"Describes the life cycle of the giant saguaro cactus, with an emphasis on its role as a home for other desert dwellers."--Title page verso.

A venerable saguaro cactus stands like a statue in the hot desert landscape, its armlike branches reaching fifty feet into the air. From a distance it appears to be completely still and solitary--but appearances can be deceptive. In fact, this giant tree of the desert is alive with activity. Its spiny trunk and branches are home to a surprising number of animals, and its flowers and fruit feed many desert dwellers. Gila woodpeckers and miniature elf owls make their homes inside the saguaro's trunk. Long-nosed bats and fluttering white doves drink the nectar from its showy white flowers. People also play a role in the saguaro's story: each year the Tohono O'odham Indians gather its sweet fruit in a centuries-old harvest ritual. In this first volume of Sierra Club Books' Tree Tales series, a simple, easy-to-read text and appealing drawings document the life cycle of this amazing cactus tree and the creatures it helps to support. Readers will come away with a better understanding of and a lasting respect for this accomodating giant of the desert.

Despite its stark landscape and harsh climate, the Sonoran Desert teems with life. Hare, hawks, lizards, bobcats, badgers, coyote — all live among the desert’s fragrant mesquite and spiny cactus, and none can exist without the others. Madeleine Dunphy’s poetic text explores all the warm and native elements that make the American Southwest such a mystical place, while Anne Coe's stunning paintings portray the desert’s plants and animals as well as the dazzling colors reflected in the rocks and skies of the Sonoran Desert.

This book presents the stories of three avid field biologists who over the course of 15 years frequently traveled together in search of cacti in Bolivia, Peru, and Argentina. The conversational style of this travelogue allows us to share in the authors' excitement as they encounter plants that have rarely, if ever, been written about. Nearly 195 remarkable color photographs accompany the vivid descriptions of unusual cacti growing alongside non-succulent plants, at altitudes of 8000 feet or more-and even in rainforests! A Cactus Odyssey will interest gardeners, travelers, and conservationists from around the world who wish to learn more about these irresistible plants, and it is the hope of the authors that this book will inspire others to undertake their own cactus odyssey.

Uncovering seashells... jumping in the waves... It's a perfect beach day! And what better way to spend it than with a new beach friend? Patricia Hubbell's light verse skips merrily along, while Lisa Campbell Ernst's playful scenes picture a sea that is justwaiting to be splashed in!

Describes the activities of various animals living in the Sonoran Desert and their dependence on the saguaro cactus for sustenance.

During the Mexican Revolution, when a troop of hungry soldiers comes to a town where all the food has been hidden, they charm the townspeople into helping make a soup from water and a cactus thorn.

Describes the first 100 years of the saguaro cactus as it grows from seed to adult plant in the hot, dry desert of Arizona and provides food and shelter for the desert animals.

A packrat, carrying fruit from the giant saguaro, is chased by various desert animals and inadvertently helps spread the cactus's seed. Includes information on saguaros.

Describes the activities of various animals in Arizona's Sonoran Desert.