Computer chips may foil cactus thieves Oct 10, 2008
Saguaros are unique to the Sonoran Desert and can grow to 50 feet ... Saguaros are unique to the Sonoran Desert, 120,000 square miles covering portions of Arizona, California and the northern Mexican states of Baja California and Sonora. (CNN -- Tech)
Green Thumb: Plant adaptations in an arid landscape Oct 8, 2008
Published: Tuesday, October 7, 2008 10:37 PM MDT No matter where you come from, the first time you see the beauty of the Sonoran Desert, is a moment you won t soon forget ... The broad-leaved plants growing in the north are adapted to that climate just as the giant saguaro is adapted to the Sonoran Desert ... This brings us back to why the Sonoran Desert looks the way is does. (Green Valley News & Sun, AZ)
Feds to use computer chips to foil cactus thieves Oct 8, 2008
Saguaros are unique to the Sonoran Desert, 120,000 square miles covering portions of Arizona, California and the northern Mexican states of Baja California and Sonora. They're majestic giants that can grow to heights of 50 feet, sprout gaggles of arms and weigh several tons. (New York Post)
Briefing:The US-Mexican border Oct 3, 2008
FOR the past four years Steve Johnston has been dropping food, water and socks in the Sonoran desert. They are intended for illegal immigrants, who have often been walking for three or four days. (The Economist)
Tucson itineraries Oct 3, 2008
Start the day with drive through Saguaro National Park and a hike through the Sonoran Desert landscape at the park or at the Tucson Botanical Gardens, where you can brush up on your desert plant identification ... The national monument south of Tucson celebrates the life and landscape of the Sonoran Desert. (AZCentral -- Travel)
Phoenix things to do Oct 3, 2008
Both are excellent places for learning about Sonoran Desert plant and animal life. By the way, Saguaro National Park features one of the largest saguaro stands in the world. (AZCentral -- Travel)
Scottsdale resorts Oct 3, 2008
Designed by architect Bob Bacon, the resort revolves around the property's impressive granite monoliths and is situated on 1,300-acres of preserved Sonoran Desert habitat ... Whether you're looking to float along tranquil waterways on a Venetian-style sandoli boat, view an international art collection, discover the traditions behind Hopi kachina carvings, play a round of golf or a game of tennis, walk through a native heritage seed garden, wet your whistle at a tequila tasting, heat up the night... (AZCentral -- Travel)
Getting to know the Southern Arizona political candidates running on Nov. 4 Sep 21, 2008
She has focused on balanced, smart growth strategies and was instrumental in the development and implementation of the country s award-winning Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan. The first woman to serve as chair of the Pima County Board of Supervisors, she has held the post twice for a total of six years. (Green Valley News & Sun, AZ)
5 great hiking trails Sep 20, 2008
The North Trail in McDowell Mountain Regional Park loops through the surprisingly varied foliage of the Sonoran Desert. More on this topic. (AZCentral -- Entertainment)
Make your own prickly pear syrup Sep 19, 2008
Apache Junction resident Jean Groen has written two cookbooks devoted to ingredients that can be gathered in the Arizona desert, Foods of the Superstitions Old and New and Plants of the Sonoran Desert and Their Many Uses ... 95) and Plants of the Sonoran Desert and Their Many Uses ($21. (AZCentral -- Travel)
Grady Gammage: New generation needed to create vision for Phoenix area Sep 11, 2008
Also, in the wide open spaces of the Sonoran Desert there are too few constraints to force a more highly defined vision. Finally, the rugged, individualist mentality that permeates the population doesn't collectively trust the vision of politicians or business leaders or any group for that matter. (Phoenix Business Journal, AZ)
Urbanization Reconfigures Surface Hydrology Sep 10, 2008
The Central Arizona Project cuts a blue swatch across the Sonoran Desert and subdivides watersheds, to deliver a reported 1. 7 x 109 m3 per year (or 1. (Science Daily)
Permit would allow killing of at-risk species Sep 9, 2008
The county is moving forward with the stalled key aspect of its ambitious Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan now that the cactus ferruginous pygmy owl is again an endangered species list candidate. Pima County delayed the bid for a permit under Section 10 of the Endangered Species Act in 2006 after the pygmy owl was removed from the list. (FOX 11, AZ)
Energy Innovators: 4 creative solutions to energy problems Sep 8, 2008
