We are looking for a new Facebook profile picture! Want a chance to win? Comment on this picture with your favorite photo taken at the Desert Museum! One submission per person. The winner will be announced on Tuesday. Our very own Art Institute staff will select the winner. We can't wait to see your captures from this beautiful place! Don't have a Facebook? You can submit a photo to krumbley@desertmuseum.org. Say Cheese!

One of the most common questions we get is: why stingrays in the desert? Although the Sonoran Desert may be known for its dry climate, the Gulf of California (Sea of Cortez) and the stingrays that flow through it are critically important! Here in the desert, evaporation from the Gulf of California provides our much needed summer rains - which we (and the desert animals and plants) are grateful for. Let the rays touch you, and learn how the ocean touches our lives every day.  Who's Touching Who?

Time is running out to experience the Desert Museum at night. You have two more chances this summer to do so! We are honoring teachers tomorrow evening and pollinators (bats) next Saturday (September 3). Our summer evenings guarantee a stunning sunset, delicious dining, entertaining educational presentations, interactions with our favorite desert dwellers and so much more. Plus, you'll have the opportunity to let a stingray touch you at night! Cool Your Night Off!

Happy Flower Friday! The Red Bird of Paradise (Caesalpinia pulcherrima) is a favorite flower for many Tucsonans. This desert plant blooms from April until November. The Red Bird of Paradise is widely cultivated and naturalized in the tropics worldwide. It is also a pollinator hot spot for many butterfly species. You can find these beauties blooming all over the Desert Museum. You might even spot a butterfly or two! Simply another reason to join us for tomorrow's Cool Summer Nights (Teacher Appreciation Night). Dig Deeper!

Save the date! If you're going to plant, why not plant with a purpose? Our popular Plant Sale is back for its 19th year and better than ever! This year, we are highlighting four areas that guarantee you are planting with a purpose: hummingbirds, butterflies, tortoises, and ethnobotany. P.S. The Members' Only Pre-Sale is on Saturday, September 24, starting at 6:30 a.m. Members receive a 10% discount with their active membership card! The public sale continues on Sunday, September 25. Plant with a Purpose!

Do you have a passion for marine wildlife? Consider volunteering as an Aquatic Interpreter! Volunteers in this position are stationed at Stingray Touch. They help guests enter and exit the exhibit, and demonstrate how to properly prepare for touch and feed experiences. Best of all, Aquatic Interpreters educate museum guests about the rays and the importance of conserving habitats within the Sea of Cortez. They even get to spend time with our special stingrays. Volunteer Today!