DESERT SPEAKS XVII, THE


1701 Exploring Arizona’s ‘Big Empty’
It’s big, it’s empty and it’s in a relatively unexplored area of northwestern Arizona. Known affectionately as the “Arizona Strip,” this topographically rough area is free of paved roads and other amenities, but has a rich geological and natural history. Host David Yetman, ecologist Yar Petryszyn and archeologist Jock Favour trek through the “Big Empty” to examine evidence of early settlements, investigate high desert plants and learn about a project helping to increase the population of a rare and magnificent creature. The California Condor Restoration Project increases the number of condors in the wild by using GPS technology to track the birds via satellite. This trip ends at the southern limit of the Arizona Strip at the steepest and most isolated ledge of the Grand Canyon, which overlooks a 3,000-foot drop to the Colorado River below.

1702 Tequila: Exploring the Legend
Host David Yetman, Mexican ecologist Alberto Búrquez and premiere agave expert Ana Valenzuela travel to the state of Jalisco, Mexico, to inspect the history, production process – and even taste – of one of Mexico’s most famous exports – tequila. The trip begins in Tequila, the city named after the famous beverage. The city has profited economically and developed a strong sense of cultural identity around the production of this distilled liquor. The climate, soil and landscape combine for the perfect place to grow the agave plants used to produce the distinct Tequila taste. Join the crew as they encounter jimadores harvesting agave using a “coa,” a long, machete-like, round-ended knife. From there, it’s on to see how the agave is steamed, fermented and distilled. Finally, Yetman and guests sample a portion of the finished product.

1703 Passions of the Pitaya
Travel with host David Yetman and Mexican ecologist Alberto Búrquez to an area southwest of Guadalajara, Mexico where locals celebrate an annual festival dedicated to tasty Pitaya cactus fruit. Once used as a source of water for natives, the Pitaya has now become a reason to celebrate. In this episode, Yetman journeys to the city of Techaluta to watch workers harvest Pitayas by lamplight, where he places a bet on a midday horserace, and participates in a Pitaya-eating contest. Then visit Infiernillo “Little Hell,” where the dry, hot temperature is ideal for the cultivation of a distinct type of Pitaya. The travelers also visit a local carpenter who produces furniture from various types of columnar cactus wood.

1704 Magical Michoacán
Host David Yetman and Mexican ecologist Alberto Búrquez travel into and around the state of Michoacán, Mexico, to explore its rugged coast, diverse habitats and local traditions. On the coast, the travelers visit a banana plantation to see how the fruit is cleaned and kept free of insect damage before exportation. Further inland, a stop in one of Michoacán’s tropical deciduous forests reveals some interesting vegetation, including the Sandbox Tree, which bears explosive fruit, and the malicious Mala Mujer shrub with its sharp, stinging hairs. Then it’s on to Paracho, the famous guitar-making capital of Mexico. Watch the construction of beautiful instruments and examine some of the guitars that have been aged for as many as 35 years to create the perfect tone.

1705 Palms in the Desert
Palm trees have long been a symbol of the desert and, more importantly, a sign of water to a weary desert traveler. In this episode, ecologist Jim Cornett joins host David Yetman for a look around California’s Coachella Valley, the lowest and hottest inhabited place in the Northern Hemisphere. After a walk around Palm Springs to examine the area’s most famous residents, Yetman heads for the largest undisturbed palm oasis on Earth, Palm Canyon. Yetman shows how to jump across the fault line that allows subterranean water to seep from the nearby mountains and helps the palms thrive in a seemingly dry area. This episode also features a trip to the Oasis Date Gardens, where the non-native date palms require constant human attention in order to produce their luscious fruits.

1706 On the Road to Cajamarca
In this episode, host David Yetman, his brother, geologist Dick Yetman and South American archeologist Axel Nielson start at sea level in the town of Chiclayo and then journey upward to the town of Cajamarca. In Chiclayo, they explore the “witches’ market,” where they find herbs, hallucinogens and other natural remedies that promise everything from basic protection from curses to headache cures. As the trek continues, stop to examine pre-Incan mountaintop aqueducts hand carved into the thick rock of the Andes. Near the outskirts of Cajamarca, the crew visits the Ventanillas de Otuzco (“Little Windows of Otuzco”), an area where a deposit of volcanic ash provided natives with the material to create a stunning commemorative memorial for their ancestors. The episode concludes in Cajamarca with a climb up an Incan stairway to view the city as an Incan emperor would have surveyed his domain.

