A dense population of lesser sandhill cranes prepares to take flight from their overnight roost at Twin Lakes, a pair of reservoirs in Willcox, at sunrise. By Jack Dykinga
Jack Headed South for the Annual Wingding
As with many bird species, sandhill cranes use aggression and displays of dominance to establish territorial boundaries, as seen in these two birds at Whitewater Draw,…
California condors, which once were nearly extinct, are among many bird species that call Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni-Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument home. | JACK DYKINGA
Native Species
S‌‌pace enough for silence, for sky, for yesterday, for tomorrow: Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni-Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument protects both cultural and natural worlds. In…
Maple leaves glow yellow, orange and red amid evergreens along the West Fork of Oak Creek, near Sedona. The best time to see fall color in Oak Creek Canyon is mid-October through mid-November, according to locals. | Byron Neslen
Hello, Autumn. It’s Nice to See You.
Maple trunks frame a view of autumn hues and evergreens on the Mogollon Rim, an escarpment that cuts across much of Arizona from northwest to southeast. This spot is…
The fallen leaves of aspens create an autumnal blanket in the Kaibab National Forest. | BYRON NESLEN
The Golden Autumn
Editor’s Note: This month we continue the celebration of our 100th anniversary with another flashback from one of our talented writers. Marvin Weese was a philosopher — and an artist, too. “In my…
Smoke from the Dragon Bravo file on the Grand Canyon's North Rim resembles a giant thunderhead. By Lauren Cisneros
Lauren Cisneros: This Is My Story
Lately, I’ve been pushing myself to step outside and document the Dragon Bravo Fire, on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, from the South Rim — trying to process something that still feels surreal.…
A cactus garden and colorful ceremic pots near a Southwest style fence and gate adorn the grounds of Desert Meadow Park. By Norma Jean Gargasz
Desert Meadows Park
“For most people, Desert Meadows Park is an organic discovery,” says Chuck Parsons, president of the Green Valley Gardeners club. And that’s an appropriate way to stumble upon this 4.2-acre garden —…
One indigenous woman sits on a crate, fixing another indigenous woman's hair.
Storyteller: The Photography of Jerry Jacka
In 2024, the Heard Museum received a landmark gift of the Jerry Jacka archive, which makes us stewards of one of the largest and most consequential collections of documentary photography of Native…
Battleship in the Grand Canyon
Climbing Aboard the Battleship
Perhaps I should’ve charted safer courses years ago. But here I am, closer to my 70s than my 50s, still chasing improbable dreams. This time, with one particularly stubborn idea: to climb The…