Author Archive
Desert Fence Busters tackle the Big Wash in Oro Valley
In mid-November 2022, the Desert Fence Busters tackled a section of the Big Wash in Oro Valley. Over the course of a beautiful Saturday morning, 35 people removed 1.5 miles of old barbed-wire fencing from the wash, improving the safety of this area for both people and wildlife. The fencing added up to over 2,000 pounds of both barbed wire and t-posts.
The Big Wash is a critical wildlife movement area between the Santa Catalina Mountains (including Catalina State Park) and the Tortolita Mountains. It is also a popular area for local hikers, wildlife watchers, and mountain bikers. Removing this fencing will allow wildlife to move more freely and safely and improve safety for nearby residents.
The Desert Fence Busters officially formed in late 2021, but emerged from a long-time collaborative effort among a variety of public agencies and non-profits. This unique partnership began seven years ago to share information between agencies on projects centered in Avra Valley west of the Tucson Mountains. In 2021, it emerged that multiple land management agencies had outdated fencing that are impeding wildlife, with animal carcasses found hung up on barbed wire while attempting to jump or crawl through the fence. While the work of the Desert Fence Busters is largely focused in Avra Valley, it was exciting to remove old fencing from an area connected to the Oracle Road wildlife crossings and that has seen so much public investment and interest in recent years.
Future Desert Fence Busters events will be announced on our main Desert Fence Busters webpage.
Check out the slideshow below of the amazing group of volunteers that removed fencing in the Big Wash (click on the slideshow to view it in a larger format):
Remembering and Celebrating Josh
Our community suffered a tragic loss when our first Desert Wildlife Intern and long-time volunteer Josh Skattum died tragically on October 22, 2022 after being involved in a serious car accident.

Josh with his bright smile and his signature CSDP hard hat taking a selfie while checking wildlife cameras near I-10 East.
Josh was a force to be reckoned with, a ray of sunshine in an often dark world, and we miss him deeply. Folks have come from many different communities in Tucson and his home is Wisconsin to remember Josh and support the healing of his partner TJ. We are so grateful for this community, and for you, and are comforted to know that Josh’s light will never fade. His light and passion for life is amplified in everything we do.
Throughout his 4+ year tenure as a Coalition volunteer with his Desert Monitor teammates Sam Wilber and Courtney Neumeyer and as our intern this past fall, Josh deeply touched and impacted many of our projects and programs. Here is a sampling of how Josh positively contributed to Sonoran Desert conservation and protection:
Beginning in 2016 as our Desert Monitor “Zoo Crew” team with Sam Wilber, Josh monitored four east approach cameras on the Oracle Road wildlife bridge, helping prove the success of the first wildlife bridge in the Sonoran Desert.
Assisted staff with wildlife camera placement and deployment decisions.
Recruited and trained new Desert Monitor volunteers for our program.
Documented the first badger using the wildlife bridge after searching for badger burrows and placing a camera to confirm. Josh’s cameras were very successful at finding badgers across all of our projects.
Taught close to 1,000 kids about wildlife tracks and wildlife corridors during our Critter Cam for Kids Field Days.
Was instrumental in launching and maintaining nearly 40 cameras for our I-10 East monitoring project, which has led to conservation plans for new crossing structures and funnel fencing for black bears and other wildlife, and the expansion of our Tucson-Tortolita linkage monitoring project east of I-10.
Documented the first kit fox ever photographed on one of our cameras.
Shared an enthusiasm for documenting species using the iNaturalist app, collecting records for 91 different species (including quite a few fungi!). Explore his observations here.
Promoted our work and organization in his other social circles, inlcuding the Feminist Birding Club, the Reid Park Zoo, and Pima County Master Naturalists. Josh is one of the reasons Arizona Master Naturalists became a CSDP member group this year.
As our first Desert Wildlife Intern, Josh came up with new ideas to improve our volunteer training and science communications, ideas which we will continue to implement, and helped put on our Volunteer Appreciation events in September.
