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Maricopa County Master Naturalist Monthly Newsletter - 2022

Lifelong Learning Opportunities: Random Selections for May

Monday 5/9 Arachnids-part I 7-8 PM ARACHNOLOGY

Spiders are the most familiar group of arachnids and are important predators of terrestrial ecosystems around the world. In Part 1, we introduce spiders and look at their biology. We will also discuss the fears, myths, and misconceptions that people have about spiders. (Part II 6/6)

https://www.eventbrite.com/o/pima-county-natural-resources-parks-amp-recreation-30607074198

Thursday 5/12 Javelinas 7-8PM ZOOLOGY

Who are you calling a pig? Javelina, also known as Collared Peccaries, are actually not pigs, even though they have a common reputation of being such. Join us and learn more about these highly sociable, widely distributed, and oft seen animals here in Arizona! We will talk about their history, behavior, adaptations, and much more! Instructed by Jeff Meyers, Wildlife Biologist, at the Arizona Game and Fish Department..

https://www.register-ed.com/events/view/171820

Monday 5/16 AZ Orchids 7-8PM BOTONY

Orchids are the most diverse family of plants famous for their beautiful flowers and interesting pollination biology. With about 28,000 species worldwide, orchids can be found almost everywhere. This presentation is an introduction to these remarkable plants and a closer look at the orchids of the Grand Canyon State

https://www.eventbrite.com/o/pima-county-natural-resources-parks-amp-recreation-30607074198

Tuesday 5/24 Leave No Trace 11-12 PM NATURALIST

Join a certified Leave No Trace trainer for an interactive exploration of how to minimize impacts while enjoying favorite outdoor activities

Does it really matter if dog waste is left behind at a park? What’s the harm in going off trail a little to see wildflowers? An apple core is biodegradable, so is it OK to leave it at a campsite instead of packing it out? Join a certified Leave No Trace trainer for an interactive exploration of how we can all minimize our impacts while enjoying our favorite outdoor activities. We’ll discuss the 7 principles of Leave No Trace and dig into some of the most common questions about WHY these practices exist and HOW you can help protect the places you love with simple but powerful actions.

https://www.eventbrite.com/o/pima-county-natural-resources-parks-amp-recreation-30607074198

Master Naturalists: Over 150 on demand webinars are waiting for you to view. Many of the webinars are skills based. Check out the Advanced Training Summary List in Google Sheets to see all the events.

*MCPMN may access the private portal to view more details about volunteer opportunities.

May Volunteer Opportunities: Partnerships

Thank you so much for your continued support in helping keep our natural areas…wild!

Native Seed Harvest

Native seeds will be harvested and used for park restoration projects where invasive species have been removed and where parks have been impacted by wildfires. Using seeds from local see genotypes help maintain the park’s biodiversity and sustainability in the face of climate change.

· May 5: Cave Creek Regional Park

· May 12: Spur Cross Ranch Conservation Area

· May 19: White Tank

· May 25: Cave Creek Regional Park

Native Seed Garden

Seeds collected from native seed harvests will be used to establish plants for replanting critical areas.

· May 6: Cave Creek Regional Park

· May 20: Cave Creek Regional Park

May 14: Global Big Day in Arizona (formerly North American Migration Bird Count in Arizona) gathers information on the abundance and distribution of birds. Individuals and teams record all birds seen or heard within a 24-hour period at a specified location. Have fun while assisting national efforts!

Contact Doug Jennes, AZ State Coordinator: dougjennes@gmail.com

Entire month of May: The “First-Ever Urban Saguaro Census” in metro Phoenix will be the first step to generate a database to monitor the saguaro population in the Valley, learn more about their health and research the effects climate change might have on them. Anyone can participate via iNaturalist and assist the Desert Botanical Garden in its quest for answers as to why there was a sudden loss of mature saguaros beginning in 2020. Learn more and register online: Saguaro Census · iNaturalist

City of Phoenix Park Stewards: The Phoenix Parks and Recreation Department seeks volunteers (age 16 and over) who can help monitor, protect, and maintain over 35,000 acres of preserve lands. With a limited number of Park Rangers on hand to manage these public lands, Park Stewards are a valuable part of their conservation team via assistance with being a trail monitor, maintaining trailhead gates, assisting with litter pick up, providing educational information to park users. Park Stewards can volunteer at any City of Phoenix desert preserve or park after attending a required orientation. Learn more at https://volunteer.phoenix.gov/custom/501/opp_details/2835 or contact Peter White (Park Ranger II) at peter.white@phoenix.gov

On-going: Contact John Jung The Garden of the B's [birds, bees, bats, beetles, bugs, butterflies, and bunnies on the campus of Mesa High School was created to transform a neglected lot on Mesa High’s campus into an educational garden, designed to educate the community about the Sonoran Desert and encourage participation in community science (i.e., ebird).

