The Sonoran Desert is an incredibly beautiful and biologically diverse landscape defined by broad, flat valleys broken up and surrounded by steep, rocky mountain ranges, including the Santa Catalinas and Rincons that ring Tucson.

The region survives on two rainy seasons, winter storms and the dramatic summer monsoon buildup that singles the coming of intense thunderstorms. These deluges support forests of giant saguaro cacti, several species of palo verde tree, ocotillo, prickly pear, cholla, and creosote bushes, all of which subsequently form shelter for thousands of animals, including bighorn sheep, javelinas, Gila monsters, roadrunners, and the cactus wren.