He was a big part of the planning team for the first Tortolita Preserve Bio Blitz, held shortly after his passing. The wildlife camera dedicated in his name is located here, and collected data during the Bio Blitz in his stead. This data will be used to protect the Preserve permanently.
Josh had an incalculable impact simply by being himself: authentic, enthusiastic, kind, curious, and patient, with bright ideas and an even brighter laugh.
Josh was an inspiration to those around him in other ways too. He bravely and humbly knew the life he wanted and threw himself towards it completely. As author T.J. Klune writes, “Sometimes… you were able to choose the life you wanted. And if you were the lucky sort, sometimes that life chose you back.” Poet Richard Shelton writes in his poem “Desert”:
“Those who have lived here longest
and know best
are least conspicuous.
The oldest mountains are lowest
and the scorpion sleeps all day
beneath a broken stone.
If I stay here long enough
I will learn the art of silence.
When I have given up words
I will become what I have to say.”
Josh needs no more words. He lived what he had to say. He lived the life he wanted.
_____
In addition to dedicated tree and saguaro plantings, and other ways we are each remembering him, the following planned events will be held in March 2023 in his memory:
Save the Date
Saturday March 4th
Join family and friends for a celebration of life event and hike in Sabino Canyon
Sunday March 5th
Bench and brick dedication event at the Reid Park Zoo
_____
If you want to do something in Josh’s memory yourself, here are some ideas:
Share photos and stories with us to include in a memory scrapbook
Curl up and read one of Josh’s latest favorite cozy fantasy books,
The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Kline.
Raise a toast with Josh’s favorite iced lavender americano with oat milk, or an expresso,
and a jalapeño cheddar cream cheese bagel from his favorite Tucson coffee stop, The Coffee Exchange.
Visit the Reid Park Zoo and tell the Sun Bear that Josh says hello.
Rekindle your wonder and excitement in nature, and build your own iNaturalist or eBird observation list.
Teach a friend what you learn.
Live your life as Josh did: with joy and authenticity.
Drive with greater patience, kindness, and awareness, because every car on the road carries someone who is loved.
_____
When Josh joined our staff as our first Desert Wildlife Intern in August 2022, he shared the following bio for our website, which we want to preserve here:
I first started to expand on my passion and interest surrounding wildlife conservation during my undergrad studies at the University of Wisconsin- Stevens Point where I studied Wildlife Research and Management, Biology, and Captive Wildlife Management. This academic setting led me into discovering the empowering experience of being involved in volunteer fueled non-profits that engage their local communities in land stewardship, environmental education, and community science.
This passion continued on as I relocated to Tucson, Arizona in 2018 as I pursued my wildlife career as a zookeeper while also jumping into the Community Science Desert Wildlife Program for the Coalition as a Pima County Master Naturalist (PCMN). One of my service projects as a Master Naturalist is contributing towards the Coalition’s research on how wildlife linkages between our sky islands are impacted by roads and infrastructure. This project started with volunteering alongside PCMN Sam W, maintaining wildlife cameras at three sites: the Oro Valley wildlife overpass location, along I-10 (outside of Cienega Creek and Davidson Canyon), and now currently outside of the Tucson Mountains. When I’m not checking wildlife cameras, I also serve on the PCMN Board as the Communications Committee Chair. Within this role I help create an inclusive environment while sharing the Cultural and Natural history of Arizona as well as our Pima County Master Naturalist’s experiences and volunteer work. Arizona is such an incredibly diverse landscape filled with so many incredible people! I’m excited to see how this desert internship interfaces with both wildlife science and science communication!
