Category: Mother Earth

AZT Thru-Hike: Arizona Wildlife 101

I moved to Arizona in the fall of 2017 to join a conservation corps. It was both my first time working/living outdoors (camping) and my first time in the southwest. On my second hitch I saw my first scorpion, tarantulas, roadrunner, six black widows (under our campsite’s picnic table), rattlesnake, and got a little too familiar with cholla. Woah!

After six months working and sleeping in Arizona’s canyons, deserts, and forests, the “scary” creatures became familiar friends to me, and I learned how to not get bit/stung/poked. I was glad to have that knowledge going into my AZT thru-hike, so to benefit any other newcomers to the southwest, here’s an introduction to some of the flora and fauna you’ll see in Arizona. Read more

azt-leave-no-trace

AZT Thru-Hike: Leave No Trace 101

Let’s say you’re walking through the woods, munching on a carrot.

A real, whole carrot. Mmmm.

You continue walking and chomping, enjoying the calm that surrounds you.

When you eventually get to the end of your carrot, that last little stub, what do you do?

Go ahead, picture yourself doing what comes automatically.

If you saw yourself chucking the carrot end into the forest—because it’s organic and obviously going to break down naturally out here, just like compost—then I’m so glad you’ve found this post! Keep on reading, because you’re about to meet Leave No Trace (LNT), seven principles to follow whenever you’re in the outdoors—from local parks to National Scenic Trails. Read more