Desert Dreams: Celebrating Five Seasons in the Sonoran Desert

Saturday, August 31 at 8 a.m.

Don’t miss a re-broadcast of “Desert Dreams: Celebrating Five Seasons in the Sonoran Desert.”

The Sonoran Desert is alive with beauty, and this stunning film captures the changes over the seasons with views of its remarkable flora and fauna. Discover 182 species of plants and animals in this first-of-its-kind presentation of the Sonoran Desert as it changes over the course of a full year.

“Desert Dreams” blends HD video footage and time-lapse imagery captured over four years with stills from the filmmaker’s photographic archive compiled over three decades to chronicle five seasons: Dry Summer, Wet Summer, Autumn, Winter and Spring.

The supporting soundtrack combines natural sounds with a kaleidoscope of flute and percussion vignettes performed by world-class musician Gary Stroutsos, featuring 29 musical instruments with “earth tones” to create a pictorial and musical tapestry without narration or people.

Choose this program when you show your support for Arizona PBS and unlock an exclusive reward! Upon selection, you’ll receive the “Desert Dreams: Celebrating 5 Years in the Sonoran Desert” DVD or the “Desert Dreams: Echoes from Prayer Rock” CD. Or select a combination of the DVD with the CD along with two books, “Hidden Life of the Desert” and “The Southwest Inside Out.”

“Desert Dreams: Celebrating 5 Years in the Sonoran Desert” DVD: This one of a kind DVD of the program showcases 182 species of plants and animals as a presentation of the Sonoran Desert as it changes over the course of a full year. Along with HD video footage and time-lapse imagery, the filmmaker includes over four years of stills to chronicle five seasons in the desert: Dry Summer, Wet Summer, Autumn, Winter and Spring.

“Echoes from Prayer Rock” CD: World flute master Gary Stroutsos, the musician who created the music for “Desert Dreams,” brings haunting sounds from the forgotten past to life on this CD. Rim flutes are among the 29 musical instruments featured in this film. These 7th-century flutes of Puebloan ancestry were discovered in 1931 by Earl Morris in caves in northeastern Arizona, the earliest known in the American Southwest. The originals are housed at the Arizona State Museum, and flute-maker Michael Allen crafted Stroutsos‘ flutes using measurements of these museum artifacts.

“Hidden Life of the Desert” book: “Hidden Life of the Desert” uses stunning color photographs and clear, informative text to introduce readers to many plants and animals that thrive in this unique ecosystem. Our program “Desert Dreams” is based on the five-season chronology presented in this book. It’s 40-page First Edition from Crown made the John Burrough’s List of Outstanding Nature Books for Young Readers. Now 90 pages in length, this 2010 edition includes more pictures and a thought-provoking chapter “Facing the Future.” Maps, a glossary, species lists, an index and an annotated list of recommended books and websites are also new to this Second Edition.

“The Southwest Inside Out” book: In this informative guide to awe-inspiring landscapes of the Southwest, enjoy a richly illustrated, non-technical account of what they are, where they are and how they came to be, from southern California to west Texas and northern Mexico to northern Utah and Nevada. Full of visual and factual surprises, this book is made to be enjoyed on many levels. While the whole has continuity, each page spread is self-contained for clarity and ease of use at home or on the road. As a unifying theme, the text explains earthly processes and events that have shaped land, people and wildlife. The writing is informative without being academic. Readers will discover musical dunes and racing rocks, vanishing lakes and dinosaur tracks, which volcanoes are potentially dangerous, what makes the Grand Canyon grand, how the Painted Desert got its colors and much, much more.