildflowers and cactus flowers spread tact with the natural world. Through the Naturalist color across the landscape. Birders seek the McDowell Sonoran Conservancy, you are Michelle Kass more than 100 species of birds that call the helping to maintain and protect a natural Annual Giving Manager Preserve home, and many keep checklists of area that has a deep impact on thousands Mike Nolan Executive Director what they’ve seen there. Others delight in the of visitors every year, and we hope, for Linda Raish occasional glimpse of deer, bobcat, and other generations to come. Community Development Director Melanie Tluczek Research Program Coordinator

McDowell Sonoran Conservancy 16435 N. Scottsdale Road, Suite 110 Scottsdale, AZ 85254 Conservancy Up Close...... 3 480-998-7971 Perspectives on the Land...... 5 www.mcdowellsonoran.org Our Petroglyphs Legacy...... 7 [email protected] Watchable Wildlife...... 8 MIX Medicinal and Ceremonial Plants...... 9 Paper from responsible sources Amidst It All—A Quiet Lookout...... 13 www.fsc.org FSC® C023676 Mind and Desert...... 15 The Mountain Lines is published quarterly by the McDowell Sonoran Conservancy, TableFamilies in N ature:of FlowersContents of the Desert...... 17 a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization and sent to members and donors.

Cover Photo: The northern mountains provide a place for spiritual connection. Photo by D. Bierman Creative design donated by McDowell Sonoran Conservancy Steward, Katherine Corbett, Katherine Corbett Design. MCDOWELL SONORAN CONSERVANCY UP CLOSE

ore than 25,000 miles patrolled in 2012! That during the high season. A lower frequency schedule was developed amazing number says it all about how committed our McDowell for the summer months. It fell to Bobby Alpert, volunteer chair Sonoran Conservancy volunteers are to caring for the Preserve. of the steward Patrol Program, to figure out a way to meet the Two years ago we realized we needed a better way to track our schedule and to orient the program toward outcomes. Patrol Program Program activity. We captured hours spent on patrolling Bobby invited patrollers, at their option, to agree to hike a trails, but didn’t track the specific trails and patrol frequency by particular trail at a specified frequency. He asked bike patrollers trail. We knew the effort that our volunteers were putting into to commit to patrolling some of the more remote trail segments, patrolling, but we couldn’t say much about the effectiveness because bikers could get to them quickly. The website reporting of our patrols, or whether we were even patrolling some of the was redesigned so patrollers could record where they patrolled and more remote trails. make comments on issues they found. New reports were created As a result we initiated a subtle but substantial change to to show the date, time, and trail segments patrolled to allow us to our Patrol Program. We asked ourselves and our partners at the track coverage and frequency of patrols. city:M what does a successful patrol effort look like in terms of the results were outstanding. Next year, we look to expand outcomes? Coverage and frequency were two critical elements this program into 70 or more miles of new trails in the north area. identified to track, so we could ensure that all the trails were Patrol is one of the core services we provide to the Preserve and being patrolled at an appropriate frequency. has matured into a successful, results-oriented program. Our Preserve staff developed a schedule that divided the 60 thanks to all the stewards who hike, bike, and ride the trails with an miles of trails in the McDowells into four categories of patrol eye toward trail safety and maintenance. frequency: daily, three times a week, weekly, and bi-weekly Source: Mike Nolan, Executive Director

Equestrian patrollers are needed for the north area. Photo by M. Jensen

3 Balanced Rock is known as a Native American ceremonial place. Photo by B. White 4 By Barb Pringle McDowell Sonoran Conservancy master steward

