Desert Awareness Committee
Desert Awareness Committee Celebrates 50 Years!Desert Awareness Committee Celebrates 50 Years!
Desert Awareness Committee has been the community resource advocate for the Sonoran Desert since 1974. Our mission is to educate residents and visitors so that they may join us in understanding, conserving and preserving our diverse and fragile desert; its plants, animals, water, and wildlife.
2025 Prickly Pear Festival
You won’t want to miss this annual FREE event held on the patio at The Holland Center. The Prickly Pear Fest is a treasured event in our Sonoran Desert. Come learn about the many things you can do with this abundant fruit including harvesting, juicing and flour processing. There will be delicious samples of smoothies, salsa, bread and more!
Check Out Our Virtual Field Trip!
Discover. Learn. Share.
Take a trip with your class through Desert Awareness Park as a Desert Explorer! Gather data as you explore, learn all about the plants and animals of the desert, then share with others! We are excited to announce our Desert Reach Education Program is now available on a 7 segment professional video with teacher guide, ready to be downloaded and used in your classroom or home.
DAC Education and Conservation
Educating the Public
We accomplish our education mission through:
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Our desert edibles and medicinal workshops for the public at large explaining how to harvest, prepare and use desert plants.
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Our “Fragile Desert” publication, a practical and informative guide to living sustainably in the Sonoran Desert plus “Chloe and the Desert Heroes”, a book that will inspire people of all ages to respect the natural world and honor the dignity of every human being.
- Our “Taste of the Desert” cook book with 77 recipes and how-to information on harvesting and preparing desert fruits, beans, nuts and flowers.
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Our 300 natural history articles written by members over 25 years.
Conservation – Desert Awareness Park
We accomplish our conservation mission through:
Our stewardship of Desert Awareness Park, located in Cave Creek, is dedicated to those who yearn to understand our desert home. You will find short nature trails, an interpretive center, picnic areas, children’s playground and an abundance of meaningful information about our surrounding desert.
Join us for a park tour on the 1st Saturday of the month, November – April, tours begin at 10am and last about 90mins.
Workshops
There is so much to learn about our desert.
Join us in our exciting hands on workshops which provide an opportunity to learn fascinating aspects of the Sonoran Desert. Speakers bring their knowledge, experience, and enthusiasm to you in these exciting and informative workshops. Watch here for our 2023-24 workshops coming soon!
Up-and-Coming
How many times have you told a story or heard a story told that created an emotion? We are all storytellers at heart, whether at home, at work, or where we volunteer. If you would like to become a better storyteller, this event is for you! Did you know stories rewind the brains clock? Come and energize your brain while having fun! DAC invites you to hone your storytelling skills [...]
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You won’t want to miss this annual FREE event! Hosted by our Desert Awareness Committee and held on the patio, the Prickly Pear Fest is a treasured event in our Sonoran Desert. Come learn about the many things you can do with this abundant fruit including harvesting, juicing and flour processing. There will be delicious samples of smoothies, salsa, bread and more!
Join us for a leisurely stroll through a native desert park with a Desert Awareness Naturalist. Learn the plants of the Sonoran desert upland and how they survive. Walks last for 90 minutes and begin at 10am. The Nature Trail is relatively flat and a slightly uphill Saguaro Trail. Tours are the 1st Saturday of the month, December through April and begin at 10am. Please sign up below to let [...]
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Join us for a leisurely stroll through a native desert park with a Desert Awareness Naturalist. Learn the plants of the Sonoran desert upland and how they survive. Walks last for 90 minutes and begin at 10am. The Nature Trail is relatively flat and a slightly uphill Saguaro Trail. Tours are the 1st Saturday of the month, December through April and begin at 10am. Please sign up below to let [...]
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Join us for a leisurely stroll through a native desert park with a Desert Awareness Naturalist. Learn the plants of the Sonoran desert upland and how they survive. Walks last for 90 minutes and begin at 10am. The Nature Trail is relatively flat and a slightly uphill Saguaro Trail. Tours are the 1st Saturday of the month, December through April and begin at 10am. Please sign up below to let [...]
Embrace your wellness journey and build a harmonious relationship with yourself and the world around you using all your senses, surrounded by nature, at this very special holistic & natural healing event — hosted by our signature program Desert Awareness Committee in the breathtaking Harmony Hollow conservation area in north Cave Creek. This one-of-a-kind event offers an unparalleled chance to explore the synergy between mind, body, and spirit in a [...]
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Join us for a leisurely stroll through a native desert park with a Desert Awareness Naturalist. Learn the plants of the Sonoran desert upland and how they survive. Walks last for 90 minutes and begin at 10am. The Nature Trail is relatively flat and a slightly uphill Saguaro Trail. Tours are the 1st Saturday of the month, December through April and begin at 10am. Please sign up below to let [...]
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Join us for a leisurely stroll through a native desert park with a Desert Awareness Naturalist. Learn the plants of the Sonoran desert upland and how they survive. Walks last for 90 minutes and begin at 10am. The Nature Trail is relatively flat and a slightly uphill Saguaro Trail. Tours are the 1st Saturday of the month, December through April and begin at 10am. Please sign up below to let [...]
DAC Resources
The Fragile Desert
Published by Desert Awareness Committee
Much has been published about the lifestyle, plants and animals of the Sonoran Desert. The Foothills area is called “The Arizona Uplands” and has an elevation of 2500 to 4500 feet. The Fragile Desert addresses the issues that Foothills residents may encounter in adapting to, enjoying, and understanding the desert environment.
At Home in the Desert
A play for classroom use
“At Home in the Desert” written by Phyllis Strupp, is a one-act play, seeking to help elementary school students sort out their difficulties by connecting with the natural world around them, the desert. The play promotes diversity and communication and is perceived as a tool for reducing bullying. In the play, eleven year-old Chloe learns valuable life lessons from the Sonoran Desert with the help of some mysterious friends (historical figures, desert plants and animals).
