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"Dreaming Down the Rain" Broadside
The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum Press has published its first-ever poetry broadside in honor of the Museum naming its its first-ever Poet-in-Residence, Eric Magrane. The poem celebrates the welcome and nourishing monsoons of our desert home and our connection to the natural world around us. Each broadside is signed by the author and comes in a brown paper sleeve. All proceeds from the sale of this commemorative piece support the programs of the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. more... | |
A Desert Illuminated: Cactus Flowers of the Sonoran Desert
This unique book combines stunning four-color photographs of cactus blooms of the Sonoran Desert with critical essays on cacti, their history, and their effect on the desert landscape and ourselves. A brilliant addition to any nature or photographic library, with photographs by Dr. John Schaefer, and essays by John Alcock, Mark A. Dimmitt, John Janovy, Jr. and David Yetman. more... | |
A Field Guide to Desert Holes - Revised Edition
The revised edition of this quirky and popular field guide helps curious visitors -- as well as seasoned naturalists -- sort through the often bewildering abundance of desert holes so they can find out who's behind all that digging. Includes over 60 drawings of desert animals, their holes, and their tracks, and over 50 full-color photographs. more... | |
A Guide to Southern Arizona Bird Nests & Eggs
Southern Arizona is one of the premier birding locations in the United States. This book gives birders, naturalists and visitors to the region information on desert nests in this world-renowned birding hot-spot. Each entry includes Nest Shape and Material, Habitat and Location, Eggs, Possible Builder, Natural History, Diet and Feeding, and Similar Nests. more... | |
A Natural History of the Santa Catalina Mountains, Arizona: This watershed book takes us behind the picture-postcard views and into the landscape, where we can understand, appreciate, and enjoy the natural history of the spectacular Santa Catalina Mountains. Its vividly illustrated chapters and nine picture guides (featuring native flora and fauna) paint a rich portrait of this famous range. In clear, everyday language the authors explain just what the Sky Islands are, telling the story of when and how they came to be — their deep geologic and biotic history. They also describe ten stops along the Mt. Lemmon Highway where visitors can easily see and understand the eight major biomes found in this range. Hundreds of photos, a dozen maps and figures, and more than two dozen stand-alone profiles highlight special places, people, or elements of the Catalinas and Sky Island Region. more... | |
A Natural History of the Sonoran Desert, 2nd Edition
The landscape of the Sonoran Desert Region varies dramatically from parched desert lowlands to semiarid tropical forests and frigid subalpine meadows. Covering southeasternmost California, much of southern and central Arizona, most of Baja California, and much of the state of Sonora, Mexico, it is home to an extraordinary variety of plants and animals. A Natural History of the Sonoran Desert takes readers deep into its vast expanse, looking closely at the relationships of plants and animals with the land and people, through time and across landscapes. more... | |
Alice: A Story of Friendship
Alice is a rattlesnake who finds an unusual friendship in the beautiful landscape of the Sonoran Desert - somewhere in Arizona or the Mexican state of Sonora. This is a story about the meaning of friendship, and that every friend we have is unique and special. more... | |
Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum: A Scrapbook
A treat for anyone who ever wanted to take a behind the scenes tour of one of America's truly great museums.