ur neighbors to the north and Eagles, Dollars, and Soil east of the McDowell Sonoran Preserve, if you lived here in the 1970s, you theYavapai Fort McDowell YavapaiPerspectives Nation, have a likelyon recall the the Orme Land Dam controversy. long and deep connection to the Sonoran Construction of this dam was proposed desert and McDowell Mountains. Their at the confluence of the Verde and Salt ancestors once occupied about 10 million Rivers, near the Yavapai reservation’s acres across southern, central, and north- southern border. The U. S. government ern Arizona. They lived, hunted, cultivated offered millions of dollars, other land, and gathered plants, and sought spiritual and new homes in return for accepting guidance from these lands and water from relocation and the dam. the sacred . the Yavapai said no. Orme Dam Following their suppression by the would have flooded more than 65 U.OS. Army in the 1870s, the Yavapai were percent of the reservation and covered confined to three reservations in Arizona. its most fertile river bottomlands used Eagles have great meaning for the Yavapai people. One of the three resulting Yavapai Tribes, for farming, cattle grazing, housing, Photo by M. Johnston the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation, was and recreation. It also would have formed by Presidential Executive Order destroyed Yavapai sacred land. Adding in 1903. It encompasses 24,000 acres insult to injury, the dam would have of riparian, and wetlands drowned critical Desert Nesting Bald and is home to 950 tribal members. To- Eagle (DNBE) habitat along the Verde day’s Yavapai view their ancestral lands River. These facts upset the surround- as spiritually significant and an important ing Yavapai community, who mobilized part of their lives. in support of their ultimately success- the creation of the McDowell ful effort to save their land. Govern- Sonoran Preserve gives everyone the ment Relations Director Dr. Carole opportunity to enjoy some of the Yavapai Klopatek explains that, “because Yavapai Nation leadership speak at the opening ceremonies for Tom’s Thumb Trailhead. ancestral land. Accordingly, when we the eagle helped protect the Yavapai Photo by D. Bierman hike or bike a Preserve trail, it’s worth people from the Orme Dam, now the knowing that, as novelist Susan Powers Yavapai people work hard to protect making because this is their homeland. notes, underneath today’s map of Amer- the eagle.” Today, the community takes One woman, Kimberly Williams, recalls ica lies a ghost geography—a network pride in their DNBE population, which her father’s words, “Put a dollar in one of Native American trails, villages, and is one of the highest in Arizona, and in hand and the soil in another; which will traditions that existed long before most their environmental protection policies, last longer?” of our ancestors arrived. A member of which are more stringent than those of the Yavapai community shared with me the federal government. Mountain Spirits how her culture views its land and living though the Yavapai were fairly the Yavapai believe that mountain inhabitants; I also spoke with the Yavapai poor when they battled the dam pro- spirits, or deities, live in the mountains government relations director. posal, they decided it was a fight worth surrounding their lands—,

5 View from the Preserve looking toward Fort McDowell. Photo by R. Terlecki

the Superstitions, Red Mountain, and the crops still planted include corn, beans, Young Yavapai can now learn their native McDowell Mountains. Although it’s not and squash. Cattle graze the land and language and ethnobotanical traditions. tradition for Yavapai women to discuss wild horses roam its open spaces. Field trips teach them how to harvest sa- these spiritual deities, Karen Ray, Yavapai Residents practice fire-wise principles, as guaro fruit and make jelly the traditional cultural specialist/cultural manager/mu- did their elders, by cutting back mesquite Yavapai way. They learn which native seum director, mentioned that these spir- undergrowth. Invasive plants such as berries can be harvested and boiled with its help those in need. “The medicine man Tamarisk are removed to improve the sugar into a tasty sweet beverage; that would meet with the family to understand Verde River water flow. Residents run a agave and banana yucca are dependable their situation and then he would speak to vigorous bald eagle nest-watch program food sources; and that ocotillo, willow, one of the spirits. The spirit would visit the and strictly monitor water quality. “The and mesquite can be used for building. mountain and come back to the medicine water of the Verde River is critical to the “Just as we teach our youth to respect man with guidance that he could take survival of the Fort McDowell Yavapai. Yavapai traditions and lands, we appreciate back to the family,” she said. While few One of our biggest priorities is making the efforts of the McDowell Sonoran Con- modern Yavapai follow this practice, Ray sure that the Verde continues to provide servancy,” says Ray. “You too work hard to says that there are still a few families who clean and plentiful water for all the living protect Preserve land and educate people occasionally request guidance from the creatures that need it,” explains Klopatek. about its inherent value.” mountain spirits. Passing on Traditions Learn More: 1. Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation: www.ftmcdowell. Conservation Values Many cultures abandon their his- org Past and current Yavapai farm their tory and traditions in a rush to be part 2. Ethnobotany: www.fourdir.com/colorado_river_ land and understood the concept of crop of the modern world. This was hap- culture.htm 3. Native American cultures of the Southwest: Hand- rotation long ago. Says Ray, “Our elders pening with Yavapai youth. To halt this book of North American Indians, Vol. 10: Southwest, intuitively knew that you could not plant trend, cultural programs have been Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution, 1983. the same crop on the same land over and developed to pass on the traditions of over without hurting the land.” Traditional grandparents and great-grandparents.

