"It's so hot, the chickens are laying hard boiled eggs"
"It's so hot today, I saw a dog chasing a cat and they were both walking"
"It's so hot the Popsicle timeframe is down to 20 seconds"
"It's another one of those aluminum foil sweater days"
"It's so hot in Arizona that you discover that in July, it takes only 2 fingers to drive your car"
"By the way, today the Air Quality Index is good, so go ahead -- breathe every chance you get"
It's 110 degrees in Tucson, and we are taking the heat VERY seriously...despite all the hot jokes. Dehydration and heat exhaustion are very common illnesses during the summers here, and the SCA and NPS are taking every precaution to prevent these things from happening to anyone. We have taken the last week to become acclimated to the area and test our limits. We have been roaming the desert doing systematic mapping of buffelgrass, gila monster surveys, watering, and desert revegetation. Each member carries 6 to 8 liters of water, as well as vitamin C packets and sustain. We are decked out with snacks and make sure to take breaks at least once every hour. The good news is that we are working with bio-techs and park staff that have been through several summer work seasons at Saguaro and know exactly how to provide us with in-the-field tips and help. Big shout outs to Bethany, Kim, Kara, and Rob!
We saw our first desert tortoise in the field this week! It was so nervous from all of us standing around it that it pooped on the rock...so not only did we see a desert tortoise, but we also saw it defecate. DOUBLE WHAMMY. That doesn't happen every day.
Other wildlife spotted:
Road Runner and Eggs
Diamond Back Rattlesnake
Javelinas! (That charged at us)
3 Species of Lizards (i.e. Zebra Tail, Spiny Lizard)
Red Tail Hawks
Gray Hawk
Great Horned Owl
Baby Doves in the Nest
Hummingbird and Eggs
Red Spotted
Zone Tail Hawks
Sonoran Whip Snake
Pyrrhuloxia (Bird) - The aggressive groundskeeper at Javelina Picnic Area. Stole a piece of cliff bar right out of Josh's hand...
Black Tail Jackrabbit
Really fat squirrels (nomenclature inaccurate)
Really cute chipmunks (nomenclature inaccurate)
We also found a few Projectile Points, AKA Arrowheads.
The crew will be getting a variety of native and invasive plant experience over the next few weeks before the buffelgrass spraying season starts. But before that can happen, we need RAIN. Not only so that the buffelgrass will green up enough to spray, but that we can put out these fires that are threatening this beautiful state!
So while you are doing rain dances for us, please enjoy some photos from the field as we acclimate to the desert life!