1707 Ecuador’s Fog Forest: Mists over the Desert
Host David Yetman travels to the agrarian community of Loma Alta, Ecuador. This city lives in symbiosis with a cloud forest nature preserve situated in the mountains above the city. Before the area was protected, local residents exploited and decimated the forest with little regard for its ecosystem. Though logging was once the cornerstone of the Loma Alta community, the current inhabitants now realize the importance of the fog forest to their livelihood. Fog is captured in the lush vegetation and drips to the ground, eventually flowing down to water the crops of Loma Alta. This episode also features a visit to a “hummingbird oasis” where researchers observe the varied species the forest has to offer.

1708 Hummingbirds: From Desert to Jungle
Beginning in the Sonoran Desert and finishing in Ecuador’s mountaintop preserve of Loma Alta, this episode examines the life of the hummingbird. Southern Arizona is the perfect place to start, as it lays along the migratory route for these “winged jewels” and makes for an ideal place to study birds that come from as far away as British Columbia and Alaska. Then host David Yetman climbs to the mountaintop preserve of Loma Alta to join scientists as they research “hummers” found in the fog forest. Observe some of the unusual and gentle methods researchers use to study these delicate creatures. This program also features a close-up look at howler monkeys.

1709 Sierra Madre Easter
Travel around Chihuahua, Mexico, with host David Yetman and the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum’s Jesus Garcia, a native of Mexico. Together they look at how traditions continue for the area’s indigenous peoples while new arrivals contribute to Chihuahua’s identity in other ways. The first stop is Paquime, site of one of the most sophisticated pre-Columbian cities in northwestern Mexico. There, Yetman finds ceramic remains, evidence of advanced drainage systems and stops at “La Casa de las Guacamayas” where the local residents raised revered macaw parrots. Then visit some of the newest residents in Mexico with a trip to a Mennonite farm operation. Only in Mexico for the past 100 years or so, the Mennonites are the largest source of commercial cheese in the country. The episode ends with a trip to the hills of the Sierra Madre Occidental, where the native peoples, the Tarahumara, celebrate Holy Week in their own traditional way and where each pueblo sends their own dancers and musicians to participate. The area is so remote that some groups walk for days to be a part of this celebration.

1710 Ageless Mud: Adobe Homes in the Desert
Host David Yetman and expert architect Bob Vint travel around Tucson, Arizona, to see how adobe – the perfect desert building material – was used in the past and is still used today. Adobe not only has a remarkable period of longevity, but also has thermal capabilities, making it ideal for the hot dry desert. Yetman and Vint spend time at the San Xavier Mission to watch a restoration crew use new adobe to repair and restore the existing adobe exterior. Near Marana, Yetman visits a commercial brickyard to see how these “desert building blocks” are created from start to finish. They also travel to the Tucson Mountains to observe masons constructing adobe walls and visit a completed adobe home to see the finished results.

1711 Sonora’s Forgotten River
Life along the Rio San Miguel has remained relatively unchanged for the last 300 years. David Yetman and Mexican ecologist Alberto Búrquez trace the river through Sonora, Mexico, to see how life has adapted to its unpredictable flow. The trip begins in Magdalena de Kino, with a stop at Father Kino’s monument, before heading south to the city of Cucurpe. With the assistance of local resident Don Beto Cruz, Yetman surveys the local river vegetation thriving during the summer monsoon. Further south the landscape becomes more modern as local farms give way to sprawling cities.

1712 Patagonia’s Glacial Landscape
In this episode, host David Yetman and Argentine archeologist Maria Jose Figuerero make their way through the arid, desolate and windswept Patagonia landscape. The travelers make part of the trip on horseback along the Chilean/Argentine border, taking time to observe the glorious flight of the graceful Andean condor. They also stop in the city of Calafate, the gateway to Glacier National Park, and observe a local folklore performance group dancing and making music. The highlight of the trip is a close up look at the park’s magnificent glaciers. Yetman and Figuerero also examine evidence of glacial movement over the landscape, inspect an ice cave and spy some glacial calving.

1713 Argentina: Ancient Patagonia People
Host David Yetman and Argentine archeologist Maria Jose Figuerero journey through the gorgeously diverse Patagonia landscape for a look at the Patagonian people from ancient to modern times. The travelers stop at the Cuerva de los Manos (“Cave of the Hands”), which features a lasting glimpse into the lives of early residents. The famous stenciled handprints were created by blowing through a straw-like instrument filled with paint, while the images of lizards, people and the hunting of huanacos (a relative of the llama) were painted by hand. The episode includes a visit to “Cierro de los Indios,” a site currently being excavated and offering evidence that people inhabited Patagonia possibly as long as 12,000 years ago. The trip also includes a visit to the some of the little ranches, “estancias,” that spot the sparse landscape, and a visit with some modern day sheep herding gauchos.