WhereAZ.com

- “Sky Islands” are isolated mountain range peaks in southeastern Arizona and northern Mexico that support flora and fauna that are not usually found in the desert areas -Some of the mountains rise more than 6,000 feet above the surrounding desert floor making the lowlands and high peaks drastically different - Plants and animals living in the mountains could never survive in the surrounding deserts ... thus by analogy, the mountains are “islands” surrounded by deserts that are “seas” -One of the most readily accessible is at the end of the Mount Lemmon Scenic Byway at the top of the Santa Catalina Mountains www.fs.usda.gov/wildflowers/beauty/Sky_Islands/index.shtml skyislandalliance.org