All summer at Imperial National Wildlife Refuge, the burro skull we’d rescued from a road-kill specimen near Yuma Proving Grounds last spring roasted in the hot Yuma sun. Although most of the tissue had been devoured by fly larvae by the time we returned this fall, dried skin and ligaments adhered to the bone.
Betty
New Year’s Eve Desert Moonrise
While many view it as a barren landscape, the desert offers beauty of its own. We enjoyed a dramatic desert moonrise on New Year’s Eve.
The Weather Snake
Although not one of my favorite activities, appearing on television to promote Imperial National Wildlife Refuge and our programs has been necessary at times over the past few years. During these appearances, we include the snakes and occasionally some other critters, as well as a few skulls from our collection.
Christmas Bird Count
The 110th Christmas Bird Count takes place this year across the country. This morning we joined Henry Detwiler (birding guide), other members of the Southwest Birders, and fellow volunteers to search for and count birds along the ponds and farm fields of Imperial National Wildlife Refuge.
In a Flash
Even though rain was forecast, the thought of a flash flood was far from our minds. Cloud cover broke to reveal strips of blue sky before Chuck and I met hikers signed up for our Wednesday morning interpretive hike at Imperial National Wildlife Refuge north of Yuma, Arizona, the day before Thanksgiving.
Senses in the Desert
Schools have started field trips to Imperial National Wildlife Refuge again this year. The following article describing our school hikes first appeared in the Summer/Fall, 2007, issue of U.S. Fish & Wildlife News:
Tracks in the Desert
Thanks to an industrious ATV rider, today we take it upon ourselves to become involved with maintenance rather than our usual naturalist work. We are spending the morning raking over tire tracks engraved upon the desert surface like a giant wound.