I grew up in Tucson in the 1950's. This was a time when I still saw desert tortoises in the spring. The monsoons awakened the desert with fragrant aromas of the creosote, the cactus bloomed and we enjoyed the harvest of the fruit.
Since the 1970's my family has lived off the Catalina Highway in the Indian Hill neighborhood. Families here pride themselves on being conservationists of the desert.
When we see deliberate destruction of clear cutting Mesquite, Palo Verde, chain cholla, beaver tail prickly pear, it is utterly heartbreaking. This is exactly what happened when our new neighbors moved here from Maryland and clear cut their property! Tragic!
The five acres across the road will never be the same. The many species of desert birds and animals have lost their homes, The desert plants are gone.
Our desert is being destroyed by ignorance. Why do people move to the desert and then destroy what they found intriguing?
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Colistia Sawyer
Northeast side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
