April 30th, 2009  - I joined the Earth Systems spring tour of the cactus garden.  Christy Smith, the Cactus Garden Volunteer Coordinator and manager of the restoration project at the garden, gave us a great historical overview and info about all the different species in the garden.  The garden, originally called the "Arizona Garden" has been the official make-out spot for Stanford students over the past century (and you thought all the action happened at Full Moon on the Quad).
There are truly some bizarre cacti there too, things that look like they might pop out one of Dr. Suesses' Lorax. If you want to learn more about these amazing prehistoric-looking beings, you can join Christy for the cactus garden work day every third Saturday of the month. This lady knows her cacti. What's more, she maintains the garden on a shoestring budget, relying on donations and help from the surrounding community to keep this Stanford treasure alive for everyone to enjoy.