Stories - AZPM

20 students from Nogales, Arizona and 20 from Nogales, Mexico take part in a unique program about listening at the border wall that runs through their city.

Listening Beyond the Wall

Also on Arizona Spotlight: "Cleopatra - No Submissive Woman"; bobcats in the backyard; and how Film Tucson is bringing Hollywood back to The Old Pueblo.

The California condor was on the verge of extinction in the 1980s, but agencies and environmental groups have worked to bring numbers back up, according to the National Park Service.

Endangered Condors to be Released in Northern Arizona

The captive-bred birds of prey will be released atop the dramatic Vermilion Cliffs in Northern Arizona.

Desert-adapted birds like the cactus wren, at left, have declined throughout the Mojave Desert, but not as much as other birds. Decreased rainfall because of climate change appears to be the culprit. On the right, a Costa's hummingbird.

Research Reveals Climate-Driven Bird Collapse in Mojave Desert

Deserts globally have borne the brunt of warming and drying over the past 50 years.

Collaborative multi-media artists Bailey Hikawa and Scotty Wagner are Emotional.Store, performing as part of their "100 Year Plan".

Fight Your Fear of the Future with a "100 Year Plan"

Also on Arizona Spotlight: Is Arizona ready for wildfires on the scale of those ravaging California?, how to help hummingbirds beat the peak summer heat, and stories of kindness in action.

Salt River Canyon wilderness area, May 2016.

Invasive Snail Threatens Ecosystem of Arizona's Salt River

Apple snails were likely introduced into the river's ecosystem illegally from someone's aquarium.

Rain and sunlight interact over Tucson, July 5, 2018.

Drought Remains, But Rains Put Dent in Southwest Fire Danger

While monsoon can act as a "shut-off valve" for wildfire, much of the West continues to experience drought conditions.

Wild horses near Heber-Overgaard, Arizona in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest.

Drought Forces Emergency Measures for US West's Wild Horses

Parts of the region have witnessed some of the driest conditions on record, putting stress on wild horses experiencing overpopulation.

The sand spider, Homalonychus selenopoides, takes a dust bath after each molt.

The Secret Life of Spiders

Also on Arizona Spotlight: a new dust detection system on I-10; cumbia rhythm energizes downtown Tucson; and a story about the perils of being a king.

Visitors to the Granite Mountain Hotshots Memorial State Park may hike about seven miles round trip, to the spot where 19 elite firefighters died in 2013. The mens' families had a hand in designing this memorial and wanted it to remain rustic.

Arizona Honors 19 Firefighters Killed by Flames 5 Years Ago

The Granite Mountain Hotshots were remembered in a service in Prescott over the weekend.

Father and teenager daughter make dangerous trip from Guatemala to the Arizona border.

Separated & Reunited on the Border

Also on Arizona Spotlight: An update on the poaching of a male jaguar sighted in the Huachuca Mountains; meet Ciara Peterson, a Tucson girl who is a national champion at using braille.

Government officials received this picture of a jaguar pelt, and biologists say its spots correspond to those on a jaguar seen in pictures taken by a trail camera in Arizona.

Jaguar Seen in Arizona Last Year has Been Killed in Mexico

Spots on a pelt match those of a jaguar photographed in the Huachuca Mountains.

A male elegant trogon displays some of the colors that have made it very attractive for birders.

Tropical Bird is Treating Admirers in Arizona

The elegant trogon, a prize for many birdwatchers, is breeding in various mountain ranges around the state.

This photo distributed by Arizona Game and Fish shows a possibly rabid fox that injured three people in Saguaro National Park East on Feb. 13, 2018.

Arizona Health Officials Warn About Rise in Rabies

Most animals were found in rural areas, principally skunks and foxes.

A deer caught on a trail camera in the Sacramento River National Wildlife Refuge in California.

State Commission Wants to Change State Ban on Trail Cameras

The change aims to allow other cameras that capture images but don't transmit them live.

Arizona Counties Want More Funds for Mexican Wolf Recovery

A counties organization official says federal funding covers a fraction of the actual costs of the program.

Okanaga rubrovenosa is one of the most prominent cicada species found in the Southwest U.S.

Cicadas Tune Up for Long, Hot Summer

Also on Arizona Spotlight: How teens & seniors are working together to navigate the perils of the internet; Chris Dashiell looks back at a classic Arizona western called "Broken Arrow"; and why "shape note singing" has a loyal following.

More Wildlife Stories