Master naturalists can contribute by performing the maintenance that all gardens require, and by enhancing educational features (plant identification tools, desert tortoise habitat, website development) . https://www.mpsaz.org/mesa/files/garden_fall_newsletter.pdf

Ongoing: Tending the Hummingbirds Habitat contact Juliantrish@att.net Bring gloves, hat, sunscreen, water & garden tools and enjoy a cool early morning in our walled bird garden.

Habitat. Master Naturalists can join Desert Rivers Audubon to weed, water & prune the Hummingbird Habitat.

The Hummingbird Habitat @ Desert Breeze Park is a recognized Desert Rivers Audubon Bird Just drop in or contact our volunteer coordinator, Patricia Julian Juliantrish@att.net

Webpage events: https://www.maricopacountyparks.net/events/?F_m=5&F_c=26

Maricopa County Parks and Recreation Department have over 120,000 acres of natural areas with recreation areas plus 640 miles of trails for you to explore and learn about nature. This month highlighted park is Cave Creek Regional Park (CCRP).

Cave Creek Regional Park is located near the town of Cave Creek, bordered by Cave Creek residential and state trust lands, and is 2,934-acres.

Ranging in elevation from 2,000 to 3,060 feet, this desert oasis provides any hiker and equestrian with majestic views. The most popular trail at the park is the Go John Trail. It loops around a mountain to provide the illusion of being miles away from civilization.

In the 1870s, fever-stricken gold seekers staked their dreams on the jasper-studded hills. Guided trails to unique sites allow visitors to travel back in time.

Campsites: Tent or RV camping is allowed at the campground. The average site size is 40 square feet; however, pull-through sites may accommodate a 60-foot RV. Each site offers water and electrical hookups, a picnic table, and a barbecue fire ring.

Horse staging: The Park offers a horse staging area south of the picnic loop. The area has a large gravel parking lot to accommodate horse trailers. Hitch rails and water are also available.

Nature Center: The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) accredited nature center is designed to be fully functional, sustainable, and energy-efficient while minimizing the disturbance to the natural landscape and maximizing the design compatibility with the natural surroundings.

The Nature Center includes a gift store, animal exhibits, interpretive displays, educational materials, meeting rooms, and park offices. It is available to rent for events.

Natural Resources

Cave Creek Regional Park has mountain ranges of Palo Verde-Saguaro upland desert ecosystems with over 84 plant species and 69 wildlife species, including more common species such as coyotes, bobcats, and mule deer. The Park also inhabits less common and notable and/or protected species such as crucifixion thorn trees, mountain lions, desert tortoise, and squaw peak Southwestern talus snails. It is also home to the “Michelin” saguaro cacti!

Trails

Cave Creek Regional Park offers 16-miles of trails for hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding. All trails are shared use unless otherwise designated. The most popular trails in the park are the Go John and Overton Trails.

Juanita Armstrong-Ullberg

Natural Resource Specialist & Chapter Advisor

(The Sponsors corner will highlight a new park each month for the next several months. To help you all become familiar with the amazing parks that Maricopa County has to offer.)

Loggerhead Shrike: The Butcher Bird

By Alexis Woods

Have you ever spotted a loggerhead shrike? This year-round Arizona resident is a songbird with the behavior of a raptor. A “logger” refers to a 16th century block of wood used to hobble a horse, and “loggerhead” was coined to indicate something with an unusually large head, such as this unique bird. The loggerhead shrike, as a member of the passerine order, is a songbird, but also belongs to the Laniidae family, comprised of carnivorous members.

