It takes a unique set of weather conditions for Southeast Arizona to receive three inches of snow in the low lying areas of the desert, and at the end of January we had the perfect storm. I woke up in the morning and the local news was reporting 3 inches of snow on the east side of Tucson. Still dark as I looked out my window I could see fluffy white snow blanketing the entire yard. My first thought was to get up the road to the Santa Rita Mountains and Madera Canyon where I live to photograph this extraordinary spectacle. But then I thought again, I did not have a single image of a Giant Saguaro Cactus in the snow. So off I went to where most of the snow fell on the east side of Tucson. Having to zigzag my way through the outskirts of Tucson because many bridges were frozen over and closed; I finally arrived at the visitor center at Saguaro National Park East only to find the auto road closed. People milled around taking pictures enjoying this strange phenomenon while others were hiking up the park road. It was a very rare event to witness a desert winter wonderland. As the temperature began rising quickly and the snow just beginning to melt I couldn't get my equipment together fast enough to start photographing.

I hiked about 3 miles not realizing I was going downhill most of the time because I was so enamored with the snowy landscape and shooting photos while walking. I took some amazing images as the sun peeked its head in and out; it then became a race against time as the snow began melting fast. The temperature in the desert rises quickly as soon as the sun shows its head through the clouds. My best shots were taken hiking off the road into the desert which I do all the time but this was unusual as I was bush-whacking through snow. It was a very strange experience but at least rattlesnakes were not a worry.

I took over 100 photos and forgot that I would have to walk back uphill with my backpack and tripod. It turned out to be my aerobic exercise for the day instead of my usual run. When I got back to my truck the entire sky turned dark as far as the eye could see in every direction. The rumor was that another front was coming through. With this type of light you simply can't get any good photos because it's too flat. My timing was perfect and I came home with some magnificent images.

Fundraising Event for the Defenders of Madera Canyon: March 30, 2007

I am on the fundraising subcommittee for the Defenders of Madera Canyon and have recently proposed a photo presentation to be given by myself and another prominent photographer and birder to raise money for our professional services; they agreed this would be a great idea.

After I sent out my "Every Picture Has a Story" email column last month discussing the construction at the mouth of Madera Canyon I received a call from my good friend Jack Dykinga who is a world-renowned, large-format, landscape photographer, who aid "lets do something, I'm sick of this crap". Great minds think alike! My sentiments exactly!

I informed him of my plan and we had lunch to strategize our presentation. We agreed that another speaker was needed and I thought that Kenn Kaufman, one of North America's most noted bird experts, would make a fantastic addition. I called Kenn and told him about the possible Madera construction. Disappointed in the news and agreeing that this was really important he looked at his calendar to confirm he was free March 30 and that he would fly in from Ohio at his expense to be our keynote speaker. What more can you ask for from two of the most widely respected names in the birding and photography community. I'm proud to be associated with these two compassionate individuals.

There is a proposal to build a cluster of 280 home sites on private land one mile from Madera Canyon and the Santa Rita Mountains. This land sits in the middle of the Santa Rita Experimental Range which is run by the University of Arizona. The grassland environment at the mouth of the canyon is one of the last remaining unfragmented stretches of this ecosystem in Pima County. It potentially contains a number of threatened species of birds, mammals, and plants. This property was deemed as high priority bio-diverse grasslands by Pima County. The Defenders of Madera Canyon believes this would be just the start of an ecological disaster for the grasslands and the canyon.

On Friday March 30, 2007 at 7 PM there will be a presentation and auction on saving Madera Canyon at The University Medical Center's Duval Auditorium in Tucson, Arizona. Admission is $20.00 per person. Advanced ticket sales are available by contacting me via email for pick up locations or you can pay at the door. All proceeds from this fundraiser will go to The Defenders of Madera Canyon. This money will pay the professional services incurred to research the acquisition of this land to keep it as open space where nothing can be constructed.

Jack Dykinga and I will give an engaging photo presentation of landscapes, wildlife and flowers that exist in this beautiful grassland and canyon habitat. The presentation will focus on how important it is ecologically to the canyon and grasslands to keep this land as open space. We will also talk about our experiences of the images that we captured and how we feel about the canyon. Kenn Kaufman will also give a talk discussing his views as well and the impact this will have on the grasslands and canyon. Following Kenn's talk there will be an auction of signed books, prints and other items.

If you would like to make a donation, you can send a check to FMOC, PO Box 1203 Green Valley, AZ 85622-1203 and mark on your check that it's for The Defenders of Madera Canyon.

Join me on a Botswana Photo Tour in 2007.

I will be leading an African photo tour through Distinctive Journeys to Botswana and the Okavango Delta from November 30 to December 11, 2007, with an extension to Jack's Camp, another exciting location located deep in the Kalahari Desert, from December 11 to December 14, 2007. We changed the date by one day and changed one of the camps we will visit. We added some important highlights to this trip as well, so if you are interested, please read Botswana Photo Tour in 2007.

Join me on a Galapagos Photo Tour in 2008.

In July 2008 I will be leading a Galapagos photo tour through Distinctive Journeys to the Galapagos Islands from July 23rd to August 2nd. We will be traveling aboard the Beluga, a 110 foot yacht, that is fully air-conditioned and extremely comfortable with each stateroom having it's own private bath and shower. We will visit various locations across 8 islands photographing many species of birds and reptiles. For more information, please read Galapagos Photo Tour in 2008.

My new book Wings of Spring wins an award!

Wings of Spring: Courtship, Nesting, and Fledging Photographs by Tom Vezo, Text by Chuck Hagner, Stackpole Books, Mechanicsburg, PA is the winner of the 2006 National Outdoor Book Awards in the category of Design and Artistic Merit.

Here's what they had to say:

Wings of Spring represents some of the finest photography of birds ever published: A Great Egret tossing a stream of brightly-lit water droplets, a Wilson's Snipe standing on one leg forlorn in June snowfall, a Western Screech-Owl dangling a lizard from it's beak. One is amazed at the days and countless hours photographer Tom Vezo spent patiently waiting for these moments that he has so elegantly captured. Complimenting Vezo's photography is a comfortable and inviting design, and just the right amount of text to make the book useful as a bird guide as well as a work of artistry.

How to order a signed copy of my books:

WINGS OF SPRING - $40.00
BIRDS OF PREY - $30.00

S & H are included in the prices. Checks should be made out to "Tom Vezo" and sent to:

Tom Vezo
190 W. Continental Rd. Suite 220-272
Green Valley, AZ 85614

Be sure to include your name and shipping address and who you would like the book signed to, as it will make a great gift.

How to order screensavers of my pictures:

Second Nature Software has compiled has just compiled a new screensaver called Colorful Songbirds, which you can purchase online at www.secondnature.com. On this site, you can also view my three other screensavers: Backyard Birds, Birds of Prey, and Wings in the Wild. Second Nature Software is a proud supporter of nonprofit environmental organizations, including The Nature Conservancy, and through their sales has contributed more than $2.5 million dollars to help preserve the world's natural wonders and wildlife.

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