Preserving and Painting the Desert | Arizona Illustrated

This week on Arizona Illustrated, we’ll introduce you to a group preserving the Sonoran Desert, one cactus at a time; go behind the scenes to meet the people building our trails in Saguaro National Park; discover how muralist Ignacio Garcia is on a mission to turn downtown Tucson into an outdoor gallery, and just might do it; and learn why Stinknet, an invasive noxious weed, is something you'll want to get out of your yard. Rescuing Cacti The Tucson Cactus and Succulent Society has one mission-- to save and protect cacti and other succulents. Since its founding in 1999, the society has saved over 120,000 plants. We meet society members as they work with landowners to remove the cacti from a large family-owned property turned subdivision and replant the succulents at the Waterman Restoration Site. Trail Crew Have you ever wondered who builds and maintains the trails you hike on? In this story, we spend the day with a trail crew from Saguaro National Park. Follow along as they work and talk about what drew them to this challenging and rewarding job. Ignacio Garcia Mural for Tucson Ignacio Garcia is one of Tucson’s beloved and cherished muralists with over 40 murals around town. With a mission of making Tucson an ‘outdoor gallery’, he uses walls as his canvas as he tells the story of the community. Invasive Desert Plants – Stinknet The Sonoran Desert has thousands of native plants that are desirable in our environment, but other species can thrive here as well, making them invasive and undesirable. Stinknet (Oncosiphon pilulifer) is one of them. This groundcover that originated in South African and Lesotho can take over large areas, competing for resources with native plants and creating a fire hazard, and allergic reactions among other concerns.