Recently, Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge held their third annual Grasslands Fair which included vendors, dancers, and wildlife participants. When a reptile organization canceled at the last minute, Buenos Aires Assistant Manager Juliette Gutierrez emailed and asked if we could bring our snakes.
The Grasslands Fair was scheduled for the same Saturday as the Phoenix Reptile Show that we had looked forward to for months. After missing it last year, at first we weren’t sure we were willing to forego it again this year. We were planning to leave our trailer at Imperial National Wildlife Refuge north of Yuma, AZ, where we volunteer each winter, and spend the weekend in Phoenix visiting family and attending the show that Saturday. But when Chuck discovered that the reptile show extended into the whole weekend and we could attend on Sunday, we decided to make the side trip to Buenos Aires.
Three snake cages was all we had room for, along with a few biofacts – snake skulls, snake skeleton, and snake shed. We loaded up our largest snakes first – the bullsnake and the California kingsnake. Then we found room for the smallest — the western hognose. We left Imperial NWR Friday to spend the night in Phoenix, and the next morning we arose early and drove 170 miles to the remote wildlife refuge southeast of Tucson.
Although Phoenix is a couple hours closer to Buenos Aires NWR than Yuma is, it was still a three-hour drive early Saturday morning. When we arrived, volunteers and staff were finishing their set-up and welcoming visitors.
“I didn’t think it would be this crowded,” Chuck said. Overcast skies, chilly temperatures, and a bit of wind usually discourage visitation. But we would soon learn that a fun event like this is a big draw. Our job was to engage visitors and educate about snakes, which is our passion and our mission anyway.
Soon the aroma of grilled hamburgers and barbeque wafted in our direction, enhanced by the music of a true Mariachi Band. As they played, they beckoned Chuck to their center with a snake, and Chuck joined them gladly. They had shown quite an interest in our snakes, and we enjoyed their music.
The Mariachi Band left and was followed by Peruvian music for another hour. The highlight of the day for most, however, was the arrival of the Aztec dancers. Dressed in native costume and festooned with peacock, pheasant, and other bird feathers and jangling with leggings studded with pods of a special nut (I wish I’d written the name!), they danced and twirled energetically to the constant rapid and vigorous beat of drums.
“I am 69 years old!” their leader announced, pounding his chest with a fist. “I live with Nature! I exercise my body! I breathe clean air!” He gyrated faster, jumping in the air, stomping the ground, squatting in dance, proving in every way that despite his age, he was more fit than most. “Nature! Nature! Nature!” he hollered. “That is our way!”
The drums beat louder, exhilarating the crowd. Stimulated and energized, visitors joined the dancers who lured them to their midst. It was a rousing end to a fair with a fiesta atmosphere.
We hope to attend next year as well!
Our work at the Fair:
Mariachi Musicians:
Aztec Dancers:
This is easily one of my favorite posts, everyone looks like they are having a really good time.
One of our favorite events as well! Tremendous support from the Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge and the nearby communities.