Commonly known as “Butcher Bird,” a loggerhead shrike uses its thick neck and hooked beak to impale and immobilize its prey on a thorn or barbed wire. Lacking a raptor’s talons, this ferocious technique enables the birds to capture small mammals, amphibians, and even other birds, such as sparrows and goldfinches.

North Scottsdale, Cave Creek, and Carefree are ideal locations to see these fierce little birds. They may be found searching for prey on low perches in open areas where they have broad views of the surrounding area. Loggerhead shrikes feast mainly on insects during the breeding season, and vertebrates during the winter. The birds can take down prey with sizes matching their own, using a precise bite to the nape, causing instant paralysis in their victim. This technique uses the tomial teeth, found in the bird’s bill, which are also found in falcons.

Loggerhead shrikes can even eat prey considered poisonous, like monarch butterflies, certain toads, and certain grasshoppers. They simply impale their victims in the usual manner, and then wait up to three days for the poisons to break down before consuming their meal. In the case of the grasshopper, the bird eats the head and abdomen, but discards the poisonous thorax.

Sightings of these unusual birds are progressively less common since the 1960s. The cause is thought to coincide with the introduction of agricultural chemical pesticides in the 1940s, as loggerhead shrikes consume prey that likely consumed the pesticide. However, the bird has a relatively high reproductive rate, so its numbers could recover with the right conditions. So, the next time you are exploring northern Maricopa County, especially in the winter, look out for the loggerhead shrike, the songbird with the heart of a raptor. To learn more about the loggerhead shrike, visit https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Loggerhead_Shrike.

About the author: Alexis Woods is a master naturalist, master gardener, and a practicing physician.

The Collard Peccary (Pecari tajacu), commonly known as the Javelina, is a frequently seen resident of the Sonoran Desert and one of the most misunderstood members of our local faunal community. So that is as good of a place to start as any when discussing the Javelina, fighting the misconceptions.

Javelina are not rodents, nor are they closely related to rodents. Where this myth comes from, that Javelina are rodents, is not known, but it is assumed that it is since some people think that they superficially resemble the South American member of the Rodentia family, the Capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris), the world’s largest rodent.

Javelina are correctly placed within the family Tayassuidea, which are Perissodactyla, or odd-toed ungulates. Likewise, members of the Tayassuidae family are also not very closely related to Old World pigs, which are members of the Suidae family. Old World swine have two dew claws on each back leg, while Javelina have a single, fused dew claw on their back legs. Peccaries also have only two pairs of mammae, whereas members of the Suidae have six (6) pairs. Peccaries also have straight, self-sharpening canine teeth, while the maxillary canines (tusks) of Suidae curve outward.

Javelina, like many members of the Sonoran Desert’s faunal community, are a tropical species. In the Collard Peccary this is most obvious by the fact that they have no undercoat and is the main reason why they huddle closely together at night during our winter months – for warmth.

Javelina, like many members of the Sonoran Desert’s faunal community, are a tropical species. In the Collard Peccary this is most obvious by the fact that they have no undercoat and is the main reason why they huddle closely together at night during our winter months – for warmth.

While there are three extant members of the peccary family, the Collard Peccary, the Chacoan Peccary (Catagonus wagneri), and the White-lipped Peccary (Tayassu pecari), the Collared Peccary is easily the most widely distributed, ranging from the southwestern United States all the way down to portions of Uruguay and northern Argentina.

Javelina are highly social animals with complex inter-squadron (yes, a group of Javelina is called a squadron) relationships. They have poor eyesight, but exceedingly sharp olfactory senses and hearing. They are omnivorous by nature, subsisting largely on various forms of plant material, but they have been observed eating small animals on occasion as well.

If you would like to learn more about these fascinating critters, their biology, behavior, diet, reproduction, and natural history, join the AZGFD for an in-depth dive into all things Javelina on the evening of 12 May between the hours of 6:30-8pm. The link to register for the Javelina lecture can be found here: https://www.register-ed.com/events/view/171820

About the author: Jeff Meyers is the Wildlife Viewing Program Manager for Arizona Game and Fish Department.

