4

Window into wilderness
Remote Cameras in
the Sonoran Desert

By Mike Quigley, Arizona Representative
of The Wilderness Society
                   

  The Wilderness Society has several remote cameras in the field in Arizona. We use these cameras to document the presence of wildlife in Arizona's wildlands.
   The cameras are motion and heat activated; when an animal moves in the camera's field-of-view a photo or short video is recorded.  
   What you see, is from right here in the Sonoran Desert Heritage areas west of Phoenix and north of Gila Bend. That's what makes the images connected to us, and connects us to these places. These are photos of wildlife living in that mountain range you can see from the Interstate, up a canyon off that dirt road you ride on the weekend, around the bend of that backcountry trail you hike for quiet and reflection.
   The photos are a reminder that other species share this world: the mountain lion mom and her kitten frolicking in a sandy wash after a rain, the group of bighorn sheep getting a drink of water from a high tinaja, the rabbits and foxes and ground squirrels and the rest of God's creatures going about their daily lives.

  Our reactions to the photos are reminders of our interconnectedness, our capacity for empathy and reverence, and our responsibilities. I've heard seasoned biologists and wilderness advocates "ooh" and "ahh" over photos of ring-tailed cats, hooded skunks, and baby javelinas. I've seen the wonder in folks' eyes when they see what lives in the Sonoran desert. I've heard the whispers of "that's so cool" and the questions of "what do we need to do to keep this?"
   The cameras offer us a window into the wild world we might not have the time, opportunity, or good luck to experience more often. The photos reassure us that the world is still working--and that we still have work to do.

Research cameras have photographed wildlife at Saddle Mountain  
and in the Belmont Mountains.

Home

Wildlife