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Desert Plants: Creosote

It has one of the most recognizable smells in the desert, it attracts dozens of different types of bees, and it might have been eaten by native camels thousands of years ago.

Anthropocene Who?

Meet Nika Kaiser and Erica Prather, two artists whose work is centered around issues relating to climate change and extinction.
Sandhill cranes begin their migration in Southern Arizona.

More than 41,000 sandhill cranes in Southern Arizona

Arizona birders can see the cranes in person at the annual Wings over Willcox Bird & Nature Festival.
Abandoned mine cleanup crews load waste at the Golden Idol Mine in the Cherry Creek Mining District in Yavapai County in December 2021.

Forest Service resumes cleanup of abandoned mines near Prescott after pause

The project, which was split into two because of funding issues and to avoid interfering with the owls, began in December 2021.
Many Southern Arizona residents employ water-saving techniques, like rainwater harvest.

New Tucson 80 year water master plan implements rainwater harvesting

The first draft is not expected until September this year.
An attendee learns to ride a snowboard on Mount Lemmon Thursday, Jan. 5, 2023. Ski Valley offers lessons throughout the day.

Ski Valley opens for snowboarding and skiing

Almost 250 people attended and worked Ski Valley's opening day.
A canal carries water from the Colorado River to tribal land in Arizona.

Biden signs water bills benefiting 3 tribes in Arizona

President Joe Biden signed legislation Thursday giving leasing authority to the Colorado River Indian Tribes, whose reservation tracks its namesake on the Arizona-California border.

Desert Plants: Organ Pipe

The organ pipe cactus is native to Mexico and the United States where many can be found in their namesake national monument in western Pima County, Arizona.
More electric-vehicle charging ports will be installed along interstate highways in Arizona as early as 2024

It’s electric: ADOT planning a statewide network of EV chargers along interstates

The Arizona Department of Transportation will oversee the upgrade of existing chargers and installation of new ones along five interstate highways.
Shipping containers are put in place along the U.S.-Mexico border in Cochise County.

Coronado National Forest to close area near containers during removal

The U.S. Forest Service said the move is for public safety.
Tuesday’s press conference to announce the over $4.7 million USDA grant to UArizona to support and promote 'climate-smart' food production was held at the ENR2’s rooftop garden. The rooftop garden is an example of how native plants can be paired with solar panels to protect plants in an increasingly hot and dry climate while water evaporating from the plants cools and makes the panels more efficient.

USDA awards $4.7 million to new partnership with UA for 'climate-smart' food production

The funding will help farmers reduce water consumption and carbon emissions.
A Tucson Clean and Beautiful volunteer is putting mulch around a new tree in a neighborhood in South Tucson on Saturday, Dec. 17th. The mulch helps protect the tree from the harsh desert climate.

60,000 trees planted since start of Tucson Million Trees program

Tucson Mayor Regina Romero announced the program in 2020 and hopes to reach the goal by 2030.
John Farley, director of fire test operations at the Naval Research Laboratory, tests the effectiveness of aqueous film-forming foam by spraying it on a gasoline fire. The test took place at the laboratory in Chesapeake Beach, Md. Oct. 25, 2019.

ADEQ to test all small water systems for PFAS

An EPA grant will allow the state to test water from 1,200 providers.
A male Elegant Trogon, as featured in Richard Cachor Taylor's 2022 book "Birds of Arizona".

The field guide "Birds of Arizona" was a labor of love for author Richard Cachor Taylor.

Also on Arizona Spotlight: How the Pima County Library's Synapse Team is helping mental health community-wide; visit the El Jefe Cat Lounge; and remembering broadcasting legend Larry Schnebly.
Water levels in Lake Powell, seen here in May 2021, are dipping dangerously low. The federal government has proposed an unprecedented plan to cut back on water supplies for Arizona, Nevada and California. The measure aims to keep water levels high enough to generate hydropower at the Glen Canyon Dam.

The Buzz: Looking back on 2022

Newsworthy interviews and topics that we addressed this year.
Residents of the Douglas and Willcox Basins say they're drilling deeper and more often for water as their wells dry up as big companies expand their operations and dig even deeper into the shared water supply.

Preserving parts of Cochise County's water future

In November, voters split on future management of two major basins.

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