“Impact of livestock activity on water resources, soil and vegetation in Arizona” By Laura Gutiérrez, Universidad de la Sierra Project Summary The work consisted in studying seven springs in southern... Read more »| Sky Island Alliance
At Sky Island Alliance we’re happy and proud to celebrate Laura Patricia Gutiérrez Velásquez, who after several months of work with our team, advised by our Habitat Conservation Manager Sarah... Read more »| Sky Island Alliance
Several years ago, the Coronado National Forest decided to decommission over 160 miles of old roads in the Sierra Vista Ranger District, which includes the Patagonia Mountains, Huachuca Mountains, and... Read more »| Sky Island Alliance
Dear friends, I’m touching base with an update on border wall construction in the Sky Islands, impacts to our Border Wildlife Study, and actions to take below. For the past... Read more »| Sky Island Alliance
Concerned about all the recent developments at the border and not sure where that leaves wildlife? In this virtual Coffee Break, Sky Island Alliance’s Program Director Emily Burns and Wildlife Program Manager Eamon Harrity give a virtual tour of southeast Arizona and describe the current status of border wall construction projects underway at the Santa Cruz River and across the San Rafael Valley. They also share insights from our vast network of wildlife cameras that’s faithfully keeping ...| skyislandalliance.org
With new border wall construction starting this month in the Tucson Sector, wildlife will undergo further habitat fragmentation across the San Rafael Valley and Huachuca Mountains. Our research shows that border wall, with 6-inch bollards separated by just 4-inch spaces between bollards, stops 86% of wildlife on the ground from crossing the border. | skyislandalliance.org
By Michell Cordova and Karen Aglaee Lopez Roman| skyislandalliance.org
A team of scientists and volunteers at the University of Arizona’s Wild Cat Research and Conservation Center have recorded five sightings of one male jaguar so far this summer, including the detections above. The big cat has been observed in multiple southern Arizona locations south of Tucson. The remarkable news from the University of Arizona’s Wild Cat Research and Conservation Center of the jaguar’s return to Arizona this week is a powerful reminder of how the Sky Island region is a ...| skyislandalliance.org
Hello, I’m Michell Cordova, and I recently joined the Sky Island Alliance staff. I’m currently a tech with the Ranchos Regenerativos program, and I’m very happy to be part of this project. I’d like to share a little about what the wildfire experience was like this summer near Cananea, Sonora, where I live.| skyislandalliance.org
Water sources like springs are imperiled along the border in the San Rafael Valley, due to impending construction of the Trump administration’s 30-foot-high border wall. It is estimated that 500,000 gallons of local groundwater will be pumped for every mile of wall built and will be used to create cement footers for the wall and to keep dust down. This will impact springs by drawing on shared groundwater — putting wildlife and native plants at risk from reduced water access. | skyislandalliance.org
This time of year, after a long period of drought in our landscape and before the arrival of the monsoon rains, it’s important to recognize the key role springs have in the Sky Islands, as many plants and animals depend on these water sources.| skyislandalliance.org
In this virtual Coffee Break, we’re joined by Borderlands Restoration Network board member Chuck Klingenstein, who shares results from the first Nature-Based Restorative Economy study in Santa Cruz County, commissioned by the community and conducted by the University of Arizona. This in-depth study looked at the many benefits nature provides to our economy in southern Arizona through ecotourism, conservation, and other activities. SIA Executive Director Louise Misztal also provides updates ...| skyislandalliance.org
In this virtual Coffee Break, we’re joined by Aaron Mrotek, manager of The Nature Conservancy’s Patagonia-Sonoita Creek Preserve, as well as SIA’s Stewardship Manager Bryon Lichtenhan and Program Director Emily Burns. They discuss what we and our allies are doing to improve conditions for wildlife throughout this landscape and how to get involved in various projects. These include a study of wildlife-traffic interactions that will inform an effort to install wildlife-crossing structures...| skyislandalliance.org
San Pedro River by Victoria Infante.| skyislandalliance.org
Dear friends,| skyislandalliance.org
Please introduce yourself! Where are you from, and what do you do?| skyislandalliance.org
Guest Blog by Phil Hedrick| skyislandalliance.org
A look across the San Rafael Valley and into Mexico from near Mesa Tank. This valley is one of the few remaining wildlife corridors in the Sky Islands not blocked by a border wall.In 2021 the Sierra Vista district of the Coronado National Forest approached Sky Island Alliance with a project idea to improve water sources for wildlife in the southwestern foothills of the Huachuca Mountains. The biologist for the district wanted to create better habitat for Chiricahua leopard frogs and other wil...| skyislandalliance.org
Guest Blog by Sofía Vargas| skyislandalliance.org
Guest Blog by Dr. Carmina E. Gutiérrez González| skyislandalliance.org
In early 2017, the Grupo Pionero Espeleológico de Sonora, a caving group I co-founded, embarked on a trip to the northeast of Sonora to explore Cueva La Mora. Unlike other large expeditions we’ve participated in, this was the first exploration made up exclusively of members of this group.| skyislandalliance.org
Guest Blog and Photos by Sabine Harrington| skyislandalliance.org