Borrego Sun - Since 1949

There will be a book signing at the Borrego Springs Library on Dec. 14, 4 p.m. to introduce a new book, A Natural History of the Anza-Borrego Region by Mike Wells and Marie Simovich. The book is the result of a class co-taught by the authors at the University of San Diego from 2001 – 2017.

The book describes the common features of deserts around the world, how the land formed, and how the Anza-Borrego region developed over the last several million years, as well as how plants and animals evolved to thrive in the desert’s challenging environments.

It explains how organisms interact to form ecological communities. The book also discusses the original human occupants of the region and how their cultural innovations allowed them to adapt to the desert.

Wells was a State Park Ranger for the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park from 1977 to 1981, and returned in 2006 as the District Superintendent of the Colorado Desert District, which includes Anza-Borrego from 2006 to 2010. Simovich was a Professor of Biology at the University of San Diego from 1987 to 2017.

The book is lavishly illustrated with over 300 infographics (charts, tables and diagrams), drawings and photographs. The infographics were created by Diolinda Monteiro, and the original artwork was drawn by Anne Kowalski. Sunbelt Publications, editor Diana Lindsay published the book, which retails for $40, including tax, and available at the State Park Visitor Center and The State Park in The Mall.

The authors’ royalties from the book are being donated to the Anza-Borrego Foundation.

Over the next few issues, the Borrego Sun will be printing excerpts from the book.