_____
Josh was a Desert Monitor for so many of our cameras over the years that we have many candid photos of him checking cameras, along with a variety of other photos out volunteering in the desert and the community. We’ve put these photos together into the slideshow below (click on the slideshow below to make it bigger):
Finally, in November 2022, we placed a new wildlife camera named for Josh, the SKATTUM camera, in the Tortolita-Tucson Mountains wildlife linkage. On the ID tag for the camera, Jessica Moreno, our Conservation Science Director, stamped in the quote, “Some bring a light so great that even after they are gone, the light remains.” The photos below are of our staff setting up Josh’s camera in a beautiful stretch of Sonoran Desert at the Tortolita Preserve, along with the first wildlife photos captured by the camera (click on the slideshow below to make it bigger).
2022 Volunteer Awards
Join us in celebrating our volunteers!
(Awardees are listed in no particular order)
Volunteer of the Year
In recognition of outstanding volunteer service for Sonoran Desert protection
in as many varied and worthy ways as there are species in the desert.
Virgil Swadley
Desert Tortoise Decade Award
In recognition of achieving 10 years of volunteer service for Sonoran Desert protection
and having earned the steadfast wisdom and momentum of a desert tortoise now entering its prime.
Virgil Swadley, Keith Kleber, Kathie Schroeder, Richard Sauer, Barbara Rose, Clive Probert,
Carl Boswell, Margie O’Hare, Terry Minks, Craig Lecroy, Peggy Hughes, Jan Cratty
Fifth Season in the Desert Award
In recognition of 5 years of volunteer service for Sonoran Desert protection, an achievement as
welcome to desert dwellers as the monsoon season that thunders in after the hot, dry summer.
Don Broomall, Mike Froenher, Chuck & Mary Graf, Jefferson Stensrud, Pat & Henry Miller,
Frank Pitts, Evelyn Richards
Crepuscular Bobcat Award
In recognition of outstanding volunteer service for Sonoran Desert protection, exceeding 50 hours
of time and skill in the last year, as active as a bobcat roaming morning, noon, and night.
Keith Kleber, Christine DeMatteo, Barbara Rose, Virgil Swadley
Jackrabbit of all Trades Award
In recognition of outstanding volunteer service for Sonoran Desert protection by
performing two or more different volunteer roles in the last year.
Christine DeMatteo, Jane “Middy” Henke, Josh Skattum, Virgil Swadley
Cactus Bee Achievement Award
In recognition of outstanding volunteer service for Sonoran Desert protection by
repairing and building wildlife cameras from spare parts with all the skill of a solitary cactus bee
constructing nests with nothing more than homemade adobe, salvaged cactus pollen, and nectar.
Don Broomall, Chuck Graf, Aiden Doherty
Desert Deer Identification Award
In recognition of outstanding volunteer service for Sonoran Desert protection by
sharpening your skills as an expert in Odocoileus species identification.
Jane “Middy” Henke
Desert Roadies Roadkill Award
In recognition of outstanding volunteer service for Sonoran Desert protection
as the only person other than my children able to help me (Jessica Moreno)
complete roadkill surveys during state curfews and a pandemic.
Eduardo Moreno
Harris’s Hawk Teamwork Award
In recognition of seamless volunteer teamwork in service of Sonoran Desert protection,
an achievement as outstanding as a group Harris’s hawks cooperatively back-standing one on top of the other.
UA Environmental Law Society, UA Ramblers Club, Team DEER (Terry Minks, Margie O’Hare, Harold Wood),
Team THRASHER (Mike Froenher, Carol Bull, Dean Chapman, Vicki Ettleman)
Cactus Wren Advocate Award
In recognition of outstanding volunteer service for Sonoran Desert protection by
advocating for smart decision-making with all the enthusiasm and passion of a calling cactus wren.
Barbara Rose, Gay Russell, Pat Miller
Muddy Mud Turtle Award
In recognition of outstanding volunteer service for Sonoran Desert protection by
navigating floods, mud, and other challenges in wildlife camera rescue.
