FLASHLIGHT
NIGHTS DESERT BOTANICAL GARDEN
Saturday, Sept. 19 | 7-9:30 p.m. Critter Crawl Meet the wild neighbors of the Sonoran Desert! Discover owls, snakes, scorpions, and tortoises on land—and frogs and fish making a splash in the water. Listen for arias about animals, sung by the Arizona Opera, as you explore the trails!
Ottosen Entry Garden Cactus Cantina Swing by the Cactus Cantina at the SRP Visitor Center and treat yourself to a frozen cocktail, refreshing mocktail or an ice cold beer.
Amphitheater Arizona Opera Who knew animals could be the stars of an opera? Join Arizona Opera as they bring wild animal characters and stories to life through powerful voices, music, and a little operatic magic!
Sunset Plaza Telescopes (weather permitting) The moon and stars are inspiration for songs and stories. Observe what the night sky shares with us each evening and create stories of your own.
Desert Discovery Trail Glow Chalk Create glowing images to express the magic of the night: sunsets, stars and wildlife.
Tree of Life The mesquite tree provides food for many desert animals as well as for people. Learn how mesquite seed pods are ground to create flour and sample some, too.
Maricopa County Vector Control Discover how mosquitoes grow, where they thrive, and what you can do to protect yourself and your community so together we can “Fight the Bite”!
Critter Corner at the Berlin Agave Yucca Forest Get up close with the reptiles and arachnids that call deserts their home while talking to the experts who cares for them. Maricopa County Parks and Recreation has some special desert visitors for you to meet!
Desert Discovery Trail Continued Agave Unpacked Agaves have been woven into daily life for hundreds of years. Explore how this amazing desert plant has provided food and fiber—and uncover the surprising ways it may still appear in products you use today.
Breezy Pops Ice cold Breezy Pops for sale. Available for purchase with credit or debit card only.
Night Flyers Discover the magic of the desert’s night shift! Owls, bats and nighthawks are the ultimate superheroes of the Sonoran Desert. Explore the secret skills of these nocturnal flyers and learn how to spot them fluttering around the Garden after dark.
Center for Desert Living Pitch Paint Medallions Create a lasting souvenir of your desert exploration! Paint on a smooth clay disk using authentic mesquite pitch paint—a vibrant, all-natural dye harvested straight from the sap of a Sonoran Desert icon.
Sharing Tails Think you can catch a fish that’s native to Arizona? Sure you can! Pick up a fishing rod and cast into our “pond” to see what kind of fish call Arizona waterways their home.
Plants and People of the Sonoran Desert Trail Cactus Bones Cacti and humans may seem worlds apart, but they share something surprising: both have skeletons — though in very different forms. Discover how our bones are similar and different as you explore the bones of our desert cactus.
Scorpion Search Watch in awe as scorpions bodies illuminate when you shine a UV flashlight on them, then learn about the important role they play in our desert ecosystem.
Pond Explorer The pond comes alive at night with toads, bullfrogs, tadpoles, and more! Use your flashlight to spot the amazing creatures swimming and splashing in this watery habitat.
Marley Learning Lab Creature Feature Liberty Wildlife and Phoenix Herpetological Sanctuary are is on board with owls and other flying friends as well as desert reptiles. Get up close as you talk the volunteers who care for these incredible animals.
Today’s schedule is subject to change. This event may be photographed and recorded for promotional purposes.
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