Swearing and mumbling against heat and drought, I was unwittingly seduced by this wonderful land. A passionate fascination grew in my heart. Slowly, gradually, the desert won my affections.' —from the foreword by Exequiel Ezcurra
This evocative and informative excursion into the Sonoran Desert along the U.S.-Mexico border brings to life the beauty of a spare and seductive terrain, telling the stories of the people, plants, and politics that layer a landscape in need of understanding and protection. The contributors, all experts in their fields, bring to their respective essays both a passion for and a wide-ranging depth of knowledge of this jewel of the Southwest. The book also continues a stunning array of both color and black and white photographs.
The book is divided into six sections:
I. The Place: delves into the geography and geology of the region, giving shape to its rivers and ranges.
II. People of the Place: introduces those who make the desert their home, including both native peoples and visiting scientists.
III. The Desert: discusses birds, bugs, and botany, all the things that live and grow in the borderlands.
IV. The Gulf: examines the waters and the aquatic life of the region from the Colorado River to the Sea of Cortez.
V. Conservation: focuses on protecting and preserving the desert and its increasingly endangered species into the future.
VI. Place-names: includes a geographic dictionary.
Part natural history, part call to conservation, and part love song, Dry Borders speaks to the parts of our souls that long to delve beneath surface appearances to find the true, beautiful heart of a place.