Southern Arizona Guide » Video of the Day

Our Friends of The San Pedro River

Jim Gressinger — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 15:39:20 +0000

While Jim is recovering, I thought I would share with you some interesting material that I come across. I am sure that you all know about The Friends of the San Pedro River, who are working to preserve our remaining riparian areas, especially along the San Pedro River, east of the Catalinas. Their newest video is about the Hydrology of the San Pedro River, or “How Water Recycles Itself.” Share it with your children. Take them on an Interpretive Walk this Saturday, December 29th, from 9 -11:30, at the San Pedro House, just east of Sierra Vista on Route 90. Docents run Interpretive Walks and Bird Walks every Saturday and Sunday throughout the year.

These videos and more are readily available on Vimeo and through http://sites.google.com/site/friendsofthesanpedroriver/ for teachers. An excellent introduction for children to become aware of the environement that they will inherit. To learn more about the San Pedro River environment or to become a Friend of the San Pedro River, visit their official Website.
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This article posted by Ms. Karen Ratte, wife of Jim Gressinger, and webmistress for SouthernArizonaGuide.com

Reintroducing Bighorn Sheep into the Catalinas

Jim Gressinger — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 13:00:17 +0000

I ran into some pretty exciting news, or at least I thought so, and I thought I would share. This video, shot November 15 at Catalina State Park was posted by Arizona State Parks. Richard Boyer, Park Volunteer, will give another talk at 4pm December 30 at the Trailhead Picnic Area.

CREDIT: Presented by Catalina State Park and volunteer Richard Boyer

Bighorn sheep occurred naturally in the Santa Catalina Mountain ecosystem until the late 1990′s. Their presence in the Catalinas has been well documented since the mid 1880’s. Catalina bighorn sheep herd population peaked in the late 1970’s and early-mid 1980’s then declined and
eventually disappeared in the late 1990’s. No final determination has been made for the decline and disappearance of the sheep.
The Desert BigHorn Sheep Society is working to change that.
Restoration efforts will begin November of 2013 by relocating 30 sheep from herds in southwest Arizona. Each sheep will be fitted with a GPS satellite collar and monitored daily. The population objective over 3 years is 110 sheep.
The public has been supportive of bighorn sheep restoration and has placed significant value on the presence of bighorn sheep in the Catalinas as a natural component of this ecosystem.
If you are interested in contributing to this effort or for more information on this project visit the Arizona Desert Bighorn Sheep Society.
This article is provided by Karen, Jim’s wife, as a guest blogger while he is recovery from surgery.

New Art Exhibit Coming To The Desert Museum + A Bonus Video!

Jim Gressinger — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 12:47:09 +0000

Most everyone who reads my blog or visits our SouthernArizonaGuide website knows the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is one of our family’s favorite attractions. We’ve been members since we moved here 10 years ago. When our grandchildren visit, it’s the first place they want to go. In the past decade, we’ve taken more than a hundred out-of-town visitors to the Museum, in part because it’s the best place for them to get oriented to our beautiful, biologically diverse desert. It’s a bonus that the Museum’s Ocotillo Café is one of the 2012 Best Restaurants in Southern Arizona.

I know the ASDM is working on a new riparian (river) exhibit area that will be open later this year. One of its purposes is to show what our Sonoran Desert was like before all the ranchers, towns, and cities sucked up most of the water. We used to have surface water and running streams and rivers year ‘round. Hard to imagine, isn’t it?

In the meantime, the Southern Arizona Watercolor Guild (SAWG) is holding its 16^th Annual Juried Exhibition in the Ironwood Gallery September 15^th through October 28^th.

Members of the Guild have submitted their works and juror, Kim Johnson, has selected the ones that will be exhibited. In other words, the best of the best in Southern Arizona. Should be a great show!

The exhibit’s opening reception, entitled Fiesta Sonora, will be held on September 15th from 2:00-4:00 PM. Gallery hours for the exhibition are 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM daily. As watercolor is Ms. Karen’s favorite medium, I know we will be going.

Did you know?
ASDM offers over 60 art classes and a certificate program in nature illustration. The classes cover a variety of media including watercolor, oil, sketching and photography. For class schedule, click here.

Bonus Video
Southern Arizona Guide specializes in recommending Dining, Lodging, & Things To See & Do in our unique corner of the Grand Canyon State. That said, sometimes I happen across something unrelated, but so special that I have to share it.

Neighbor Mike sent me this video along with this brief caption.

{2006} Stacy Westfall rides a horse that she has trained for only THREE weeks. The song she chose is dedicate to her recently deceased father.

The horse she is riding is not even hers. She rides without a saddle or halter & bit, employing the method used by American Indians.