Desert life

1. Desert life By, Kara Bensel, Anna Alwin, Janice Wong and don’t forget Katy Lundeen

2. Places to Visit Here at Camel works we have one geographer, her name is Anna A. Anna knows almost everything about the desert areas. There is a Sculpture Garden that you have to come see. There is a 350-foot serpent that looks like it is straight out of a fantasy novel. Artist Ricardo Breceda has built 129 sculptures everywhere in Borrego Springs. Almost all of them are life-size. You should also visit Desert Christian Park. A bunch of statues in the desert created by Frank Antone Martin. If you’re not sure were you want to stay, look up Palm Desert, California. It’s an incredible spa and it’s a perfect place for a girls day out. Palm Desert makes you feel good from head to toe. Spend your whole day in the spa getting a facial and a perfect pedicure. Not many big mammals survive in the desert. Small mammals dig themselves down during the day and only come out during the night.

3. Zoology!!! Hi at Camel Works we have two zoologist Kara Bensel and Katy Lundeen. Animals that live in the desert must be able to avoid heat, dissipate heat, retain water and acquire water. Ways to avoid heat are be nocturnal, use shade or migrate. You can dissipate heat by having light colors. To acquire water most animals will take it from plants. The Javelina is a herbivore the camel is also a herbivore. Armadillo lizards are omnivores. • Some animals • Camels • Lammas • Cactus wren • Javelina • Kangaroo rat

5. Meteorology At Camel Works, we have two meteorologists, Katy Lundeen and Kara Bensel. They are experts in weather. Today, they will tell you when you should go to the desert, what clothes to pack, and the year round climates. The best time to go to the desert is in the winter. In winter, the are is cool, plus, under the winter light, the desert looks gorgeous =), and not many people are there. But make sure you pack long sleeves because in the winter, the temperatures can drop down to about 30°F. A few things to pack are…. ◦winter hat ◦gloves ◦Long sleeves (dress in LAYERS!) Climates year round…. ◦very little rain, no more than 10 inches of rain each year ◦can reach 50°F or below but can get over 100°F

6. Plant Life in the Desert • In the desert, there are many plants. Such as the barrel bush, brittle bush, chainfruit cholla, cresote bush, crimson hedgehog cactus, desert ironwood, Joshua tree, jumping cholla, mojave aster, ocotillo, palo verde, pancake prickly pear cactus, saguaro cactus, soap-tree Yucca, and Triangle-leaf bursage. • We will focus on the ones that are mainly grown at camel works. Such as the barrel bush. The barrel bush has a cylinder shaped body, that can reach height between 5 and 11 feet tall, they can be man-sized or larger. They have many spikes, all of which are very sharp, they are 3-4 inches long. They have yellow-green or red blossoms at the top. Native Americans used it to get water, and make “cactus candy” from the cactus pulp. • Brittle bush- a small deciduous shrub, that can reach 2-5 feet tall. They have hairy leaves that trap any moisture that’s in the air so it can get water to make up for all the dry air. It blooms between March and June. This bush is related to the sun flower and can be used as glue or gum. • Soil- in the desert the soil type is sand. Sand contains no subsurface water. In the Mojave desert the soil is very rocky but in the Sahara it is made of fine particles. Soil in the desert is shallow and drains well.

7. Bibliography "Desert Biomes." Desert Biomes. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Apr. 2014. "The Desert Biome." The Desert Biome. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Apr. 2014.