To find a little culture and a lot of nature, we went to the Saguaro National Park to the west of Tucson to view the petroglyphs and pictographs left by earlier inhabitants. We followed the deeply rutted unpaved dirt track in our tiny 4-WD to find the parking are where we could park and take the short hike on the designated trail to Signal Hill to view the pictures.
We took many pictures of the swirls, animal stick figures, wheels and other patterns either carved into the rock or painted on. The white contrasted the brown of the stone. We planned ahead to arrive early enough in the day to avoid the worst of the heat. People around us complained how hot the desert was and about the lack of shade.
The desert is all about contrasts; searing days, frigid nights, minimal water and still thriving and abundant life. Taking lessons from desert dwellers could be a good lesson in adaptability. Instead of forcing a natural habitat to us as humans, we need to learn the techniques for adapting to our environment. We must conserve resources, know survival techniques for making the most of water and food and to modify our activity to appropriate times of the day.
Climate change is seen in the history of the desert southwest which has at various times been a lush natural and agricultural oasis with plentiful water. Native people flourished and when conditions became tougher with climate changes they abandoned the area to those who could adapt.
THE END
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