A local hiker was devastated to discover a saguaro cactus covered in graffiti while hiking Coronado National Forest in Arizona. According to a news report by KOLD News 13, resident Amber Merancio was walking her usual route when she stumbled upon a saguaro covered in pink and white paint.
"As I was turning around the corner, I saw a saguaro and it had graffiti on it," Mercancio told KOLD News 13. "My heart just sank."
Mercancio spotted the painted saguaro along the Lower Tanque Verde Trailhead, which has experienced other instances of vandalism. This past April, for example, vandalists covered rocks with blue graffiti along the trailhead.
Newscasters have reported that the eastern side of the forest has, unfortunately, been more vulnerable to acts of vandalism. Park rangers and hikers have found paint covering the ground, rocks, and now even saguaros.
A symbol of the American southwest, saguaros are protected plants. In the state of Arizona, it's illegal to destroy or harm saguaros. Vandalists can face criminal charges and fines for graffitiing natural landscapes in the Coronado National Forest in Arizona.
Cleaning graffiti off a saguaro presents an unusual challenge. The tree-like cactus's protective spines make it incredibly difficult for park rangers to wash away the paint.
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Climate awareness starts with a foundational respect for nature. By spreading climate awareness, park rangers and policymakers can help prevent unfortunate incidents like this from happening again.
When park visitors harm the natural landscape, they're not only exploiting the environment but also polluting it. The oils in graffiti paint can clog a plant's pores, disrupting its life support system. The paint can also cover their photoreceptors, which can prevent them from properly sensing light changes.
Mercancio discussed the importance of spreading climate awareness and protecting natural landscapes from harm.
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"If we don't take care of it and if we don't acknowledge the beauty and the power that we have to protect, then it's going to be lost," Mercancio told KOLD News 13.
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