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In 1856, William Henry Perkin, an 18-year old chemistry student at the time, was trying to synthesize malaria drug, when accidentally developed a purple dye. This dye is believed to be one of the first steps of chemistry taking over the world.

What living in a world made from chemicals means for "The Sensitives".

Also on Arizona Spotlight: Jes Baker on making self-love a part of the pandemic; and a Summer 2020 insect update from "The King of Sting", Justin O. Schmidt.
Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge encompasses nearly 118,000 acres southwest of Tucson and includes a stretch of the border with Mexico.

Work starts on new section of border wall in national wildlife refuge

North-Dakota-based Fisher Sand and Gravel has broken ground on a $1.3 billion project in southeast Arizona.
Looking west toward the San Rafael Valley and the Patagonia Mountains.

Groups say border wall construction threatens biodiversity of Arizona sky islands

Conservation groups say the animals rely on the ranges to travel between habitats in the U.S. and Mexico.
A Sonoran Desert bee (genus Melissodes) identified by The Tucson Bee Collaborative, photographed by Bruce D. Taubert.

How to ID a Bee.

Also on Arizona Spotlight: A closer look at how Tucson neighborhoods voted in the last local election; The 89-90 Trip: Day Three begins in Panguitch, Utah; and "Tilly the Trickster" at the Live Theatre Workshop.
Archie is a big brown bat, and has been taken care of by Bob & Debbie Beucher since being rescued more than sixteen years ago.

It's always bat night at the Mission Garden.

Also on Arizona Spotlight: Climbing Mt. Lemmon in the bootprints of Sara Plummer Lemmon; and food writer Jane Stern's love affair with American diners.
A statue stands in front of the Holocaust History Center in Tucson.

"Never again, para nadie."

Also on Arizona Spotlight: New state law that may provide justice for greater numbers of Indigenous women and girls; A reaction to the Trump administration changing the Endangered Species Act; and a very short story from Aurelie Sheehan.
Two Gila Topminnows.

500 Gila Topminnows make a splash at The Mission Garden

Also on Arizona Spotlight: Author Kimi Eisele on "The Lightest Object in the Universe"; singer Natalie Douglas returns to Tucson with the songs of Nat King Cole; and "A Love Letter to the Library" about MegaMania.
Archie is a big brown bat, and has been taken care of by Bob & Debbie Beucher since being rescued more than sixteen years ago.

Bat night at the Mission Garden

Also: A new facility in Nogales, Sonora to help migrants following the Trump administration's "Remain in Mexico" policy; and strangers find common ground with "One Small Step".
Sara Plummer Lemmon, age 44, a few months before she climbed to the summit of the Santa Catalina Mountains. / Photo by Wynne Brown. Original at the University and Jepson Herbaria Archives, University of California, Berkeley.

Walking in the footsteps of Sara Plummer Lemmon

The story of a botanist and artist who had a mountain named after her.
Radiant Gesture (2013) Joanna Frueh, photographed by Frances Murray, from "Unapologetic Beauty"

Discovering "Unapologetic Beauty"

Also on Arizona Spotlight: An artist finds her dream job in the wilderness; and, part 2 of a discussion on "The Insect Apocalypse".
Author, poet and regular NPR commentator Kwame Alexander.

Kwame Alexander's Love Affair with Words

Also on Arizona Spotlight: Charles J. Babbitt's new guide for birding in Arizona; and, what's happening to planet Earth's insects?
Volunteers work at the nonprofit-run Mission Garden with downtown Tucson's skyline in the background, November 2018.

Author Sees Food Systems as a Way to Unite People

Tucson resident says communities across the country are joining forces for the common good.
Sherri Williamson prepares to tag a hummingbird at San Pedro House in Cochise County. September 22, 2018

Playing Tag with Hummingbirds

Also on Arizona Spotlight: Luis Alberto Urrea on "The House of Broken Angels"; flutist Gary Stroutsos on playing music in sacred places; and Nancy Stanley on founding the stand-up comedy "Estrogen Hour".
Actor, comic, "Daily Show" reporter and former lawyer Ronny Chieng can even rock a shirt that might have once been a tablecloth.

The Ronny Chieng Explosion

Also on Arizona Spotlight: Why candidates may be changing messaging before the general election; kindness in action on the UA campus; and helping hands for nature.
Baboquivari Peak, the most sacred site for the Tohono O'odham people, can be seen from many parts of Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge.

A Helping Hand for Nature

Friends of Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge volunteer time and effort.
One of the many young bobcats that Merry Lewis has witnessed being raised in her Tucson Foothills backyard since 1997.

Backyard Bobcats Delight Tucson Residents

The visiting native cats became a learning and teaching opportunity.

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