Desert Discoveries

I have grown up spending many vacations camping, traveling and enjoying nature. Trips like these were great inspirations for my short stories, poems, and articles. Over the last few years, however, I started to notice changes in the environment. Drought had swept its way across the once full lakes of California to the familiar dry desert landscape of Arizona. Driving in my family’s grey Toyota minivan made me feel helpless and unsure how to make a difference. I was motivated by these frequent trips to learn how to make a direct change to the world around me.

A few years ago, I applied for a yearly program called Teens in the Garden at the Desert Botanical Gardens. I began the program with that pre-conceived notion that I wouldn’t be able to make much of a difference in this dry climate. What I discovered instead was how unique and special the desert is and how I can contribute to conserving the plants and animals that thrive in it. One Saturday every month, I would enter the garden and be greeted by chirping noises and families of quail scurrying across the desert trails. With a group of young teens, we would collect phenological data about the seasonal changes in the Garden. I had the chance to meet scientists, grow and harvest fresh crops in the Garden, and work on wildlife projects. One month I might be planting Milkweed for the incoming Monarch butterflies, or the next month our group would participate in a national bird count. My favorite part of the program was that our Director, Anne Winters, made us feel like we were all affecting the Garden in some way. She said one day, “The impacts that you are making in the Garden now, will affect visitors generations to come.” I was so grateful to be part of a great team of teens helping to make the Garden a better place.

Discovering the Desert Botanical Gardens has taught me how to appreciate our unique environment and how to conserve it. Programs like Teens in the Garden gives students amazing experiences that make a difference. Giving back to the Garden and the animals in it was a great feeling. Not only has this influenced me in the science field, but surprisingly, this program has also inspired me to write more about nature. The sights, sweet smells, and funny stories from the gardens have become a focal point of my writing. What I have learned from this memorable experience is something that I will never forget, and I hope that through science and writing, I can make a small impact on the world around me.