Dr. John Weser greets visitors with a Sonoran Desert Toad. Photo by Kyle Patton/CNUW.
Not every day are toads taken on field trips; the same can be said for tortoises.
When the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community (SRPMIC) invited CNUW to participate in their annual Earth Day Fair and celebration at Salt River High School, we responded by loading up a van full of CNUW workers, games, prizes, brochures and two aquariums (one for toads, one for turtles) and hit the road.Leaving Scottsdale Community College we headed out past sprawling agricultural fields, cotton and soybean plots lining our drive as we approached the school, a wide, circularly designed structure that stuck out on the horizon.
Getting used to the idea of a full parking lot on a Saturday took some time. My high school’s parking lot was vast and spotless on the weekends, a reminder for me of how the SRPMIC comes together for events; it was a rare instance of community involvement that I don’t see often in Phoenix.
Passing through the doors into the building the great seal stood out, the Man in the Maze etched into the glass. We entered into main wing of the high school, where we were greeted by the outpouring of sound coming from the dozens of people already inside setting up. I carried in the two Sonoran Desert Toads, hoisting the aquarium up over the low-setting tables and stands as volunteers and early visitors watched the softball-sized amphibians leap inside their enclosure. We set up our table at the far end of the long curved hallway, next to the cafeteria, a strategic location that brought great traffic to our stand.
Emma Olsen with some contestants playing Desert Neighbor Jeopardy. Photo by Kyle Patton/CNUW.
Once the toads and tortoises were comfortable, our recycling game (matching up animals with the man-made products that affect them) and Know Your Desert Neighbor Jeopardy game started drawing in large crowds. The winners received yellow and green bandanas. Within an hour there were dozens of children sporting our bright bandanas as they went running down the halls.
Of the many different organizations that took part in this year’s Earth Day, Liberty Wildlife captured the majority of the attention when they presented a Golden Eagle and a Ferruginous Hawk, even drawing some CNUW workers, myself included, down to their presentation.
A Golden Eagle (top) and a Ferruginous Hawk, as presented by Liberty Wildlife. Photo by Kyle Patton/CNUW.
I consider this year’s celebration a success, due in part to the planning and community involvement of the SRPMIC, and also to the many organizations that came down to fill the hallways of Salt River High and do what they do best: educate and inform anyone who would stop to listen.
Kyle