Heat is the dominant force of Rio Grande Valley summers. The ubiquitous sun during long summer days impacts so much of people’s lives, as well as the lives of local plants and animals, from as early as May through August. One of its most obvious effects is changing the rhythm of the day, where outside activity is limited to cooler mornings, evenings, and nights.
For local birds, that means singing and foraging for food more actively in the cooler mornings, then retreating into the shade or resting in the afternoon, only to emerge again for a burst of activity just before the sun goes down. Verdin, which are small desert birds with gray bodies and yellow heads, can almost exclusively forage in shade during peak summer heat. They also tend to move from perch to perch less frequently as temperatures get hotter.
This is a trend across other animal species too, including butterflies, lizards, and snakes. Plants also respond to heat, with some closing their stomata during hot days to reduce water loss. Wilting, where plant leaves and the stem tip droop, can also be a protective response to midday heat, reducing water loss from leaves. Other plants will point their leaves towards the sky — a phenomenon called paraheliotropism — as another method of reducing direct exposure to the sun and limiting water loss.
People also ch
ange behavior in response to hot temperatures, usually by limiting outdoor activity during the hottest times of day. Being overheated can also have the side effect of feeling more irritable, anxious, and feeling foggy or less mentally sharp. Extreme heat, like the heat waves that have impacted much of the United States in recent years, poses immediate health risks for people, but a lack of outdoor activity can also have long-term negative impacts on well-being associated with a more sedentary lifestyle.
Like our local plants and animals, there are still ways to be active during the summer months by changing the time of day we do our outdoor activities. Here in the Rio Grande Valley, daily temperature often peaks between 3 – 6 p.m. in the afternoon, so taking advantage of cooler mornings, evenings, and nights is vital to still getting to be outdoors.
Quinta Mazatlan, in McAllen, Texas, is offering a variety of evening and night programs over the course of the summer to fit into the rhythm of the summer. Every Tuesday, June through August, at 8:30 p.m., the park’s ‘Flashlight Nights’ program is a way for adults and children to enjoy a guided night hike after the sun goes down to search for moths, spiders, toads, and other nocturnal wildlife. Special evening events like the Summer Solstice celebration (June 18, 2026), Mothing by Moonlight (July 18, 2026), and Chicharra Festival (July 23, 2026) are also opportunities to enjoy the outdoors in McAllen.
Whether by enjoying the outdoors in the cooler mornings, evenings, or nights, Quinta Mazatlan encourages all Rio Grande Valley residents to spend time outdoors, even during the summer, for health and well-being. Visit quintamazatlan.com to see all upcoming programs in the park.
John Brush
