Tom Hyden

Plant Stories of the Chihuahuan Desert Tom Hyden

Plants can't move to the shade or migrate to more hospitable climes. They can't seek shelter, and they survive with just eight inches of precipitation a year in the harsh environment of the Chihuahuan Desert of the American Southwest. Yet, they have adapted. Tom Hyden, volunteer at the Desert Arboretum of Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico, tells the stories of some of these unique adaptations. With text illustrated by Lise Spargo, Hyden also shares information about roles the plants have played in native cultures, their common and Latin names, and some fun facts about deserts and botanists.