The start-up recently agreed to license its technology to BioFields, which plans to build an $850 million saltwater algae farm in Mexico's Sonoran Desert and churn out 100 million gallons of ethanol the first year. It will sell the gasoline substitute to Mexico's state-run oil monopoly. (USA Today -- Tech)
GV?Gardeners: Identify and eradicate invasive grasses Sep 7, 2008
Such a fire will kill most native plants in its path, because the Sonoran desert is not adapted to fire ... Practice identifying invasive grasses not all are bad there are many beneficial grasses that belong in the Sonoran Desert. (Green Valley News & Sun, AZ)
Group dealing with influx of desert tortoises Sep 5, 2008
"It's important to know that it's illegal," said Cecil Schwalbe, a research ecologist with the U.S. Geological Survey's Sonoran Desert Research Station in Tucson. "The wildlife doesn't need another sick animal in the desert.". (AZCentral -- News)
Cactus Thieves Running Amok Sep 1, 2008
The desert symbol grows slowly, about an inch a year it can take six or seven decades for the saguaro cactus to grow an arm and those 15-to-20-foot saguaros that dot the Sonoran desert can be over 200 years old. According to state law, any saguaro cactus over four feet tall cannot be moved from public or private land without a permit. (Time.com)
* Outdoor lighting takes back the dark night in southwestern US Aug 31, 2008
In the late 1950s, during a time of national resolve to take the lead in space exploration, a cluster of federally funded observatories was built atop the 2,130m Kitt Peak, 90km southwest of Tucson in the Sonoran desert. But scientists at the Kitt Peak facility, operated by the National Optical Astronomy Observatory, quickly decided that they had to be more than stargazers on a mountaintop. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
AOT campaign honored with travel industry award Aug 30, 2008
AOT developed "Arizona Origins" in 2007 to coincide with the release of the Arizona-Sonoran Desert Region Geotourism Map Guide. That guide spotlighted nearly 85 geotourism sites throughout the Sonoran Desert region. (Phoenix Business Journal, AZ)
Federal Home Loan Bank supports projects in Phoenix, Ajo Aug 29, 2008
is getting $25,000 for the International Sonoran Desert Alliance, a micro-enterprise incubator designed to revitalize Ajo's town plaza by recruiting artist-entrepreneurs and other small businesses. s project also gained $25,000 and will span rural communities in Arizona, California and Nevada. (Phoenix Business Journal, AZ)
QinetQ's Zephyr Captures Unmanned Flight Record Aug 26, 2008
The solar powered aircraft soared 60,000 feet above the Sonoran Desert for more than 82 hours ... Satellite communications and autopilot allowed the Zephyr to fly at an altitude of more than 60,000 feet above the Sonoran Desert -- where temperatures soared to 113. (InformationWeek)
Solar plane makes night flights Aug 24, 2008
Page last updated at 04:21 GMT, Sunday, 24 August 2008 05:21 UK. By Jonathan Amos Science reporter, BBC News. (BBC News)
GV Gardeners: Where did the millions of caterpillers go? Aug 24, 2008
In the Sonoran desert, there may be two broods per year, spring and summer. The male and female moth both die shortly after reproducing. (Green Valley News & Sun, AZ)
GV?Gardeners: Invasive grasses threaten neighborhoods (6) Aug 23, 2008
Resulting extremely hot fires can kill saguaros, palo verdes, and other signature plants of the Sonoran desert, but fire does not even slow up buffelgrass ... The first thing is to recognize the threat that if left uncontrolled, these invaders will irrevocably alter the Sonoran Desert. (Green Valley News & Sun, AZ)
Water Harvesting celebration scheduled for August 23 Aug 21, 2008
The project has turned a parcel of land north of the Arcadia Wash that used to turn muddy and was a haven for insects during monsoon into an educational riparian sensory garden with native Sonoran Desert vegetation. The improvements will alleviate the old drainage issues and will also capture and store rainwater. (FOX 11, AZ)
Calif. city faced with prickly problem of thieves swiping expensive cactuses Aug 17, 2008
It initially imported plants from the Sonoran Desert, such as saguaros, but the Coachella Valley is too dry to sustain them. Eventually, the city turned to native plants and those capable of surviving baking summers - oleander and lantana, for example. (Boston Globe)
This brightly-colored caterpillar, the larva of the White-lined Sphinx moth, was one of thousands that invaded the yard of Green Valley residents David and Huguette Lusby over the weekend. Aug 6, 2008
