Desert Messenger

10 www.DesertMessenger.com March 16, 2022 Quartzsite Events Online: www.QuartzsiteCalendar.com Gardening with Dennis www.QuartzsiteVideos.com Watch Quartzsite Council meetings @ Music Jam Schedule Please contact Desert Messenger to list your jam session 928-916-4235 Editor@DesertMessenger.com QUARTZSITE, BRENDA, LA PAZ VALLEY (Many jams are ending as the season comes to a close) SUNDAY: 1:00pm Wagons West RV Park, Brenda 6pm Black Rock Resort Park, Brenda 6:30pm. Gold Star Gospel, Acoustic with Lee Black MONDAY: 88 Shades 6:30pm TUESDAY: 1pm Brenda RV Park, Brenda 7pm. Desert Gold, Brenda, Gospel WEDNESDAY: 6:30pm. Holiday Palms RV Park, Country 6:30pm Gold Star 6:30pm 1st Baptist Church Gospel THURSDAY: 1pm Split Rail RV Park 6:30pm. QIA Jams 1st & 3rd; Country; 2nd & 4th Gospel 7pm. Brenda RV Resort, Brenda FRIDAY: 6:30pm JR's RV Park 6:30pm Mountain Quail RV Park SATURDAY: 1pm Desert Gold RV Park, Brenda 4pm Mt. Quail #2 RV Park WORKING TOGETHER By Alex Taft One of the subjects that fascinated Dennis was bats and their signifi - cance in desert gardening. He wrote an article on the subject, saved other articles about bats and a section of one of his notebooks was devoted to anything he could fi nd on the sub- ject of bats and also bees and how they work together to assist plants to grow. Cacti and agaves, upon which the bats depend, are becoming less plentiful due to the spread of inva- sive species, urbanization, and con- version of native vegetation to ag- riculture. The agave industry may deprive the bats of nectar sources by cutting all fl ower buds for tequi- la production, but they are depen- dent on bats for pollination. Ari- zona supports the second greatest number of bat species in the United States, behind Texas. These little critters pollinate native fl ora and keep insects in check. You are more likely to see them if you live on the outskirts of town, near BLM land or the open desert. Where I lived on the edge of BLM land, they would cover my large kitchen windows in search of moths, fl ies, beetles, mosquitos and wasps and other agricultural insect pests, while providing endless en- tertainment for my cats, who were determined to catch them through the glass of the windows. Bees and bats pollinate fl owers which enables seeds to be produced that in turn creates more plants. Dennis wrote, "Nectar feeding bats pollinate a wide variety of plants including sa- guaro, organ pipe cactus, and cen- tury (agave) plants." Also in Dennis's notebooks, were notes on bees and their persistent skills to pollinate and make honey. Local honey tastes wonderful and is helpful in prevention to local al- lergies. It takes 2 million fl owers for bees to produce one pound of honey. Bees fl y 55,000 miles to produce a pound of honey. Bees communicate by dancing with each other. The average person in this country con- sumes 1.1 pounds of honey a year. All this "Bee Trivia" is taken from The University of Arizona College of Agriculture publication which of course happens to be in Dennis's notebook. It is not uncommon to fi nd a day- time hummingbird feeder surround- ed by bats, come nightfall. You can consider this your contribution to helping the bat population continue its work of pollinating fl owers and eating insect pests or you can cover or take your hummingbird feeder in for the night to keep the bats from feeding from it. Bats like bees have an important function in the natu- ral balancing act of assuring that the southwest desert blooms. Without them, we would not have the beau- tiful desert fl owers in the spring or any new saguaros, agaves or other stunning cacti. I have to give Dennis the last word here. In his article, "Bats are Ben- efi cial", he states, "If you see bats around your house, be happy, think of all those miserable bugs they are keeping away from you…." Note: for those who did not know Dennis, he was a part-time employ- ee of the town parks department, a Master Gardener since 1985 and instructor for the Master Gardener Class. He passed away in 2018. DEADLINE : WED. APRIL 8 TH for APRIL 20 th edition Desert Messenger News Email: editor@DesertMessenger.com 928-916-4235 www.DesertMessenger.com number of bat species in the United States, behind Texas. These little critters pollinate native fl ora and keep insects in check. You are more likely to see them if you live on the outskirts of town, near BLM land or course happens to be in Dennis's is here for you! BONDED NOTARY PUBLIC • Mobile Notary Service • Professional Correspondence • Proof Reading • Copies Year Round Quartzsite Resident 562-682-7283

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