Leave No Trace

When asked by Ranger Justin at White Tank Mountain Regional Park to lead a group of Girl Scouts on a hike recently, we readily agreed, recalling fondly the school fieldtrips we led at some refuges where we’ve volunteered over the past few years. The theme for this hike, we were told, was “Leave No Trace.” …

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Behind the Scenes

Behind the reptile exhibit at White Tank Mountain Regional Park is a “kitchen” of sorts that contains lettuce, red peppers, mealworms, insects, and other items to feed the rats and mice. All these rodents are, in turn, scheduled to be fed to the reptiles on exhibit. All, that is, except one. Pardoned Simon is a …

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Social Distancing

Recently, we headed to northeastern Arizona in our new truck camper and spent a couple nights to escape the Phoenix oven and engage in a little “social distancing.” More than seeking cooler temperatures and reveling in nature, this was a shakedown cruise to test our recollection of living off the grid with solar energy and …

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Gardening in the Desert

“How do you feel about gardening?” The question hung in the air unanswered for several seconds as we pondered. After remaining housebound for several weeks to conform to government mandates that addressed the Covid-19 pandemic, we felt the need to get back to “work.” We drove to White Tank Mountain Regional Park to chat with …

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