Olson says that at one time they even served as a seasonal food source for Native Americans who inhabited the Sonoran Desert. The Tohono O odham would harvest these larvae, dry and braid them, and use them for food. (Green Valley News & Sun, AZ)
Off-roaders could be kicked off trust land Jul 30, 2008
In June, the BLM closed 55,000 acres of the Sonoran Desert National Monument, southwest of Phoenix, to vehicular traffic. The closure will last two to three years, and the bureau will use that time to repair the native landscape. (AZCentral -- News)
TEMPO: Southwest Wings: Birding & Nature Fest approaches Jul 26, 2008
Her illustrations have appeared in numerous publications, including The Natural History of the Sonoran Desert, The Raptors of North America, A Birder s Guide to Southeastern Arizona, A Birder s Guide to the Texas Coast, Guide to Birds of the Anza-Borrego Desert, Guide to Birds of the Salton Sea and A Guide to Southern Arizona Bird Nests and Eggs. Birding trail maps for southeastern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico feature her art as has the annual Christmas Bird Count publication (twice). (Sierra Vista Herald, AZ)
Grayhawk Golf Club tees up video channel on YouTube Jul 26, 2008
Grayhawk Golf Club is widely considered one of the state's top golf venues, offering 36 holes in a Sonoran Desert setting. Grayhawk, which will host the PGA Tour's 2008 Fry's. (Phoenix Business Journal, AZ)
Facing the Freshwater Crisis Jul 24, 2008
Although Phoenix sits amid the Sonoran Desert, he enjoys a virtually unlimited water supply. Politicians there have allowed irrigation water to be shifted away from farming operations to cities and suburbs, while permitting recycled wastewater to be employed for landscaping and other nonpotable applications. (Scientific American)
Help beat the heat by learning about deserts Jul 19, 2008
This is a personal journal about experiencing the Sonoran Desert and all the plants and animals there. The bright colors are delightful for young and old readers. (Cedar Park Hill Country News Weekender, TX)
Bathroom signs tout police jobs Jul 14, 2008
For the third consecutive year, the Scottsdale Police Department is blitzing sports-stadium bathrooms with inviting posters of the Sonoran Desert and the message that the Scottsdale Police Department is hiring ... The recruitment posters offer a stunning landscape of the Sonoran Desert, and entice recruits from snowy, job-challenged cities with this invitation: "This is our backyard. Want to live, work and play here?". (AZCentral -- News)
Partial off-road ban begins in AZ monument Jul 5, 2008
TUCSON - A just-instituted off-highway vehicle ban on part of Arizona's Sonoran Desert National Monument has been quietly successful over its first two weekends - aided by scorching, ride-discouraging heat, the monument's top official says ... " "This is long-overdue protection for the Sonoran Desert National Monument, and we're supportive of the BLM taking this action, and it appears that virtually everybody is," Patterson said. Within the monument, only about 20 miles of roads are maintained;... (AZCentral -- News)
Viagra introduces its latest celebrity backer: the devil Jun 29, 2008
Ten minutes later, dust billowing in my wake, I pulled up at my destination, a huge mirror nestling in the Sonoran desert. Friday, 27 June 2008. (Yahoo News -- Men's Health)
Wasteland of up to 10 million tires ignites concerns of fire Jun 29, 2008
Millions of tires are sitting in the middle of the Sonoran Desert National Monument. Between 3 million and 10 million of them are stacked in vast piles, lined up in rows more than 10 feet high. (AZCentral -- News)
Climate Change Could Severely Impact California's Unique Native Plants Jun 26, 2008
The Central Valley will become preferred habitat for plants of the Sonoran desert. "Across the flora, there will be winners and losers," said first author Scott Loarie, a Ph. (Science Daily)
Yuma oil refinery supporters cheer Bush Jun 19, 2008
The backers won approval from the Mexican government to pipe crude oil from a port in Baja California across the Sonoran Desert to Yuma, but still would need to build that pipeline, Calkins said. The finished fuel would be piped to Phoenix using the existing Kinder Morgan Energy Partners line linking Los Angeles and Phoenix. (AZCentral -- Business)
Increase in inmates opens door to private prisons Jun 19, 2008
Nowhere is the growth of the private prison industry more in evidence than in Florence in the Sonoran Desert. The town is a sort of prison-industrial complex that hosts 11 Arizona state prisons, a federal immigration detention center and four private lockups. (Yahoo News -- Prison Issues)
