The Sonoran Desert is intimately connected to the Gulf of California, the desert’s own sea. A set of islands, from large to small are dispersed throughout the Gulf. Each one is a unique desert microcosm. I began studying plants on these islands in the early 2000s. Nothing gives me greater joy than setting off on an island expedition, always to find something new surrounded by the beauty of our desert sea.

Plants, far from their core area of distribution, are often found isolated on various mountain peaks. In addition to the Sky Islands of the southwestern U.S. and northwestern Mexico, a series of 900–1200 m desert peaks surrounded by arid lowlands also have temperate affiliated species at their summits.

While the boundaries of the Sonoran Desert and its subregions have been established, questions remain. How did the desert change over geological time? What is the imprint of those changes on modern day diversity? How will this change in the future?

One of the best ways to track change is with repeatable measurements. A powerful combination of permanent plots and repeat photos allows us to witness, document, and analyze changes that are otherwise often imperceptible.

What changes will we see in desert plants as temperatures rise, and rain and drought events become extreme? The extreme heat and drought events of 2020–2021 and then again in July 2023 are exerting great stress on desert plants, especially columnar cacti and sarcocaulescent trees.

One of the principal elements that will drive future change in the Sonoran Desert is fire. The expansion of the grass-fire cycle in the deserts of North America is driving ecosystem level transformation from patchy desertscrub to invasive grassland.

What is the ecological health of the marine and coastal ecosystems of the Gulf of California? All life in the Gulf of California, marine and terrestrial, is connected to climatic and oceanographic cycles on the time scale of years to decades.

What was originally meant to be one meeting has blossomed into a larger movement with over 1,000 members and a vibrant board of directors. It is one of my great honors to serve as Director of this organization and strive to elevate the collective work of our desert community.

Las Tortugas is a recently identified Clovis site amongst the sand dunes of the Gran Desierto of Sonora, Mexico – many kilometers from known Clovis sites and the nearest sources of fresh water.

The Gran Desierto de Altar of the Sonoran Desert is the largest extent of sand dunes in North America. Miraculously, an array of freshwater springs – pozos – punctuate the sand and salt flats, the only fresh water in any direction.

When I saw the vast expanse of Isla Tiburón from the shores of Punta Chueca for the first time, the homeland of the Comaac (Seri People) settled in my heart and mind, never to leave. Questions of what plants occur on the island and how they differ from the mainland, filled my mind.

6&6 is a transdisciplinary collaboration to explore the patterns and processes of the Sonoran Desert and Gulf of California to impart a deeper appreciation of this region.

The Gran Desierto de Altar of the Sonoran Desert is the largest extent of sand dunes in North America. Miraculously, an array of freshwater springs – pozos – punctuate the sand and salt flats, the only fresh water in any direction.

Las Tortugas is a recently identified Clovis site amongst the sand dunes of the Gran Desierto of Sonora, Mexico – many kilometers from known Clovis sites and the nearest sources of fresh water.

My love for desert plants has taken me to incredible locations around the world. I have made over 3,500 herbarium collections, which are deposited at the University of Arizona Herbarium and herbaria across the U.S. and Mexico.