"[Peggy Larson] has assembled an engaging, thoroughly readable compedium of personalities, news clips, history, comments and quotes. It is a recap for old-timers and an appealing introduction for newcomers." more... | |
Beetles of the Sonoran Desert
Meet the Beetles! Use this handy pocket guide to help you identify the common beetles of the Sonoran Desert. Members of the order Coleoptera, beetles are one of the most common insects on Earth and they are well represented here. more... | |
Cacti of Arizona
The Cacti of Arizona Getgo Guide, which easily fits in your pocket is perfect for a spring hike in the desert. It introduces non-botanists to species in a half-dozen groups of cacti — from columnar cacti like the giant saguaro to mammalarias like the little pincushion. more... | |
Correctamundo: Prickly Pete's Guide to Desert Facts & Cactifracts
Prickly Pete the packrat takes young readers into the desert to get some answers. Beautifully illustrated, this delightful full-color children's picture book shows that desert facts often are much more amazing than the myths (cactifracts) we've all heard. more... | |
Desert Dogs: Coyotes, Foxes & Wolves
Illustrated with 24 full-color photographs, Desert Dogs is an excellent resource for readers unfamiliar with desert life and anyone who seeks a better understanding of the canines that inhabit our neighboring desert, urban alleyways, and suburban backyards. more... | |
Desert Gardens: A Photographic Tour of the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
Join us on a photographic tour of the spectacular Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum! Our focus on the unique plants, animals, and landscapes of the Sonoran Desert makes us one of the top zoological sites in the United States. more... | |
Desert Waters: From Ancient Aquifers to Modern Demands
Desert Waters provides an engaging and readable look at where we get our water in the Sonoran Desert and why we are overdrawing our water "accounts." more... | |
Dining with the Desert Museum Created by the Museum's gifted and committed docents, this cookbook is a compilation of recipes contributed by staff, docents and volunteers of the Museum. It presents an outstanding collection of recipes that include some of the best dishes of the Southwest as well as delicious traditional offerings. more... | |
Gardening for Pollinators in the Desert Southwest
This publication aims to inspire everyone, from the dedicated gardener and the environmental educator to the occasional flower- sniffer, about the possibilities of bringing desert wildlife in for a visit. Includes a four-color illustration of a desert pollinator garden, and detailed information, including plant lists, on how to garden in order to attract hummingbirds, butterflies, bees, and even bats. A color illustration of a desert pollinator garden and plant lists are also included. more... | |
Guide to Birds of the Salton Sea
This volume is the first full-length book to focus attention on the Sea's unique natural wonders and importance while providing a wealth of useful information for birders and naturalists. more... | |
Hip, Hip, Hooray, It's Monsoon Day! / ¡Ajúa, Ya Llegó el Chubasco!
The author lushly illustrates the Sonoran Desert rainy season, describing in English and in Spanish the ways in which people anticipate and celebrate the monsoon, as well as the meteorological phenomena behind the storms and the adaptations they have caused in local wildlife. more... | |
Hummingbirds of the West
Hummingbirds, with their iridescent plumage, pugnacious nature, and high-energy lifestyle, are some of North America's most captivating birds. They both fascinate and entertain. They also can be a challenge to identify for many people. That's why the Desert Museum produced this colorful new guide. more... | |
Katie of the Sonoran Desert / Katie del Desierto Sonorense
This is the true story of Katie, a meter-long western diamondback rattlesnake, and her adventures as she struggles to make a life for herself in the harsh Sonoran Desert. We're with Katie, sharing in her determination as she hunts for the food she needs to stay alive, her terror when attacked by vicious predators, and her care and devotion to the litter of babies she gives birth to. more... | |
Land of Black Volcanoes and White Sands: The Pinacate and Gran Desierto de Altar Biosphere Preserve was created in July 1993 by decree of the Mexican government. Conscious that we protect what we know, the authors of this book describe the geology, plants, animals, and human history of this special place. more... | |
Let's Explore the Desert This inviting book is intended for families that want to make the most out of their desert excursions. It begins with some basic information on how to prepare for a trip into the desert, followed by tips that assure a safe and enjoyable desert experience. more... | |
Lizards of the Southwest
Lizards, with their prehistoric appearance, beady little eyes, and often quirky behavior, hold great appeal for both adults and children. Unfortunately, most people are unable to identify more than a few. The Desert Museum took notice and produced this visually focused pocket guide. It not only allows you to quickly identify the Southwest's most commonly seen lizards but it also contains dozens of fascinating facts about their lives (such as a species that consists entirely of females and another that actually has a voice!). more... | |
Mission San Xavier: Saints and angels, missionaries and Indians, artists and conservators populate this fascinating introduction to a house of spirit, a Sonoran Desert landmark, and an artistic bridge to another era. A richly illustrated story for young and old alike, it is the perfect book for families to share. more... | |
Mountain Trees of Southern Arizona: A Field Guide