6 By Peggy McNamara McDowell Sonoran Conservancy steward

his is an old and sacred place.” be mythological symbols, geographical around 1450. That makes the petro- Read on. The petroglyph makers have maps, trail markers, or boundary mark- glyphs in Scottsdale’s McDowell moreOur to say. Petroglyphs Legacyers. They could be astronomical maps Sonoran Preserve relatively young. “See the animals and people. See or records of celestial events. Some the youth of the Preserve’s our symbols. They are so important to us theorize that petroglyphs have ritualis- petroglyphs doesn’t make them that we labor with hammerstones to chip tic, cultural, or religious significance. A any less precious. However, their their likeness into this rock. They are so definitive answer remains elusive. existence inside the Preserve does important that we take time away from Petroglyphs appear around the make them our responsibility. So, hunting, gathering and farming to show world and some are estimated to when you see them, treat them like them here.” be 40,000 years old. The American their makers did, with respect. Look, Why, you might ask, would people Southwest contains a high concentra- but don’t touch. Read what they say create petroglyphs? Scholars speculate tion of them. Archaeologists think the and remember, “This is an old and about“T this and the list of their theories is ones around Phoenix are the work sacred place.” long. Petroglyphs could be a form of pre- of the Hohokam people who farmed writing or a historical record. They could here from approximately 1 CE until

Petroglyphs are an indication of early Preserve inhabitants. Photo by M. Jensen

7 By Susan Aufheimer McDowell Sonoran Field Institute citizen scientist McDowell Sonoran Conservancy steward Watchable Wildlife: hat would you think if a red-tailed hawk landed Animal Spiritual Imagery on your patio wall? A lot of us would look at it and say, cool! If you were a Native American, however, you may see some- thing deeper in its appearance. different animals have meanings for many Native American tribes, who believe the appearance of these animals carries a message or an insight. Take, for example, the red-tailed hawk, which is thought to be a messenger bird. This is a powerful bird that can awaken visionary power and lead you to your life purpose; so when it shows up, pay attention! The snake is the symbol of death and rebirth for some tribes. When the snake comes into your life, you can Wlook for a rebirth of creativity and wisdom. Spiders too have meaning. For some, the tarantula is the master weaver and appears to remind you of your own creativity. despite their size, hummingbirds could write a whole book of messages. They symbolize accomplishing the impossible. After all, they can fly backwards! Plus, they live in the desert and somehow find enough nectar, insects, and water to keep their tiny engines running at high speed for most of the day. Hummingbirds are fiercely independent and hard workers. Most of all they are joyful in their daily living. We all can take a page from this mighty little bird’s book. chief Dan George, poet, activist, actor, and member of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation, once said, “If you talk with the animals, they will talk with you, and you will know each other.” The wildlife in the McDowell Sonoran Preserve offer plenty of opportunity to have such a conversation.

Learn More: Animal Speak: The Spiritual and Magical Powers of Creatures Great and Small by Ted Andrews, 1993.

Red-tailed hawk. Photo by M. Jensen

8 MCDOWELL SONORAN FIELD INSTITUTE

By Susan Aufheimer, McDowell Sonoran Field Institute citizen scientist McDowell Sonoran Conservancy steward

