The Phoenix Haboob of July 5th, 2011 from Mike Olbinski on Vimeo.
Aerial imagery of the Wallow Fire in Arizona | Google Earth Blog
Started on May 29, the Wallow Fire, located near the Arizona and New Mexico border, had already burned 389,000 acres when Landsat captured a stunning aerial image of it on June 7.
Smoke from the fire has affected air quality as far north as Wyoming and as far east as Georgia. The U.S. Geological Survey and NASA cooperate closely in managing the Landsat program and we have them to thank for images such as this.
To view it yourself in Google Earth, simply download this KML file.
Aerial imagery of the Wallow Fire in Arizona | Google Earth Blog
As usual, Boston’s The Big Picture has some great photos, although I hate scrolling to see them.
Arizona wildfire rages on – The Big Picture – Boston.com
2 Fire crew members sharpen their tools as they prepare for a back burn operation in Eagar, Arizona. A raging forest fire in eastern Arizona has scorched an area the size of Phoenix, threatening thousands of residents and emptying towns as the flames raced toward New Mexico, June 8, 2011. (Jae C. Hong/Associated Press) #
Arizona wildfire rages on – The Big Picture – Boston.com
June 2011 Arizona fires seen from space | Earth | EarthSky
Three images taken from space of the Wallow North fire in Arizona in June 2011 show the fierce magnitude of this event.
June 2011 Arizona fires seen from space | Earth | EarthSky [via Arizona Hiking]
Arizona Wallow fire: Are wildfires getting worse? – By Jeremy Singer-Vine – Slate Magazine
Are large American wildfires becoming more common?
Yes, at least in the West, home to most of the nation’s largest wildfires.
Arizona Wallow fire: Are wildfires getting worse? – By Jeremy Singer-Vine – Slate Magazine [via dangerousmeta]
Jun 032011
Ash from this fire covered my chair in Albuquerque.
The San Francisco Volcanic Field lies not near the city of the same name but in northern Arizona. Covering 1,800 square miles (roughly 4,700 square kilometers), the volcanic field consists of volcanoes and lava flows, including SP Crater. The Advanced Land Imager (ALI) on NASA’s Earth Observing-1 (EO-1) satellite captured this natural-color image on April 17, 2010.
Oct 272008
History of the Sinagua written in the red rocks of ruins
Oct. 24, 2008 12:00 AM
The Arizona Republic
Palatki Red Cliffs Heritage Site is a nice place to explore when the sun is out and the weather is nice. It might be even better on a stormy day.
"It’s really beautiful when it rains here," Coconino National Forest ranger Terrilynn Green said. Waterfalls spill over the cliffs, but the ruin, sheltered by an overhang, remains dry.
Because of this, Palatki (a Hopi word meaning "red house") is fairly well-preserved, although it never has been rebuilt and the site hasn’t been excavated, Green said. …
The hike to the ruin is about a quarter-mile. Some might find it challenging, but anyone in good physical condition should have no trouble.
To the left of the visitor center, another trail, also about a quarter-mile and with a gentle grade, leads to an overhang containing rock art and the remains of an old homestead.
About 2.5 miles down the road from Palatki is another ruin, Honanki. The site is watched over by Pink Jeep Tours Co., which signs in visitors and take clients to the ruin, pointing to various symbols on the rock.
Honanki has more walls standing than Palatki does, and it may have been one of the largest Sinagua population centers in the Verde Valley. Archaeologists believe it was one of the places the Sinagua went after they left Palatki.
There were more than 60 rooms on the ground floor, perhaps as many as 72 when additional stories are taken into account. The site was abandoned around 1300.
Some of the rock art is obvious; some of it is visible only in the right light. Archaeologists say they find something new every time they look at the site.
Tuzigoot – Ancient Sinagua Ruins in Arizona
arizona, Other Peoples
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Oct 222008
Read Adventurous Wench’s brief account of Tuzigoot, in Arizona south of Flagstaff and not far from Montezuma’s Well and Castle — worth a visit.
Not far from Sedona, Arizona, lie the ruins of Tuzigoot, an ancient Sinagua town that was abandoned centuries ago.
Tuzigoot – Ancient Sinagua Ruins in Arizona
AW also has some cool Mayan photos:
Flickr: Adventurous Wench’s Photostream
[updated 10/28/08]
This marsh and park are in sight of Tuzigoot but miles away by road.
TAVASCI MARSH Dead Horse Ranch State Park Situated in the backwaters of the upper Verde River, Tavasci Marsh is a bird watcher’s paradise.
peace, mjh
Results of poll on feelings about wolves in NM, AZ – Las Cruces Sun-News
By The Associated Press
Article Launched: 06/16/2008 12:03:33 PM MDT
ALBUQUERQUE—A look at results from a poll of 1,000 residents of New Mexico and Arizona, half in each state, about the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s 10-year-old program to reintroduce the Mexican gray wolf on public lands in the two states.
—Sixty-seven percent of Arizonans and 57 percent of New Mexicans favor giving wolves greater protection under the Endangered Species Act; 14 percent of Arizonans and 25 percent of New Mexicans oppose the idea.
—Fifty-one percent of Arizonans and 49 percent of New Mexicans believe livestock grazing is good for the environment; 16 percent of Arizonans and 19 percent of New Mexicans disagree.
