Archives
July 24, 2020
Intern Spotlight: Rob Wisler
When did you fall in love with the Sonoran Desert? I suspect your answer and mine are the same – you fell in love the first time you wandered into it. For me, this was in early April 2009 on my first visit to Tucson. There’s something so transfixing about all of it: the majestic, […]
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Updates from the El Rio Riparian Preserve
By Janine Spencer-Glasson, Friends of El Rio Preserve The Santa Cruz River serves as an important resource for migrating birds in the southwestern United States. Migrating birds depend upon riparian habitat more than any other type of habitat in Arizona. There are several links along the chain of stopovers for migrating birds on the Santa […]
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July 17, 2020
Animal Planet – a slam poem by Laurie Jurs
A big thanks to Laurie Jurs for submitting the slam poem “Animal Planet” below. In Laurie’s words: I have lived in the desert on five acres south of Green Valley since 1987. This slam poem is about staying home and finding out new things about a place I thought I knew well. It will best […]
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June 8, 2020
We Stand in Solidarity with Black Lives Matter and All People of Color
The Coalition for Sonoran Desert Protection stands in solidarity with Black Lives Matter. There is no way to do the work of healing and nurturing the natural world in a silo. As residents of the Earth and citizens of the World, the mounting cases of violence against Black, Indigenous, and People of Color reveal how connected we all […]
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May 26, 2020
Pima County releases 2019 Annual Report on Multi-Species Habitat Conservation Plan
In March 2020, Pima County released its fourth annual report on its Multi-Species Habitat Conservation Plan (MSCP). The full report can be found on the Pima County website HERE. According to the Executive Summary, six Pima County capital improvement projects and 52 private development projects were “covered” by the MSCP in 2019. While these projects […]
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May 20, 2020
New data from the Tangerine Road wildlife underpasses
Did you know that there are five wildlife underpasses that traverse Tangerine Road? These wildlife underpasses were finished in 2018 and the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AGFD) is now in the middle of a post-construction monitoring study of the crossings. In May 2020, AGFD released its latest monitoring progress report. We’re happy to report […]
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April 29, 2020
A variety of wildlife captured on camera near I-10 East
Over the last year or so, we have expanded our work protecting Sonoran Desert wildlife linkages to the Rincon-Santa Rita-Whetstone Mountains wildlife linkage that is fragmented by Interstate 10 east of Tucson. 40 wildlife cameras are now collecting data in this wildlife linkage thanks to the amazing help of our volunteers and community partners! A […]
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April 22, 2020
The latest monitoring data from the Oracle Road wildlife crossings!
Arizona Game and Fish Department (AGFD) just released the latest and greatest monitoring data from the Oracle Road wildlife overpass and underpass. This represents FOUR FULL YEARS of monitoring these wildlife crossings since construction finished in March 2016. Some notable data and results include: 26 different species have been observed using the crossings, including 11 […]
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April 2, 2020
Friends of the Desert newsletter #57 is out in the world!
Although we know most of us are pretty preoccupied with the current global pandemic, we decided to still send out our spring newsletter, hoping to inject a little joy and positivity into your mailboxes and inboxes. Check out the following articles in our Spring 2020 Friends of the Desert newsletter: New project collecting data on […]
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March 31, 2020
New wildlife cameras generate spectacular photos
Thanks to a new partnership with volunteer, welder, and ecology student Raynor Vandeven, there are now four wildlife cameras out in the field with professional photography equipment capturing images of Sonoran Desert wildlife. These cameras are located in an area along the proposed I-11 route, in the Tucson Mountains, near the Oracle Road wildlife crossings, […]
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