Fieldhe plants ofInstitute: the Sonoran Desert Medicinal and Ceremonial Plants serve, produces a sap that healers used We do not suggest you grab a hand- offer a bountiful source of nutritious to cure sores and toothaches. The jojoba ful of creosote leaves and stuff them into foodin and the a pharmacy McDowell filled with healing bush, Sonoran another common plant, Preserve produces your mouth, even though this plant is said flora. The native people who inhabited leaves that can be brewed into a tea that to have many medicinal qualities, including the desert in and around the McDowell soothes inflamed mucous membranes. curing bad breath. We ask you to imagine a Mountains knew how to harvest and use the saguaro cactus, which grows life dependent on the flora surrounding you, the many plants we see as we hike the only in the Sonoran Desert and is prom- and realize that much of what you might trails of the McDowell Sonoran Preserve. inent throughout the Preserve, played need in the way of nutrition, medicine, and Many of us have sampled the an important role in the lives of native spiritual help is living and growing right treats provided by the prickly pear cac- people. Among the saguaro’s many at your very feet. That’s what the native tus—prickly pear tea and prickly pear uses, its fruit was made into a thin por- people before you understood about the jelly—but many of us don’t know what ridge to soothe the stomach of a woman plants of the Sonoran Desert. theT native people knew: the prickly pear after childbirth and to help her produce pads can be skinned, cooked, and eaten. milk. Its fruit also served a ceremonial Learn More: www.tucsonbotanical.org, “Desert Plants/Desert Researchers now believe that the natu- purpose when fermented and made Peoples: Ethnobotany of the Sonoran Desert, Teacher ral pectin contained in the pads helped into wine. The Tohono O’odham, who Information” native people lower “bad” cholesterol. live further south of the McDowells, www.azcentral.com/news/native- americans/?content=fruit-harvest native people revered the healers held elaborate wine celebrations called www.herbalsafety.utep.edu/herbs-pdfs/chaparral.pdf in their society who used a variety of Singing Down the Rain to bring rain dur- www.uapress.arizona.edu/onlinebks/PROPHET/ plants to treat the sick. Brittlebush, one ing the monsoon season, ensuring the PLANTS.HTM of the most common plants in the Pre- fertility of the land and the people.

Prickly pear cactus bud. Photo by T. Roche Prickly pear cactus pad. Photo by B. White

9 Panoramic view of Tom’s Thumb Trailhead. Photo by D. Bierman 11 12 EXPERIENCE THE PRESERVE

Views from the Lookout. Photos by B. Roliardi By Bob Roliardi McDowell Sonoran Conservancy steward Amidst It All t sits overlooking America’s sixth millennium in less than an hour’s drive and east valleys. In the distance to the east largest city. The Valley of the Sun for most people and a walk of a few Four Peaks, the Superstitions, and Weaver’s sprawlsA fromQuiet it into the west. Lookout As hours. This is a very small price to pay Needle appear. In the foreground you see one sits upon it you can picture life for a journey that can deliver such a the combination colors of brown and green below among the buildings, roads peaceful and personal opportunity. in the Verde Valley and if the timing is right, and people. Yet here one is much there are many great places to the fountain of Fountain Hills erupts. To the farther removed than by a few miles hike in the Valley or very nearby. But west Camelback, Piestawa Peak, and South in distance and a few hundred feet the Lookout is different. Unlike Camel- Mountain appear between the high rises of of altitude from the modern world. back Mountain or Piestawa Peak there Phoenix and Scottsdale. Here on the Lookout you have are no crowds, nor a confined feeling it does take a greater commitment of time been fortunate to walk into the past. at the top. This is a broad expanse of to seek this silent refuge amidst our urban You are surrounded by a silence that lunar-type boulders and, at 3,858 feet, home. There are a couple of logical access isI created by mountains, desert, it is one of the highest points in the points and well-marked trails in the McDowell and the wind. You are in the middle Preserve for hikers. The Lookout was Sonoran Preserve that will bring you to the of Scottsdale’s McDowell Sonoran created by nature and preserved by Lookout. None of them are easy walks. Preserve in the Valley’s northeast humans for contemplation. The view the two primary paths to the Lookout corner. You have made a journey of a is panoramic, encompassing the west are the Tom’s Thumb Trail and the East

View from The Lookout. Photo by B. White

Left: Interesting rock formations at the Lookout.

