The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is making a splash with their new interactive exhibit.
Literally.
The new Spadefoot Splash exhibit, which officially opened to the public last week, is an interactive playscape and includes a shaded patio space, a new nature trail, a conservation station and a gently flowing stream.
The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum's new interactive exhibit, Spadefoot Splash includes a nature trail, new murals, and a stream feature.
Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum Marketing and Media Manager Tianna Holder said the “playscape,” which can be found in the riparian corridor, was designed to emphasize the importance of water through play.
“The whole idea behind Spadefoot Splash is that water is life,” she said. “Water is our most precious resource. It's finite, and we all know in the desert, it's very precious.”
In the spirit of water conservation, the exhibit uses water recycling and a rainwater system to keep the stream flowing and irrigate the surrounding plants.
The stream itself is part of the playscape, and Holder said visitors are encouraged to interact with it and play in the water.
“We've already had a lot of kids in there using rocks and little sticks to build little dams, so they're having fun with that,” Holder said.
It was also designed to be accessible, and she said even wheelchairs and strollers can cross the stream to the new nature trail on the other side.
“We have a few pieces of art along that trail,” Holder said. “We also have some new murals in the space that were painted by local Tohono O'odham artists.”
Artists Dwayne Manuel, Derrick Gonzales, and Seneca Ortega created the new murals for the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum's new Spadefoot Splash exhibit.
The featured muralists include Dwayne Manuel, Derrick Gonzales and Seneca Ortega.
Visitors can also explore the new conservation station, which houses three different endangered or threatened species.
“Of course, Couch’s Spadefoot Toad — which the exhibit is named after — then we have Gila Chub, which is a fish, and then the Mexican garter snake,” Holder said. “We've been doing some really cool work with Mexican garter snake conservation over the past few years.”
Aside from the three animal species, the Spadefoot Splash also houses an endangered plant, Huachuca water umbel.
Holder said she hopes that seeing these endangered species in the conservation station will bring greater awareness and appreciation for the museum’s conservation work.
“We're really hoping that this space brings joy and brings fun and learning through play,” she said. “But that it also gives people a deeper understanding and appreciation of water in the desert and why we need to be mindful with how we use it and how we can use it and reuse it in ways that are more conducive to protecting our delicate desert ecology here in the Sonoran Desert.”
The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum's new interactive exhibit, Spadefoot Splash includes a nature trail, new murals, and a stream feature.
While Spadefoot Splash is already open to visitors, the Desert Museum is planning a grand opening celebration March 21 as part of Nature Fest, a larger museum-wide event.
“We'll have things going on between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.,” Holder said. “We have an art scavenger hunt happening, we'll have face painters for the kids, we'll also have multiple docent-led tours.”
Visitors can also expect live music at different locations throughout the grounds, as well as community science projects.
“We have an iNaturalist project on the iNaturalist app, so our guests are invited to join us in that and add sightings of plants and animals they see,” Holder said. “We'll also have the muralists that painted the mural down there speak with the public and talk about their work and how their culture plays into their art.”
And, if you’re looking for something to add to your garden, there will be a pop-up plant sale on the front patio. Holder said to expect all kinds of plants from figs and pomegranates to chiltepin and milkweed.
“It's a fun day for the whole family,” she said. “There's lots going on, lots of education.”
With the addition of the new Spadefoot Splash exhibit, Holder said the Desert Museum is excited to offer an accessible place to experience the nature of the desert, even in the heat of the summer.
Hopefully, people will be inspired and they will have a deeper appreciation for their desert home,” Holder said.
