The connection scarlet macaws had with past civilizations in the Southwest will be explained at Tuzigoot National Monument/Sacred Scarlets

For more than 1,000 years, scarlet macaws have dazzled people of the Southwest and Central America. Their brilliantly colored plumage and large size inspire curiosity in all who gaze upon them.

Remains of macaws have been documented in early archaeological excavations at both Montezuma Castle and Tuzigoot national monuments in Arizona. Many visitors are impressed when they learn these exotic birds were traded into the Verde Valley, and farther north, from hundreds of miles south into modern day Mexico.

To help increase visitor awareness of this unique part of history in the Verde Valley, the National Park Service is working in partnership with Sacred Scarlets, a nonprofit organization, to explain the significance of these birds and the connections they had with past civilizations.

Sacred Scarlets will be extending their demonstrations at Tuzigoot National Monument. Each program will begin at 10 a.m. on the following dates:

*Sunday, February 23rd

*Sunday, March 15th

*Sunday, March 29th

*Sunday, May 31st

*Sunday, June 28th

Sacred Scarlets presents lectures and demonstrations featuring a young, beautiful captive-bred scarlet macaw. These lectures and demonstrations address conservation as well as the scarlet macaw’s fascinating history in American Southwest culture.

Kelley Taylor, founder of Sacred Scarlets, presents these amazing birds as ambassadors for their protection in the wild while sharing their long, rich, sometimes mysterious and often unknown history in the American Southwest. To learn more, visit www.sacredscarlets.org.

These events are sponsored by Western National Parks Association, a nonprofit education partner of the National Park Service.

Regular admission fees of $10 per adult apply, but there is no additional charge for the special programs. All federal recreation passes are accepted, including the annual, access, senior and military pass; children age 15 and under are free.

Tuzigoot National Monument is located at 25 W Tuzigoot Road, Clarkdale, Arizona.