Desert Trash Series
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The Sonoran desert in Arizona is a beautiful place of unique vistas, plants, animals and minerals - pristine and wild. On a cool winter day (when the snakes are hibernating), it's an amazing place to discover natural wonders.
But every once in a while I come across old abandoned sites that are littered with rusted metallic trash that is pretty disgusting. Rather than getting a bad attitude, I decided I could make art out of junk that I find - cleaning it up one artist at a time. And I've committed to only search for trash on State Lands, because of the serious need to restore the beauty of our natural habitats. I decided to include AZ Burrowing Owls because I wanted to honor this species that is having a difficult time. We've methodically invaded their natural habitat, here in the Valley of the Sun, and their numbers have significantly dropped. They are now in the endangered category. I didn't know that, because we've always noticed little groups of them living in the outskirts of our neighborhoods. If you know where to look for them, they can be found hiding in drainage ditches all over town. Yet, as the city is becoming more congested, there are fewer places for them to live safely. Read on to learn more about what's being done to help the burrowing owls and the clean-up of our public lands. |