—Sixty-two percent of Arizonans and 53 percent of New Mexicans support letting wolves migrate to suitable habitat in the states; 17 percent of Arizonans and 24 percent of New Mexicans oppose migration.
—Sixty percent of Arizonans rate their overall feelings about wolves as positive; 13 percent are negative and 22 percent are neutral. In New Mexico, 48 percent have overall positive feelings, 19 percent are negative and 26 percent are neutral.
—Sixty percent of Arizonans and half of the New Mexicans surveyed want ranchers to be required to remove or render inedible the carcasses of cattle that die of non-wolf causes—something environmental groups have pushed for.
—Fifty-one percent of Arizonans and 48 percent of New Mexicans support reimbursing ranchers who volunteer to give up their grazing leases.
A portion of the poll calling for respondants to state the first thing that came to mind when thinking about wolves found:
Arizona:
—21 percent: beautiful animal
—14 percent endangered species
—12 percent wild
—6 percent dangerous
—4 percent kill livestock
—13 percent don’t know or won’t say
New Mexico:
—9 percent endangered species
—7 percent beautiful animal
—6 percent wild
—4 percent kill livestock
—3 percent dangerous
—13 percent don’t know or won’t say
———
Information from poll done in April and May by Research & Polling Inc. of Albuquerque. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.4 percentage points.
Results of poll on feelings about wolves in NM, AZ – Las Cruces Sun-News
Arizona Trail Association, Working to build, maintain and promote the Arizona Trail.
arizona
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May 212008
Arizona Trail Association, Working to build, maintain and promote the Arizona Trail.
The Arizona Trail is a continuous, 800+ mile diverse and scenic trail across Arizona from Mexico to Utah. It links deserts, mountains, canyons, communities and people. Currently 94% of the trail is complete.
The Arizona Trail Association’s mission is simple: build, maintain, promote, protect and sustain the Arizona Trail as a unique encounter with the land.
Arizona Trail Association, Working to build, maintain and promote the Arizona Trail.
Sonoran Desert Knowledge Exchange
arizona, Other Peoples
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Apr 212008
The Sonoran Desert Knowledge Exchange (SDKE) is a collaborative initiative led by the UA Libraries that seeks to bring together individuals and organizations who have information, services and other resources that can contribute to increased awareness, research and preservation of the Sonoran Desert.
Cave Creek Museum, Phoenix, Arizona
arizona, Other Peoples
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Oct 042007
Worth the Trip: Cave Creek Museum exhibits area’s past | EastValleyTribune.com
Marija Potkonjak, Tribune
The Cave Creek Museum may be small, but it packs an afternoon.
“If people really get into it, they could be here two hours,” says Evenly Johnson, the museum’s executive director.
Hidden away on Skyline Drive in view of Black Mountain, the
volunteer-run, member-supported museum will open Oct. 3 for the fall
and winter season.“This museum almost draws you back in time,” says Johnson.
The collection is split into two galleries covering the history of the people who have lived in the Cave Creek area.
A tour of the museum starts with the archaeology wing, which features
pots recovered from local digs such as the Livingston and Ocotillo
sites.“This area is very rich in archaeology,” says Johnson. “If you know
what you are looking for, you will see it out in the desert.”An entire wall is dedicated to the Hohokam, Anasazi and Mogollon
peoples. Their lives are dissected in a way that’s easy for children to
understand. The newly refurbished exhibit also features a replica of a
Hohokam house and an activity center where children and adults can
learn to grind corn for flour. …Cave Creek Museum
6140 E. Skyline Drive. $3 adults, $2 seniors and students. Open 1 p.m.
to 4:30 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday, but opens at 10 a.m. Fridays.(480) 488-2764
. www.cavecreekmuseum.org.
Aug 302006
Bureau of Land Management Arizona – Wilderness Areas
The Bureau of Land Management in Arizona is responsible for 47 wilderness areas totalling about 1.4 million acres. Congress established these areas through the Arizona Wilderness Act of 1984 and the Arizona Desert Wilderness Act of 1990. The list [on the linked page], organized by Field Office that manages the areas, provides links to more information. Published Management Plans are available for many areas. You may also be interested in our Environmental/NEPA Documents Library.
LEAVE NO TRACE: Wilderness visitors need to be aware of their impact on the land and know how to reduce it. Education is a key to preserving the ecological health of our wildlands. Education is more effective than regulation in changing people’s behavior. The following Leave No Trace principles are recommended as a guide to minimizing the impact of your wilderness visits.
Principles of Leave No Trace
* Plan Ahead and Prepare
* Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces
* Dispose of Waste Properly
* Leave What You Find
* Minimize Campfire Impacts
* Respect Wildlife
* Be Considerate of Other Visitors
Minimize your impact on the land and on other visitors, but be sure to enjoy your visit as well. For more information, visit the Leave No Trace home page.
SAFETY: As with other types of outdoor activities, wilderness travel poses potential hazards. You may encounter flashfloods, poisonous snakes and insects, poisonous plants, or lightning storms. Be aware of your exposure to heat or cold. Don’t panic if you get lost. Carry an ample supply of water with you since many areas may not have adequate or uncontaminated water sources.