Photo by B. White 13 Fountain Hills can be seen in the distance. Photo by B. White

End Trail. Both are rated “Difficult,”and Remember that there is no water if you choose to take this Trail, which rises 1,100 feet in available at the Tom’s Thumb Trail- journey, do not hurry. This is a hike 1.3 miles, is thought by many to be the head. Always bring more than ad- to linger upon. Go to the Lookout most challenging in the Preserve. From equate water; you might come across to enjoy the journey as well as the the Gateway Trailhead (1,720 feet) on a fellow hiker in need. destination. Linger at the top. Con- Parkway, the Lookout don’t hike to the Lookout just for template. Go there to sit and think. is about 5.5 miles one way on the Tom’s a workout or to see how fast you can Be peaceful with yourself. Revel in Thumb Trail. How long it takes, of course, cover the miles. Consider your journey knowing that among the millions in depends on the speed we choose. to be an opportunity for solitude and our urban sprawl, you are in a place For many, being able to walk and contemplation. If you are not one to that belongs to the millenniums. You observe requires about 30 minutes to hike by yourself, this might be the time are in a place that, because of the complete one mile. You do the math and to do it and focus on your inner com- forethought of local residents, will set your own pace. For this walk, slower munication. If hiking is always a group have a future shaped by the eternal is more conducive to contemplation. activity for you, consider setting some forces of nature. From the new Tom’s Thumb Trailhead, ground rules. No conversation outside For more information about the (2,813 feet on the northern border of the of what the hike inspires. No long drive McDowell Sonoran Preserve along Preserve, south of Dynamite Road near necessary. No high clearance vehicles with detailed maps for the hike, visit 128th Street), the trip is shorter at about required. Enjoy the opportunity for www.mcdowellsonoran.org. 2.6 miles one way and slightly steeper. solitude right in your own backyard.

14 FIT BY NATURE

By Nancy Howe McDowell Sonoran Conservancy lead steward

ach spring, the McDowell Sonoran as a springboard from which both “A friend and I started hiking two or Preserve comes alive with citizen scientists Ohlinger and Strupp draw powerful three times a week. As we’d hike, we’d andMind their teachers. andBotanists, Desertbiologists, and lessons about resiliency and the cour- talk. Our mantra was that whatever geologists count and measure, capture and age of the human spirit. we said on the mountain would stay release, observe and speculate. We all know Ohlinger is a psychotherapist who on the mountain. Grief was a process the Preserve as a natural history hotspot. provides cognitive behavioral therapy, and walking was a way for me to But surprising to some, the Preserve is and specializes in grief counseling. gain fresh perspectives. Now I have a an equally rich resource for students and She had worked in hospice and with saying, ‘When words fail, nature will teachers of human nature. Both Conser- cancer survivors before opening her speak,” says Ohlinger. vancy Steward Julie Ohlinger and Conser- private practice in 2000. But it wasn’t Back then, Ohlinger weighed more vancy Sonoran Desert Women member until 2009, when she experienced than she wanted to and it was on Phyllis Strupp find that the Preserve is a the profound healing of her own grief the Preserve trails that she realized highlyE effective inspiration for their work, while hiking in the Preserve, that her hiking was resolving her grief even though the two women offer guid- Ohlinger conceived of a new approach and leading to a series of behavioral ance in different fields of expertise. The for her practice, which she renamed changes. “First, it put miles on my trails and mountains of the Preserve serve “Stays On the Mountain.” feet. Hiking changed my metabolism

