An ancient Mormon Tea plant, Ephedra sp., stands guard over a petroglyph panel, one of many in the backcountry of Petrified Forest National Park. As with much rock art, the figures depicted are open to viewer interpretation. Is the pair of birds meant to represent thick-billed parrots? Also known as snow parrots, their flocks were once found in the high country pine forests of Arizona and New Mexico. Could they be Scarlet Macaws, a tropical prize received from the trade city of Paquimé, now a ruin in present day Mexico? Or do they show turkeys, domesticated many centuries past in the Colorado Plateau region? Turkeys were valued not only as a food source, but also for their feathers. Feather cloaks were once produced throughout the Americas. As to which avian species was the inspiration for this panel, only the long-ago artist can say for certain, but today’s guessing is half the fun of enjoying rock art images. Learn more about petroglyphs at 10 a.m. on Saturday, March 17, at the Painted Desert Visitors Center at Petrified Forest when Petroglyph Appreciation and Context is presented by Maggie Leef.