The Saguaro National Park is a popular go-to destination in the spring and winter. District ranger Perri Spreiser reminds residents that park is still open in the summer.
“There’s a saying in the parks service, that, ‘This is our off-season. This is our quiet season,’” Spreiser said. “That doesn’t really happen in national parks anymore. It is busy year-round. It’s just less busy than it is in the spring. We still have thousands of people coming from all over the world, all over the country to learn about this place.”
The park’s east and west districts will complete their spring programming June 3, when the summer events are unveiled. As the season closes, the rangers will organize a list of summer programs that will prioritize safety in the desert heat. Most will be hosted toward the beginning and end of days.
They also need to be wary of the animal and plant populations that are active during mornings and evenings.
“The thing we have to tweak is how to provide programming safely,” Spreiser noted. “We don’t want people out in the middle of the day, so we need to reflect that in our actions as well, which is why we shift to earlier in the morning or when the sun goes down.”
Most events, like “Secrets of the Saguaro” in the east and “Living with Giants” in the west, will continue this summer. Rangers may initiate new programs.
“They’re going to be different because of ranger preferences,” Spreiser said. “We try to keep everything very fresh and engaging, and we focus on things that are interpretively themed to the park. We allow our rangers a little bit of freedom to take their passions and, if you will, geek out on those with visitors.”
As the park transitions to summer, night programming will continue sporadically, as most of the seasonal employees and volunteers leave Tucson for the season.
Parks staff initiated their night programming in April during International Dark Sky Week, leading full moon hikes, nocturnal lectures and stargazing.
Their recent Dark Skies Over Saguaro Party included activities organized by the Tucson Amateur Astronomer Association and International Dark-Sky Association. Saguaro rangers directed programs on Tohono O’odham sky knowledge and sound identification when visibility is low in the desert.
“We have reduced staffing even with our volunteers, a lot of them are winter residents,” Spreiser said. “As they leave, we have to alter our programming to reflect a well-balanced, manageable workload for everyone.
“We feel it’s our job, it is our duty to still provide excellent education and interactive experiences for those individuals. I encourage people who have been here for five minutes or 500 years to come out and explore their national park.”
In related news, the staff is hoping the venue will become an International Dark Sky Park, a facility that implements “good outdoor lighting and provides dark sky programs for visitors.”
To achieve this, Spreiser said the park needs to decrease light pollution.
“The park is working on changing the exterior lighting on buildings to make sure the tops of lights are protected,” Spreiser noted. “We’re going out with things like black lights and thermal imaging and night-vision goggles, tools and toys that allow people to experience the Sonoran Desert in literally a different light.”
This article appears in May 25-31, 2023.