The Saguaro That Disappeared

This is a humorous story. This is a sad story. This story about human nature could help remove blight from our environment. This is a true story about the saguaro that disappeared – one piece at a time.

The towering saguaro (pictured here) stood near the Desert Foothills Scenic Drive Monument on Scottsdale Road just south of Jomax Road. For decades tour busses have stopped and allowed visitors to get out, stretch, and take pictures – often with the giant cactus as a backdrop. Thousands of tourists returned home with photographic images of the saguaro.

Over a year ago, the saguaro met a violent end. Friends of the Scenic Drive, which has enhanced the monument area and created a visitor exhibit, faced the difficult job of removing the saguaro’s very heavy remains. Clearly, this was going to be a BIG job.

Creating the Exhibit

Then a volunteer had an idea. Use the carcass as a tourist exhibit. Don’t remove it; simply install a plaque next to it. A small plaque was cemented into the ground near the saguaro. The following words on the plaque told the saguaro’s story. 

"FALLEN GIANT. This magnificent saguaro was alive when Apache Indians foraged in this area. It was here when the Civil War began. Its tall trunk provided a home for generations of Gila woodpeckers and cactus wrens. Its pulp and seeds provided food for countless birds, rodents, ants and other insects. For more than three decades it served as a backdrop for many photographs. The saguaro fell during a monsoon storm in August 1999. Today, its wooden ribs and other remains provide protection and food for scorpions and other small critters."

The Saguaro Disappears

Recently, Friends volunteers began to notice that the saguaro ribs and other remains were rapidly disappearing. Tourists were not only taking picture home – they were taking pieces of the saguaro as well. Last weekend, while conducting one of our regular Scenic Drive litter pickup efforts volunteers were amazed to discover that not only was the saguaro almost completely gone, but its descriptive plaque was gone too!

A Sad Story, A Humorous Story, An Idea

This is a sad story because residents and visitors have lost an educational exhibit and the critters have lost a home. It’s a humorous story because the souvenir hunters inadvertently helped us accomplish our original objective of removing the deceased saguaro. And this true story about human nature has spawned a new strategy for removing roadside litter. As you drive up Scottsdale Road watch closely for a new exhibit. The marker will read: "Historic Roadside Litter. In the late 1860s, Arizona miners, ranchers and settlers fleeing fierce marauding Apaches left the cans, bottles and building materials that you see all along this beautiful roadside. Please do not remove these important 19^th century artifacts. They are an important part of our area’s heritage." In just a few months, northern Scottsdale Road could become one of the most litter-free roads in America – one piece at a time. We wish!

Les Conklin