Besides prickly pear, the other truly common type of cactus is the cholla. With over a thousand species in the genus, this group is common and easily recognized. Chollas look like linked sausages, covered in spines. The spines arise from small pads called areoles, that are white and fuzzy. Look closer and you will notice a smaller set of spines at the base of the larger spines. These are called glochids and are found on both chollas and prickly pears. They are sharp and reversed barbed and are well known to anyone that has had a close encounter with this kind of cactus. Below the spines and the areole pad is the tubercle, a swelling in the cactus joint that bears the areole pad on its top. Tubercles are found in many different cactus species, and their size varies from the nonexistent ones on the Christmas cholla (Cylindropuntia leptocaulis) to the heavily pronounced tubercles on the chain fruit cholla (C. fulgida).

It is the spines that makes this group, and especially members like chain fruit cholla, so notorious. The spines are long, extremely sharp, and reverse barbed. Indeed, this is how species such as chain fruit and teddy bear (O. bigelovii) got the nickname ‘jumping cactus.’ The plant pieces, called joints, fall off easily, and the reversed barbs on the spines help them attach to clothing. As the wearer walks, the spines go deeper, until they contact the actual person. Since that person is now several feet beyond the cactus when they first notice the piece on them, they wrongly conclude that the plant jumped.

This ability to ‘jump’ is intimately related to the reproduction of this plant. While both species of jumping cholla will produce flowers, fruits and seeds, the seeds are sterile. Like a banana, the seeds became dead ends many millennia ago. For the cholla, the joints themselves when dislodged from the plant become the propagules of reproduction. Genetically identical to the mother plant, this is an asexual form of reproduction-cloning. Cloning via a piece of stem has some real advantages to reproduction by seed. A cactus seedling is defenseless, having to still grow its first spines. It also lacks chlorophyll and must produce some of this vital pigment for it to begin making its own food by photosynthesis. A piece of stem such as a cholla joint, however, has spines all over, chlorophyll in abundance that is already being used to make food, and even stored water. For this plant at least, these advantages outweigh the loss of genetic diversity from a lack of sexual repro duction.

Interestingly, stamen in the flowers of teddy bear cholla and others still remember and act as if they are involved in sexual reproduction. When touched, the stamen demonstrates thigmonasty: movement in response to touch. The stamen will bend inward after light contact, and this is thought to be an adaptation to ensure pollen from the stamen is deposited on the bee that touched them. A strange trait to hold on to when the plant no longer reproduces with pollination, but it is a reminder that evolution is a work in progress, and as environments change so too do the plants and other creatures that live in them.

https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/taxa/index.php?tid=61&taxauthid=1&clid=0 https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/taxa/index.php?tid=85&taxauthid=1&clid=0

About the author: About the author: Ken Sweat is a Principal Lecturer at Arizona State University's West Campus School of Mathematical and Natural Sciences.

Good for your health, your world, and your budget: The Tepary

By K. M. McCoy

What heritage plant is an energy food for athletes, dieters, and diabetics? The tiny but powerful tepary bean is the correct response. Cultivated for at least 1000 years by the Akimel O’odham and Tohono O’odham in the Sonoran Desert, this bean is thought to be higher in fiber and protein than most other beans. This fabulous food, digests slowly providing sustained energy, is filled with protein, has a low glycemic index, and too many health benefits to list in this space.

In addition, this ancient superfood is one of the easiest crops to grow in the world. After an initial dousing with midsummer monsoon rains, they are good to grow. Perfect for desert cultivation, they thrive in arid conditions and scorching sun. Given worldwide rising temperatures and water shortages teparies may emerge as an important food crop. In fact, watering can reduce bean production. Unlike most plants they are more fertile when experiencing a small amount of water stress.

From sprout to table beans should be ready to harvest in 60 to 120 days. Delicious and packed with nutrition, these highly resilient beans are a perfect ingredient for soups, stews, dips, taco fillings and more. Sprinkled liberally they can even add a little extra protein to a fresh salad. Equally important they are inexpensive. Cooking with tepary beans is sure to make your budget stretch significantly further than the cost of carne in a meat market.