Samantha Wilber, Aiden Doherty, Charles “Butch” Farabee, Pat McGowan, Gary & Lenora Brown, Diana Holmes
Javelina Squadron Leader Award
In recognition of outstanding volunteer service for Sonoran Desert protection by
passing on your knowledge as a mentor and instructor, like the intrepid leader of a squadron of javelina.
Josh Skattum, Samantha Wilber, Mike Froenher, Vicki Ettleman, Kathie Schroeder, Terry Minks, Margie O’Hare,
Charles “Butch” Farabee, Pat McGowan, Carl Boswell, Christine DeMatteo
Bighorn Sheep Pathfinder Award
In recognition of outstanding volunteer service for Sonoran Desert protection by
traversing over rough terrain, changing elevations, and long distances off-trail to reach disparate sites
and scout new locations, sometimes crossing mountain ranges like a bighorn setting off on a long journey.
Keith Kleber, Carl Boswell, Josh Skattum, Samantha Wilber, Josh Skattum, Ken Lamberton, Peter Vollmer
Exploring Mountain Lion Award
In recognition of your fearless volunteer service for Sonoran Desert protection
that you began during a global pandemic, much like a dispersing mountain lion seeking
new adventures in the face of the unknown.
Patty Stern, Gay Russell, Scott Compton, David Rezits, Amy Pearse, Laurie & Bill Andel,
Harold Wood, Petra Gee, Robert Morse, Robert & Debra Kellerman, Zoe Benson, Kevin Kasper, John Hunt,
Darya Anderson, Taylor Macy, Michael Concincini, Brooke Caruthers, Maggie Pitts
Giant Crab Spider Award
In recognition of gentle and fearless volunteer service for Sonoran Desert protection
in the face of surprise spiders, insects, beetles, egg sacks, lizards, and snakes while opening your camera boxes.
Henry Miller, Keith Kleber, Virgil Swadley, Christine DeMatteo, Vicki Ettleman, Kristi Lewis,
Lisa Caprina & Doug Vollgraff
Clay-colored Sparrow Naturalist Award
In recognition of outstanding volunteer service for Sonoran Desert protection
while also using your wildlife observations in the field to add to our knowledge of nature.
Andres & Ruben Martinez, Alan & Karen Dahl, Josh Skattum, Courtney Neumeyer, Ken Lamberton
Innovative Coyote Award
In recognition of outstanding volunteer service for Sonoran Desert protection by
taking initiative to offer new techniques, data, and ideas to further our conservation efforts.
Matt Clark, Bruce Jacobsen, Josh Skattum, Raynor Vandeven
Home Sweet Home Creosote Award
In recognition of outstanding volunteer service for Sonoran Desert protection by
working out of your home during a global pandemic, like a thriving solitary creosote
whose root system inhibits the growth of nearby plants around it to maintain social distancing.
Harriet Cowper, Lois Richardson, Gay Russell, Lainie, Gene McCormick, Joanne Devereau,
Peggy Hughes, Jefferson Stensrud, Kent Gearhiser, Mary Graf, Jeena Davidson, Jennifer Curtis,
Marcy Tigerman, Amy Rule, Breanne Quattlander
Spadefoot Patience Award
In recognition of steadfast volunteer service for Sonoran Desert protection by
maintaining the patience of an estivating spadefoot waiting to leap into action once I finally get back to you.
This one goes to all our volunteers, with special call outs to:
Gay Russell, Lois Richardson, Gene McCormick, Virgil Swadley
Join us for the Tortolita BioBlitz!
In partnership with Town of Marana Parks & Recreation, Arizona Master Naturalists, the Tortolita Alliance, Arizona Game and Fish Department, and others, we are hosting the first annual BIOBLITZ for Tortolita Preserve. Help us photograph and record as many plant and animal observations in one day as we can! How many species will we find? This data will help us protect this special place, currently a preserve under a long-term (but not permanent) lease from State Lands.
What is a BioBlitz?