Town of Summerhaven back after fire Jun 17, 2008
Central Arizona: The winter precipitation brought out wildflowers and other desert grasses in the Sonoran Desert, but the weather left plenty of fuels to carry a wildfire. However, the outlooks predict the fuels aren't enough to stop wildland firefighters from keeping the blazes in check. (AZCentral -- News)
GV?Gardeners: Is there a Vitex in your future? Jun 15, 2008
It is known as a lilac replacement where it is too warm for lilacs to grow, such as in the Sonoran desert. The Vitex is really a multi-trunked shrub, growing upright and rounded much like the crape myrtle. (Green Valley News & Sun, AZ)
Algenol Trains Algae to Turn Carbon Into Ethanol Jun 12, 2008
Algenol plans to make 100 million gallons of ethanol, about the average annual capacity of one traditional US distillery, in Mexico's Sonoran Desert by the end of the 2009. By the end of 2012, it plans to increase that to 1 billion gallons -- more than 10 percent of current ethanol capacity in the United States, the world's top ethanol producer. (Planet Ark, United States)
In Phoenix, pan for gold or catch a comet's tail Jun 8, 2008
Take a horseback ride through the Sonoran Desert. See saguaro cacti and the rugged Superstition Mountains. (Boston Globe)
Dawgs & Devils in the Valley of the Sun Jun 5, 2008
One of the premier golfing venues in Greater Phoenix is Troon North, situated in the High Sonoran Desert near Scottsdale. Co-designed by former British Open champion Tom Weiskopf, this world-class venue features 36 challenging holes of championship golf. (Georgia Sports -- Rivals.com)
Arizona, the 48th state, gets its quarter Jun 4, 2008
and a saguaro cactus (native to the Sonoran desert in southern Ariz. . (Casa Grande Valley Newspapers, AZ)
Gems to explore Jun 3, 2008
There's no need to drive to the wilderness and pitch a tent to see quail, javelina, bobcats, deer, rabbits, geckos and all the other wildlife that claim the high Sonoran Desert as home. At the Boulders Resort and Golden Door Spa in Scottsdale, they roam free. (AZCentral -- Entertainment)
Soap opera social engineering May 29, 2008
that on Wednesday, the Ironwood State Prison located near the Sonoran desert town of Blythe, California will roll out 1. 18 megawatt solar power plant estimated capable of providing "a quarter of the facility's needs.". (Salon)
Giants to fiddle with lineup vs. lefty May 28, 2008
With all due respect to Davis, Aaron Rowand and Randy Winn probably would cross the Sonoran Desert to reach Chase Field if they had to. Rowand owns a rousing. (MLB.com -- San Francisco Giants)
Ex-Forest Service cop fights off-road abuse May 27, 2008
Starting in June, thousands of acres in Sonoran Desert National Monument in Arizona will be closed to vehicles to allow the land to recover from damage by off-road vehicles, the Bureau of Land Management said. The decision bars the vehicles from almost 55,000 acres and closes about 90 miles of off-road vehicle routes for at least two years. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Metro)
Camping out for a chance to buy a home? May 17, 2008
In this little corner of the world, where the mountain views are stunning and the Sonoran Desert still pristine, the buzz from wannabe home buyers brings back memories of the Valley's runaway real-estate train in 2005. Buyers are racing from San Diego and flying in from Alaska and Canada to try to get one of the last major pieces in the Desert Uplands area. (AZCentral -- Business)
Martha A. Barrett Paulson May 16, 2008
in 1984 where she grew to love the Sonoran desert. She spent summers in Durango enjoying the outdoors and took trips to Hawaii, and what she called the trip of a lifetime, to Alaska. (Montrose Daily Press, CO)
ATV riders may be own worst enemies, Pinal deputy says May 16, 2008
This especially rings true after the announcement Tuesday by the federal government of the temporary ban of off-road vehicles in 55,000 acres of the Sonoran Desert National Monument northwest of Maricopa due to environmental destruction. "It is not that we don't want people riding ATVs. We need them to be responsible, or they will be shut out (of desert areas)," Messing said. (Casa Grande Valley Newspapers, AZ)
Off-roading off limits Desert monument area subject of a long-term, but temporary, federal ban May 15, 2008
