2026 Southern Arizona Day 3
Today — our second full day in Patagonia, Arizona — we learned about many different ecosystems that surround the area. First, we drove to a farm that specializes in growing native plants to assist in supporting biodiversity. There, we learned about Agave, a succulent native to Arizona. We learned how the Agave plant and bats rely on each other. Bats pollinate the Agave while it is blooming. However, the Agave succulent is in danger because people are cutting it down before it blooms to make Tequila — which is a very popular and highly consumed drink among many adults. This harms both the Agave succulents and the bats. In order to help preserve Agave, we worked with an organization called Borderlands Restoration Network. We divided into two stations. In the first station, we planted Agave seeds in seed trays filled with soil. We learned that Agave plants grow very slowly, and that the seeds we had planted would only start to show leaves in the following year. After our work at the first station, we rotated to the next station. In that station, we transplanted ten-month old Agave into bigger seed trays, as the Agave are continuously growing. It was very interesting to learn about a plant that we do not normally see back in California. After a lunch break, we then drove to a Nature Conservatory. There, we went on a nature walk where we made observations about nature and asked questions that we would then discuss as a group. We found a Vermillion Flycatcher bird, and many different species of trees. Just by observing the wide variety of ecosystems that surrounded us, we were also able to make inferences about the history of the plants and animals. After taking some time to rest, we then drove to the local lake and had a lot of fun swimming! Finally, we came back to our dorms and ate a delicious dinner — tacos! After dinner, we moved to a hotel. Since we had to get up relatively early the next morning, we all headed to our rooms for a good nights sleep.