A BioBlitz an event to inventory as many species as possible in a specific area during a specific time frame. Using apps like iNaturalist and eBird on smartphones, community scientists and biologists alike can collect high quality data by snapping pictures of wildlife and plants and having those observations verified by others. Data collected during a BioBlitz can be used to gain a stronger understanding of the ecosystem and may inform future research and management decisions. A BioBlitz is also an important opportunity for community members to learn about plants and wildlife, gain data collection skills, and build a stronger connection to the landscape.

Bobcat tracks
CALLING VOLUNTEERS!
Interested in volunteering? Sign up today at the event webpage for free for the time slot and distance that works for you!
CSDP’s Conservation Science Director Jessica Moreno will be leading the “Tracks, Scat, and Sign Survey” at 7am. That specific event sign-up can be found here.
This is a family friendly event!
Questions? Contact Jessica at jessica.moreno@sonorandesert.

A saguaro looms over the loop trail around the Tortolita Preserve.
Check out our 2021 Annual Gratitude Report!
We can’t say it enough but we are grateful for you! Our 2021 Annual Gratitude Report is a place to celebrate many of the things we accomplished together in 2021. Thank you for supporting a protected and restored Sonoran Desert in southern Arizona!
You can view our 2021 Annual Gratitude Report as a “3D Flipbook” below or as a traditional pdf document. Click on the button in the bottom right to expand the 3D Flipbook into a full-screen view. You can then zoom in using the magnifying glass button in the bottom left.
The latest on Interstate 11 and our lawsuit
The Coalition has been involved in commenting on the proposal for a new southern Arizona federal highway, Interstate 11, for a decade. We first commented on the Corridor Justification Study in July 2013. As the project studies further progressed, the federal and state transportation agencies were seemingly bent on building a new freeway through the Sonoran Desert west of Tucson. However, you responded en masse, and by the time the Tier 1 (of 2 tiers) Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) was complete, thousands of Tucsonans had registered our adamant opposition to this proposal, which would have impacted multiple protected parks – from Saguaro National Park and Ironwood Forest National Monument to our beloved Tucson Mountain Park – and sever wildlife movement throughout Avra Valley. Because of this overwhelming response, the federal agency partially backed off of pushing the western route, and instead included an I-10 “co-location” option, with both options going forward to a Tier 2 EIS.
Where is this now? The Coalition filed a lawsuit in April 2022, citing the failure of the federal transportation agency to fully consider the importance of the parks, and the direct and indirect impacts this freeway would have on the critical and sensitive resources of these lands. They also failed to follow the US Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act, which necessitates a sign-on from other agencies to bisect certain protected areas, in this case the Bureau of Reclamation Tucson Mitigation Corridor. The Coalition’s lawsuit was filed in partnership with the Center for Biological Diversity, Tucson Audubon Society, and Friends of Ironwood Forest. The suit has been assigned to federal court judge John Hinderaker in Tucson.
The case has not been decided, as both parties filed for extensions of the deadlines for responding to documents. Most recently, the judge has given the federal government (defendants) until October 19 to respond to our (plaintiffs) latest filing. In summary, the federal government has asked the judge to throw out our lawsuit, and of course, we disagree and have filed a response to that effect.
As to funding for Tier 2, the Arizona legislature passed a bill that provides funding for the next round of studies, but only for the section in Maricopa County. We will continue to update all of you as this progresses. Thank you all for all your work to prevent this project!
Want to learn even more about the history of I-11? Head over to our comprehensive set of webpages about I-11 here.
Pima County’s 2021 MSCP Annual Report
Pima County recently released their 2021 MSCP Annual Report. The MSCP – or Multi-Species Habitat Conservation Plan – is an integral part of the larger Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan. According to a recent e-update from Pima County:
“Each calendar year, County staff put together a report on implementation of the Pima County Multi-species Conservation Plan (MSCP). The MSCP covers 44 wildlife and plant species by prioritizing conservation of their habitats. At the same time, the plan provides a streamlined avenue for managers of ground-disturbing projects, both private and County-led, to comply with the federal Endangered Species Act on lands in unincorporated Pima County. The MSCP is a major part of the Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan.