For more information, see: https://www.google.com/search?q=tepary+beans+nutrition&source

Bueno para la salud, Bueno para el mundo, Bueno para tu dinero

¿Qué planta patrimonial es una comida energía para atléticos, personas que están a dieta, y personas con diabetes? El frijol teparí pequeño, pero muy poderoso, es la respuesta correcta. Han sido cultivados por al menos 1000 años por los Akimel O’odham y Tohono O’odham en el desierto Sonorense, estos frijoles son pensados ser más alto en fibra y en proteínas que la mayoría de otros frijoles. Esta comida fabulosa, que se digiere lentamente para proveer energía sustentable, está llena de con proteínas, tiene un índice glucémico bajo, y demasiados beneficios para la salud para listar en este espacio. Además, este superalimento antiguo es uno de los frijoles más fáciles de cultivar en el mundo. Después de mojar inicial con las lluvias monzón, pueden crecer bien. Para cultivar en el desierto, crecen muy bien en condiciones secas y en sol abrasador. Debido al aumento de las temperaturas en todo el mundo y la escasez de agua, los frijoles tepari pueden emerger como un cultivo de alimentos. De hecho, el riego puede reducir producción de los frijoles. Con a diferencia de la mayoría de las plantas, ellas son más fecundas cuando tienen un poco de estrés hídrico.

Del bote a la mesa están listos para ser cosechados en 60 a 120 días. Estos frijoles son deliciosos y llenos de con nutrición. Debido a su resistencia son perfectos para sopas, guisados, salsas, rellenos de tacos y más. Espolvoreados generosamente en una ensalada, pueden incluso agregar un poquito de proteína. Igualmente, importante, son baratos. Cocinar con frijol teparí es seguro a hacer que tu dinero estire más que el costo de carne y además es mejor para tu salud.

Para más información lea https://www.google.com/search?q=tepary+beans+nutrition&source

About the author: K. M. McCoy is a Master Naturalist, a Master Gardener, and a lifelong student of Spanish

Last summer’s plentiful rains led to an abundance of insects, both adults and larvae. Perhaps you saw armies of yellow, green, and black caterpillars crossing trails and roads. Many didn’t survive the hazardous journey, but those that did are emerging now as adults. Specifically, I am referring to White-lined Sphinx Moths (Hyles lineata).

Sphinx moths, also known as hawk moths, or hummingbird moths, are in the Sphingidae. This worldwide family of approximately 1,200 species are characterized by a long, tapered, abdomen, elongated (often pointed) forewings, and hindwings much smaller than the forewings. Sphinx moths are strong fliers that can often be seen hovering at flowers.

Some sphinx moths are noteworthy for their long ‘tongues’, which enable them to obtain nectar from deep-throated flowers. In some species the tongue (more precisely called a proboscis) is longer that the body! Paradoxically, some sphinx moths have rudimentary mouthparts and do not feed as adults. If you have flowers attracting butterflies during the day, you likely have sphinx moths visiting them at night.

Sphinx moths are also attracted to lights at night. Simply turning on a patio light will bring them in. An ultraviolet light, also known as a ‘black’ light will attract even more of these cool insects. A recent blacklighting effort attracted 21 White-lined Sphinx at the same time!

Larvae of this family usually have ‘horns’ on top of the abdomen near the tip, resulting in the name hornworms for the caterpillars. Many sphinx moth caterpillars are particular about their diet, feeding on a small number of related plants. White-lined Sphinx cats are not one of them! It seems these youngsters will feed on many of the plants they encounter. In years with good summer rains like we had last year, numbers of larvae explode, and they are everywhere. If these larvae avoid predators (including cars), parasites, and disease, they emerge as adults when temperatures rise the following spring. This is what we are witnessing right now.

So, turns those lights on or keep a close eye on flowers in your neighborhood and you could very well see a White-lined Sphinx.

For additional information, see: https://nhm.org/stories/its-bird-its-plane-its-white-lined-sphinx-moth

About the author: Jeff Babson is a naturalist who conducts private field trips re: birds, butterflies, dragonflies, and general natural history. He also is Wildlife Viewing Program Specialist for Pima County Department of Natural Resources, Parks, and Recreation. Contact him (jeff@skyislandtours.com) for additional information.

And because its spring…

To Prospective Contributers:

Objective: The MCPMN Newsletter is a forum for members to share information about the natural world and to educate others with this knowledge. Although we cannot gaurantee publication of every submission, all members are encouraged to submit articles, photos, or other relevant items realted to the natural world. Our dead line is the 10th of the month, e.g., June 10 to be included in the August newsletter.

Contact K.M. McCoy at Kathleen. McCoy@ASU.edu for specific submission guidelines.

Thank You