Starting in mid-June and lasting two to three years, the federal Bureau of Land Management will ban motorcycles and all vehicles on 55,000 acres of popular wilderness in the Sonoran Desert National Monument ... The Sonoran Desert National Monument covers more than 487,000 acres of public land west of Casa Grande and is home to three congressionally designated wilderness areas, archaeological and historic sites, and three mountain ranges ... Those affected by the off-road vehicle ban to start... (Casa Grande Valley Newspapers, AZ)
China earthquake could affect access to Mount Everest May 14, 2008
" It now appears a natural disaster could curtail Himalayan tourism for many years to come. Off-road ban: A large portion of the Sonoran Desert National Monument will be closed to off-road vehicle traffic for two years to help the area recover from the environmental toll of growing motorized abuse, according to the Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). This would be the first long-term ban on land overseen by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in Arizona because of... (USA Today -- Sports)
First class travel under the southwestern sun May 13, 2008
Bordering it on the south, Arizonas Sonoran Desert, Americas hottest, has likewise seen a flood of travelers seeking an exotic desert experience without the need to join a Bedouin caravan in the Sahara. All across the American Southwest, in fact, stressed and weary travelers are warming up, powering down and taking in the cacti and mountain shadows. (MSNBC -- Travel)
Desert monument area to ban off-roaders May 13, 2008
The acreage lies within the Sonoran Desert National Monument. The area, which includes nearly 89 miles of vehicle routes, will be open only to hikers and equestrians under the federal government's plans. (KOLD.com, AZ)
Vehicles banned on section of monument May 13, 2008
Sonoran Desert swath extensively damaged ... Starting next month, a huge swath of the Sonoran Desert National Monument, one of the state's most prized parcels of public land, will be closed to off-road enthusiasts ... The Sonoran Desert National Monument encompasses nearly 500,000 acres of public land about one hour's drive southwest of Phoenix. (AZCentral -- News)
Transit center strives for eco-friendliness Apr 21, 2008
The building features a Sonoran Desert rooftop garden that will harvest rainwater and "gray water," recycled water that is safe for plants but not people. The garden is also designed to absorb sun that otherwise would heat up the building. (AZCentral -- News)
Company aims to be big player in video industry Apr 18, 2008
A video game company in the middle of the Sonoran Desert is aiming to become the largest player in the Valley. Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment employs 130 people in Mesa and is launching FireSky to publish its own video games. (AZCentral -- Business)
Blooming with state pride Apr 17, 2008
It is a moderate- to fast-growing (with regular watering) desert tree that grows naturally in areas with good soil in the Sonoran Desert. These trees will normally be found in washes and other areas close to water. (Yuma Daily Sun, AZ)
Suburbia not just in America anymore Apr 16, 2008
By Haya El Nasser, USA TODAY A Chinese delegation from Beijing arrived in Phoenix last month and headed west to the Sonoran Desert, deep into suburbia. Its destination: a quintessential American residential development in Buckeye, one of the many suburbs dotting the sprawling metropolitan area. (USA Today)
Bollin on Business: How about an area-wide plan? Apr 11, 2008
There are many fantastic groups and organizations focusing on securing a positive future for our natural and man-made treasures Madera Canyon, the Anza Trail, the Sonoran Desert, to name just a few. But, something is lacking. (Green Valley News & Sun, AZ)
Guest Comment: Fear-generating tactics regarding the undocumented Apr 11, 2008
Someone intent on destruction of American life or infrastructure is not going to struggle through the hardships and dangers of the Sonoran desert. They are going to arrive on First Class flights, like the perpetrators of the 9/11 attacks. (Green Valley News & Sun, AZ)
Developer in rehab after DUI arrest Apr 9, 2008
It is located in the high Sonoran Desert about an hour north of Phoenix. A five-week treatment program costs $39,100 and includes 12-step meetings, psychological and psychiatric evaluation, plus group and art therapy, according to a Meadows e-mail describing the program. (The Palm Beach Post)
New president of SCC ready to make impact Apr 7, 2008
Now she finds herself on a new journey - one of acceptance - as she moves from the often icy realm of the Last Frontier to the sometimes fiery landscape of the Sonoran Desert. Gehler, 61, said she hopes the northeast Valley community will quickly realize her passion for education. (AZCentral)
