Interstate 11: A Disaster for the Sonoran Desert

Learn more about how you can submit public comments on the Interstate 11 FEIS. 

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The Coalition’s mission is to protect the biodiversity of the Sonoran Desert in southern Arizona through science-based advocacy, education, and collaboration. We work to create a community where: ecosystem health is protected; nature and healthy wild animal populations are valued; and residents, visitors, and future generations can all drink clean water, breathe clean air, and find wild places to roam.

Diary of a Desert Identifier: Welcome to the Neighborhood or the Saga of the Clever Rodent - September 3, 2021

By Gay Russell Being a Desert Identifier means going through large files of photos captured on a disc from the desert cameras.  The photos have usually been taken over several days, usually a week to 10 days.  You quickly begin to see the site as the same as any neighborhood, populated by certain characters (species) […]

Updated COVID-19 Response Plan - August 12, 2021

Pima County is currently under a high rate of transmission as the Delta variant spreads (data here). The situation continues to evolve. Here is CSDP’s response plan to help slow the spread and to help keep our staff and volunteers safe: All CSDP staff are fully vaccinated. We have in place a Pandemic Policy that provides […]

Public comment period now open on I-11 Tier 1 Final Environmental Impact Statement - July 21, 2021

On July 16, 2021, the Arizona Department of Transportation and Federal Highways Administration released the Tier 1 Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS). The FEIS now identifies TWO possible Preferred Alternatives, a West Option through Avra Valley AND an East Option that co-locates I-11 with I-19 and I-10 through the Tucson region. Action #1: Please ACT […]

Field Notes: a nest of great horned owls - May 26, 2021

By Gay Russell During the over twenty years I have lived in Sun City Oro Valley, we have had several sets of Great Horned Owls nest within our area.  In 2017, a pair made a nest in one of two large trees next to a golf cart path on the edge of the golf course […]

Crossing Through Your Neighborhood: A Presentation - April 8, 2021

Want to learn more about what’s happening around the Oracle Road wildlife crossings? Check out this recent presentation given by our Conservation Science Director Jessica Moreno:     You can also view a pdf of the presentation HERE. 

Friends of the Desert Newsletter #59 - April 7, 2021

We hope our Spring 2021 newsletter brings some hope, joy, and positivity into your mailboxes and inboxes. Check out the following articles in the newsletter: Increasing our impact through community science New strategies for protecting Sonoran Desert open spaces Coalition volunteers continue to make an impact And more! And, as always, thank you for supporting a […]

Amor from the Desert by Mely Bohlman -

This piece was written on the stolen lands and waters of the Tohono O’odham and Yaqui/Yoeme. Imagine yourself standing in the Sonoran Desert on a caliente summer day. Let’s paint the landscape by adding deep blue for the mountains that emerge in every cardinal direction and strokes of brown that create texture on the ground, […]

Support the 30×30 campaign - March 1, 2021

Have you heard of the 30×30 campaign? While this campaign has circulated for a while, it hit the national news recently when President Biden pledged in an Executive Order to preserve 30% of U.S. lands and waters by 2030. This ambitious goal is being called a “moonshot.”  According to this recent article in The Guardian: “One […]

Closing the Gap: Fencing gaps near the SR77 wildlife crossings are coming to a close - February 26, 2021

by Jessica Moreno, Conservation Science Director The last time I took a stroll down Big Wash, which runs along the west side of Oracle Road, the chill air pressed against my face mask but still managed to carry the smell of triangle leaf bursage and creosote. Gambel’s quail scurried away with their bustling chip-chip-chip alarm […]

Remembering Bob Cratty - January 26, 2021

by Terry Minks Bob was a dear friend to all his acquaintances in Sun City, Oro Valley and to my wife and me ever since we came to live in Arizona 18 years ago. Bob delighted in introducing newcomers to his favorite places throughout Arizona. He was a history buff and was the first person […]

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Mich Coker

“I support the Coalition because it consistently produces great results against often-overwhelming odds.”

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