For more than a half-century, the desert regions of the great Southwest have been the focus of many corporations looking for resource opportunities, from uranium, to oil and gas and most recently solar and wind energy. And yet increasingly, both in public meetings and in print, many people refer to our deserts as “wastelands.”

But these areas are anything but a “wasteland” – they are not only home to a great diversity of wildlife, but are also enjoyed by millions of Americans for recreation, camping, exploring, and enjoying the unique views that only our deserts provide.

“What a Tenderfoot Calls…” is a campaign that has been launched by the Old Spanish Trail Association (OSTA) to increase awareness of the importance of our deserts and help ensure that these areas stay open to the public for future generations to enjoy. The campaign, while using a tongue-in-cheek, fun expression, highlights the value of the desert.

“For decades, travelers on The Old Spanish Trail and its various routes went through the heart of many of our Southwest deserts,” said Vicki Felmlee, OSTA president. “While OSTA has been the ‘go to’ organization for history of the trail, increasingly we’re being called upon to address many uses of the deserts. We hear the word “wasteland” a lot and we really want to educate people that our deserts are not wastelands, but incredible habitats for hundreds of species of wildlife and plants.”

The campaign utilizes high-quality graphics with the message, “What a Tenderfoot Calls…” married to the corresponding image. The message “We love our desert” and the link to the OSTA website is included.

The graphics are available to print publications, non-profits, and agencies for their usage. The images can also be used for websites “to educate, inform, and increase interest in these environments,” Felmlee added. OSTA asks that the graphic not be modified to exclude the message, logo, and website address. OSTA has purchased the licensing for these images for this usage.

Download these web-ready images for free by clicking on the image, then right-clicking on the image that opens:

Foxes
History
Grand Canyon
Mountain Biking
Lizard
Universe
 
Eagle
Rock Climber
 

Download these print-ready images for free (each approximaely 2-4 MB each, CMYK):

Lizard
Universe
Eagle
Rock Climber
Foxes
History
Grand Canyon
Mountain Biking