In the summers, the sky is jet black when Raul Cruz arrives at this Imperial Valley sugarcane field to start his day. He chops, cleans and bundles the crop, taking heed as the sun rises. It's hard work, but so is starting at 4 a.m., even though he knows it's the safest thing when temperatures in this California desert frequently soar into the triple digits.
Research assistants Brandon Toji, right, and Michelle Solorio watch as Raul Cruz, foreground, chops sugarcane Sept. 11 in Niland, Calif.
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Farmworker Raul Cruz collects environmental monitors at the end of the day in a sugarcane field Sept. 11 in Niland, Calif.
Research assistant Briana Toji straps a wearable heat-stress monitor on farmworker Hipolito Hernandez in a sugarcane field in Niland, Calif.
Petrona Romero, right, drinks an electrolyte beverage while working alongside her husband, Cristino, in a sugarcane field Sept. 11 in Niland, Calif.
Photos: Researchers are mapping rural heat to protect farmworkers
Researchers arrive at a sugarcane field at dawn to collect environmental data in Niland, Calif., Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Manuel Gallegos, left, Hipolito Hernandez work in a sugarcane field in Niland, Calif., Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Manuel Gallegos works in a sugarcane field in Niland, Calif., Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Research assistants Brandon Toji, right, and Michelle Solorio watch as Raul Cruz, foreground, chops sugarcane in Niland, Calif., Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Leonardo Hernandez wipes sweat from his face in the shade while working in a sugarcane field in Niland, Calif., Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Farmworkers Hipolito Hernandez, from left, Leonardo Hernandez and Manuel Gallegos hydrate at sunrise before starting their day in a sugarcane field in Niland, Calif., Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Manuel Gallegos carries a cooler and a large umbrella while leaving a sugarcane field in Niland, Calif., Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Farmworker Raul Cruz collects environmental monitors at the end of the day in a sugarcane field in Niland, Calif., Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Farmworker Leonardo Hernandez pauses under the sun while chopping sugarcane in Niland, Calif., Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Farmworker Raul Cruz chops sugarcane in Niland, Calif., Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Research assistant Briana Toji straps a wearable heat-stress monitor on farmworker Hipolito Hernandez in a sugarcane field in Niland, Calif., Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
With a wearable heat-stress monitor strapped to his arm, farmworker Cristino Romero bundles sugarcane in Niland, Calif., Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Petrona Romero, right, drinks an electrolyte beverage while working alongside her husband, Cristino, in a sugarcane field in Niland, Calif., Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
An environmental monitor is placed in a sugarcane field to collect environmental data in Niland, Calif., Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
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