Many trails in the Preserve offer a sense of natural connection. Photo by S. Cullumber and how I saw myself. I started hiking as continue hiking to the point where they Strupp weaves together what she a person in need of healing from grief and no longer need surgery or antidepres- calls the desert’s “important spiritual from unhealthy behaviors,” she recalls. sant medication. The brain does some- truth: the world around us doesn’t Over the course of a year, Ohlinger be- thing different when we do something always give us the nourishment and came a different person, she says. I“ didn’t different,” says Ohlinger. abundance we desire.” In response, lose 60 pounds, I left them in the Preserve,” Author and Carefree resident, Phyllis Strupp’s approach is to provide she says. That is when she decided to Strupp focuses on the human condition clients with a way to discover new expand her practice to embrace what she that she observed while studying the avenues to meaning and purpose in had experienced in her own life. “When- Sonoran Desert. Her 2004 book, The their lives, which drive personal well- ever I have clients who feel stuck in their Richest of Fare, is a photographic and being and the achievement of goals. thinking, I ask them to try walking with me spiritual exploration that provides the In some ways, Strupp is tapping into in the Preserve. There is nothing stagnant reader “a guided tour to the desert’s the concept of “biophilia,” a theory about the mountains, the Preserve is always life-changing spiritual power.” that postulates that man needs changing. The trail is always different: the Strupp deepened her understanding contact with nature to be happy and light changes, the weather changes, the of mind-body-spirit connections through healthy and lead a meaningful life. geology changes. We are always rewarded her experiences in the desert and as a (Reread our Fall 2012 issue for more with insights and realizations that never theological mentor and a clergy wellness- on the topic of biophilia.) could have occurred in my office.” program faculty member. For both Strupp and Ohlinger, a Some of Ohlinger’s clients get far more She sees the desert as a place for passage from the Richest of Fare aptly than they had hoped for. Ohlinger often inspiration and likes to head for the hills describes their relationship with the receives referrals from physicians whose with her husband, Peter, or a friend. Preserve: “There’s something about patients are seeking bariatric surgery. “Bar- “When I hike in the Preserve, I go up the land. That mixture of soil, rocks, iatric candidates are required to go through and out of myself, relating to plants, landforms, air, light, water, plants, counseling because if the out-of-control eat- animals, rocks, the sun, the sky, and animals, sights, sounds, textures, ing doesn’t change, the surgery won’t remain the ancient human inhabitants of the scents, flavors: the land, the place effective. Physicians are intrigued by my land, especially at an unconscious level. where we live. Always there, in so approach, and it works. I’ve had clients who Then when I come back to myself, many ways, supporting us, nourish- come in planning on surgery, but after they problems look smaller, blessings look ing us, restoring us.” start hiking, they work out their story. Many larger, ideas come faster,” she explains.

Hiking provides some a respite from stress. Photo by M. Czinar

16 FAMILIES IN NATURE

by Susan Aufheimer McDowell Sonoran Field Institute citizen scientist McDowell Sonoran Conservancy steward Ithought I was dreaming—the whole world seemed to turn yellow, spattered with highlights of blue … and a little red. I had to ask myself, Where am I? What time is it? It was springtime in the Flowers of the Desert McDowell Sonoran Preserve! And, what a magnifi- cent display it was! This spring we enjoyed one of the most dazzling blooms we’ve seen in years. If you and your family hiked the Preserve during this stunning exhibition, chances are one of you had a question or two about why one year is better than another and what happens to all the flowers after they bloom! Your child might have wondered why he saw so many flowers this spring when last year the flowers were sparse by comparison. Tell him it’s all about the weather, and that every spring bloom is different from the last one. Was the winter too warm? Too cold? Did the winter bring too much rain or not enough? This year’s display of flowers seems to tell us that the weather came through just about right. Your child might have asked where all the flow- ers go when they disappear. Wildflowers turn into seeds that drop to the ground to await next spring’s awakening. The flowers on cactuses, trees, and shrubs turn into fruit, beans, or nuts. Not apples or kidney beans or cashews, but prickly pear and saguaro fruits, mesquite and palo verde beans, and jojoba nuts, as examples. Many are edible but more are better suited to wildlife taste buds. the default color for most of our desert flowers seems to be yellow—yellow flowers on brittlebush and creosote, yellow fiddlenecks, yellow poppies, and more. Blue complements the yellow—blue lu- pine carpets rocky places that are already covered with yellow poppies. Peeking out from their hiding places are bright red flowers on the chuparosa shrub, and a delicate white chicory flower pokes out from beneath. As spring draws closer to

Poppy. Photo by R. Buchbinder

17 summer we begin to see magnificent and scorpion weed. And, yes, desert all about the saguaro and its night- saguaros bearing white bridal bouquets grasses are springing up too, but blooming white flowers that turn into on each arm, and hedgehog cactuses most of them are annuals that are brilliant red fruit the following month. carrying deep orange-red nosegays as gone before our summer heat sets in. For more information, the Conser- part of the wedding party. What is the most prevalent flower in vancy publishes A Field Guide to the in early spring, looking across the the Preserve? Well, that depends on McDowell Sonoran Preserve, which desert floor and up the mountains, you the time of year and where you walk provides photos of the most com- probably saw a blanket of green cover- in the Preserve. In March, it’s prob- mon flowers you are likely to see ing the ground. Most of us think “grass,” ably the yellow flowers of the brittle- anytime during the year. Ask about but think again. It’s comb bur, a low- bush or creosote, along with yellow this guidebook when you take one of growing annual with tiny white flowers poppies and blue lupine. In April, the the scheduled guided hikes led by a that are so hard to see, you have to blue palo verde shows off its yellow Conservancy steward. No matter how stop and concentrate on finding them. flowers everywhere you look, and the or when you decide to see the Pre- It’s also the fresh leaves of other plants cactuses break out in festive color, serve’s glorious colors, just resolve to that are soon to bloom, such as the from the diminutive hedgehogs to the DO IT! blue lupine and purple desert hyacinth sprawling prickly pears. In May, it’s

