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When Christian Monrad drives around town, he keeps his eyes peeled for lush chunks of desert dotted with survey stakes and other telltale signs of development.

He's not a part of a radical environmental group looking to lie down in front of heavy equipment; he just wants to rescue a few cacti — as it turns out, about 24,000 of them. That's how many plants have been saved since 1999 when the Tucson Cactus and Succulent Society started working with developers to harvest cactus that would otherwise be bulldozed.

For Monrad, a professional engineer, it's part of how he gives back to the community.

"Engineering relies on development," he said, "so one of my goals is to promote the most sustainable type of development possible."

Monrad's business connections with developers give him advance notice about when a site will be available for the harvesting of cactus. In addition, the Southern Arizona Home Builders Association and Tucson Unified School District regularly communicate with the Cactus and Succulent Society about upcoming projects.

"We serve as a bridge between environmental groups and developers," said Monrad.

The love of our native Tucson basin plants is a powerful force. A recent rescue effort rousted up 125 volunteers, said Monrad. They saved 500 saguaro cacti in 15 hours.

So where do all these rescued plants end up? According to Monrad, the Cactus and Succulent Society holds about half a dozen sales per year and sells out of whatever it has: "barrels and hedgehogs, small saguaros — the demand has kept up with the supply," he said.

Most rescued cacti end up in residential gardens. Gail Vandiver, a dedicated East Side gardener with a large lot, loves the barrel cactus. Vandiver admits that she has become addicted to using the salvaged cacti in her garden. Vandiver also likes the cacti for their durability.

"For all the truckloads of barrel cactus I've planted, I don't think I've ever lost one," she said. "I just pop them in the ground and they thrive."

Standing on Vandiver's lot, which is punctuated by scores of fishhook barrel cacti, you could get the feeling you were standing on a particularly lush and well-groomed patch of desert. It's easy to see that this batch of rescued plants has found a good home.