A unique guide to our amazing native trees, this book features common and notable trees growing at 4,500 feet or more in the Sky Islands of southern Arizona. Unlike field guides of the past, it uses the same approach as Frank Rose's heralded Mountain Wildflowers of Southern Arizona, providing not only a large image of each tree, but several smaller images of their components — such as bark, fruit, flowers or cones in various stages of development, as well as occasional photos of animals that find resources in those trees. more... | |
Mountain Wildflowers of Southern Arizona: A Field Guide to the Santa Catalina Mountains and Other Nearby Ranges
This definitive full-color field guide features images and notes on more than 370 species of southern Arizona's flowering plants growing at 4,500 feet and above. In addition to photographs of each plant as a whole (or a representative section), this guide provides individual images of a flower, fruit, and leaf of each species, allowing readers to easily distinguish between similar species. more... | |
My Nana's Remedies / Los remedios de mi nana
A warm and loving grandmother prepares a variety of traditional remedies for her young granddaughter, remedies to treat everything from an upset stomach to being frightened at night. more... | |
Outdoor Gizmos
This handy guide is intended for just about anybody who plans on spending some time out in nature. Seasoned hikers and backpackers will want to add these gizmos to their bag of survival tricks. For everyone else, this Getgo Guide will provide great entertainment, and maybe even an entirely new way of connecting with the sun and stars. more... | |
Snakes of the Southwest
A forked tongue... no voice... eyes that never close... dry scaly skin and long limbless bodies that appear to ooze across the ground - often under the cover of the night. Sounds like a mutant beast from a horror movie, right? Not quite - instead, it describes one of the most fascinating and highly evolved groups of animals ever to inhabit planet earth - snakes! more... | |
Soaring Birds of the West
Majestic, powerful, Elegant. Hawks, eagles and other soaring birds inspire awe and capture our imaginations as they float effortlessly above us. Learning to identify raptors is a fascinating, fun and engaging activity. This new pocket guide makes it easy! more... | |
The Little Saguaro / El sahuarito
The Little Saguaro/El sahuarito is a heartfelt story about life's joys and challenges, as revealed in a conversation between a mother saguaro and her daughter. As this intimate story unfolds, the exuberant life of the Sonoran Desert literally swirls around the giant cacti more... | |
The Secret Lives of Hummingbirds
The Secret Lives of Hummingbirds takes the reader into the high-energy world of North America's smallest bird. There is a sense of mystery that surrounds hummingbirds. more... | |
Víctor, el zopilote renuente
¿Quién no se ha sentido incómodo en su propia piel en algún momento de la vida? ¿Quién no se ha preguntado acerca de su propio valor, o deseado ser alguien diferente? Víctor cuenta las ilusiones inocentes e imposibles y las aventuras de un joven zopilote (o buitre) que, a través de sus experiencias y el apoyo de su familia y su comunidad, encuentra su propia autoestima. Aunque fue escrito para lectores juveniles (de 8 a 12 años), tanto los jóvenes como los adultos encontrarán humorística, emotiva y significativa esta historia deliciosamente ilustrada. En el camino, se aprenderá algunas de las características únicas no sólo de los zopilotes, sino también de otras aves de presa comunes en el Desierto Sonorense. ¡Y esto es sólo el cuento! Para los lectores jóvenes, así como para los maestros y los padres, el libro incluye descripciones breves de historia natural de los animales y las plantas que aparecen en el cuento de Víctor. ¡Regáleles a sus jóvenes naturalistas más queridos este libro Víctor el zopilote renuente o Victor, the Reluctant Vulture del Museo del Desierto Arizona-Sonora. more... | |
Vanishing Circles: Portraits of Disappearing Wildlife of the Sonoran Desert Region
Vanishing Circles is a richly illustrated volume documenting an important Desert Museum exhibition and showcasing the beauty and diversity of species rapidly disappearing from the American Southwest. more... | |
Venomous Critters of the Southwest
Rattlesnake, coralsnake, scorpion, and spider! The mere mention of these words sends most of us running for cover. In truth, these creatures don't present any great danger, as long as we know who they are, how they behave in nature, and what we should do to avoid unwanted encounters. It's all here, in a format that will fit easily in your shirt pocket or daypack. more... | |
Victor, the Reluctant Vulture
Who among us hasn't been uncomfortable in our own skin at some point in life? Who among us hasn't wondered about our own worth, wishing to be something we were not? Well, Victor, or Víctor, follows the innocent but impossible dreams and adventures of a young vulture who, through experience and the support of his family and community, finds his own self-worth. While written for intermediate readers (ages 8 to 12 or so), young and old alike will find this delightfully illustrated story humorous, touching, and meaningful. Along the way, they will learn about some of the unique characteristics of not only vultures, but of some common birds of prey in the Sonoran Desert. And that's just the story! For the older intermediate readers, as well as for teachers and parents, the book includes brief entries on the natural history of animals or plants featured in Victor's tale. So, treat your favorite young naturalists to the Desert Museum's Victor, the Reluctant Vulture or Víctor, el zopilote renuente. more... | |
Wild Foods of the Sonoran Desert
Wild Foods of the Sonoran Desert explores the rich diversity of native foods found in the hot, often inhospitable desert lands of southern Arizona: sweet fruit from cacti; cultivated crops such as beans, squash, corn and sunflower seeds; wild greens; chiles; mesquite pods; desert berries. more... | |