As the weather warms, volunteers can track wildflower growth from lower elevations to higher elevations. Photo by E. Filsinger

18 PEOPLE PRESERVING NATURE

he McDowell Sonoran Conservancy’s As a 2013 Preservation Partner, APS program supplies, and field trips to responsibility is the land currently protected provided support for the Conservancy’s encourage wellness and education within the McDowell Sonoran Preserve, which Healthy Kids for a Healthy Community pro- through activities in the Preserve. is within the APS metro Phoenix service area. gram. This program is comprised of activi- We also enjoy annual support PreservationAPS power lines run along eight Partner miles of Profile:ties and resources Arizonaincluding school-based Public from 30Service to 50 APS employee (APS) volun- newly acquired land in the northern-most sec- activities, public programming through our teers at a habitat restoration project in tion of the Preserve, and we have worked with Family Friday Sunset Series and guided the Preserve, usually held in the spring APS to appropriately manage desert vegeta- family hikes, and educational tools such of each year. This volunteer support tion along this power-line corridor. as the Family Passport. These Healthy Kids is even more important now as the serving the Southwest since 1886, program activities are designed to recon- Preserve has grown. APS generates, sells, and delivers nect youth with the outdoors and get them thank you APS for your ongoing electricity and energy-related products active for the health of future generations support! andT services. APS serves more than a and the health of our natural landscape. million customers in 11 of Arizona’s 15 APS supports program coordination, counties, and is the operator and co-owner Healthy Kids for a Healthy Community. Photo by R. Raish of the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station, a primary source of electricity for the Southwest. A community leader in environmental excellence APS was awarded in 2010 and again in 2011 the EPA’s ENERGY STAR Award for Sustained Excellence, the EPA’s highest ENERGY STAR honor, for APS’s continued leadership in energy efficiency.

As a community member who values the outdoors, and specifically the Sonoran Desert, you understand the importance of preserving and maintaining open space now to ensure its availability in the future. This shared appreciation of the desert is why we are inviting you to join us today as a Friend of the Preserve by returning this membership form. McDowell Sonoran Society ($1,500+) Steward Circle ($1,000) Trailbuilder Circle ($500) caretaker Circle ($250) Pathfinder Circle ($100) Hiker Circle ($50) Other______Please charge my credit card A check is enclosed JoinCredit Our Card #______Circle of Friends Expiration Date:______Name as it appears on the card______Name(s) by which you would like to be acknowledged______Address ______Email______Phone______I would prefer that my gift remain anonymous Mail to: McDowell Sonoran Conservancy • 16435 N. Scottsdale Rd. • Suite 110 • Scottsdale, AZ 85254 19 NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE PAID

Squash = PMS 116 = 0/16/100/0 Sage Green = PMS 5767 = 15/0/68/39 SCOTTSDALE, AZ Blue = PMS 294 = 100/58/0/21 PERMIT NO. 8O7 16435 North Scottsdale Road Suite 110 Scottsdale, Arizona 85254

Get the latest McDowell Sonoran Conservancy info at:

Join us as we celebrate the opening of the Brown’s Ranch Trailhead and Interpretive Center October 19, 2013. Activities will include family-friendly programming in the shaded amphitheater and educational resources centered on stories captured from Arizona ranching and pioneer families. The trailhead offers access to the north area of the Preserve, including miles of trails perfect for hiking, mountain biking, and equestrian use. Remnants of the Brown’s Ranch Homestead are accessible from this trailhead, and a barrier-free trail that leads visitors among the unique boulders provides an extraordinary experience for those who are not able to Brown’shike great distances. Ranch For updated information, Trailhead visit www.mcdowellsonoran.org/ranch. Opening—Save the Date! Artist’s rendering of the Brown’s Ranch Trailhead Building. Source: Weddle Gilmore Architects