
Access to this video is a benefit for members through PBS Passport.
Back to Show
The Desert Speaks
Cactus Capital of the World
Season 13
Episode 6
Villages in the Valle de Tehuacán and nearby Oaxaca have endured for centuries in a desert environment. One of the staples of this environment was and still is the cactus, which formed the basis for their material culture. Today eighteen species of columnar cacti grow in the valley (as opposed to three in Arizona, eight in Sonora), all of them used one way or another by native peoples.
Sign up now for inspiring and thought-provoking media delivered straight to your inbox.
Support Provided By

28:03
Find out how migratory and resident species use riparian areas.

28:09
plants, animals and insects in the Sonoran Desert which use poisons.

28:10
explore the value of research on desert insects in a program devoted to desert research.

27:58
Learn more about the habits and lifestyles of desert animals, including mountain lions and

28:12
Explore recreational uses of the desert

28:40
Examine the geography and dynamics of the shifting desert sands.

28:08
A look at the history and life cycle of the Saguaro cactus.

27:53
Desert Speaks explores the Baja Peninsula.

28:00
Explore the natural history of the Peninsula of Baja California.

27:52
Discover fascinating facts about what lives camouflaged by the gently blowing grasses.

27:44
There’s always something new to learn about the Sonoran Desert.

27:51
The new science of “restoration ecology.”