The report consists of two main documents: the main body of the report and the report appendices.
Highlights:
- A total of 411 private projects have been authorized to receive coverage under the MSCP since it was initiated in 2016; 224 of these projects have been mitigated to date.
- The Regional Flood Control District reported that 95.6% of applicants avoided impacting regulated riparian habitat.
- Fourteen buffelgrass letters were issued to private property owners in 2021 by Pima County Department of Environmental Quality.
- Pima County staff, contractors, and volunteers mechanically removed or chemically treated approximately 4,942 acres of buffelgrass and other invasive plant species on County Conservation Lands and right-of-ways.
- The new MSCP-compliant management plan for the Cienega Creek Corridor was updated to include new areas and actions.
- Major fencing projects in the Edgar Canyon riparian area on M Diamond Ranch and along the Santa Cruz River were completed to protect species and stream health.
- Monitoring and analyses were completed on multiple MSCP species, including Sonoran desert tortoise, lowland leopard frogs, multiple bat species, Gila topminnow, and several species of talussnails.
- The first MSCP analyses of climate and land-use change were completed.
All MSCP-related reports, plans, and monitoring protocols are available online.
Thank you for supporting the Coalition’s ongoing partnership with Pima County to advise as needed on the implementation of the MSCP and help keep the public informed about the progress of this important conservation plan!
Welcome to our newest member group, the Arizona Master Naturalist Association!
This month, we welcomed a new member group, the Arizona Master Naturalist Association (AZMNA)! For the last several years, we have partnered with the Pima Master Naturalists (a chapter of the statewide AZMNA) as a community organization that welcomes Arizona Master Naturalists to volunteer with us to complete their training and service hours. We are excited to elevate this partnership and find new and exciting ways to work together in the months and year ahead.
The Arizona Master Naturalist Association serves to inspire leadership and community engagement through volunteer service to natural and cultural history organizations in the State of Arizona. Our corps of volunteers provide leadership service to partners who have education, community science, and stewardship projects. They are environmental educators, interpreters, and scientists seeking to help our communities understand the outdoors should be accessible to all and valued for preservation.
Welcome AZMNA!
Welcome to our first Desert Wildlife Intern!
We are excited to announce and welcome our first Desert Wildlife Intern! Josh Skattum (he/him/his) will be joining our staff on a part-time basis from August-December and we are so excited for you to get to know him.
Here’s an introduction from Josh in his own words:
I first started to expand on my passion and interest surrounding wildlife conservation during my undergrad studies at the University of Wisconsin- Stevens Point where I studied Wildlife Research and Management, Biology, and Captive Wildlife Management. This academic setting led me into discovering the empowering experience of being involved in volunteer fueled non-profits that engage their local communities in land stewardship, environmental education, and community science. This passion continued on as I relocated to Tucson, Arizona in 2018 as I pursued my wildlife career as a zookeeper while also jumping into the Community Science Desert Wildlife Program for the Coalition as a Pima County Master Naturalist (PCMN). One of my service projects as a Master Naturalist is contributing towards the Coalition’s research on how wildlife linkages between our sky islands are impacted by roads and infrastructure. This project started with volunteering alongside PCMN Sam W, maintaining wildlife cameras at three sites: the Oro Valley wildlife overpass location, along I-10 (outside of Cienega Creek and Davidson Canyon), and now currently outside of the Tucson Mountains. When I’m not checking wildlife cameras, I also serve on the PCMN Board as the Communications Committee Chair. Within this role I help create an inclusive environment while sharing the Cultural and Natural history of Arizona as well as our Pima County Master Naturalist’s experiences and volunteer work. Arizona is such an incredibly diverse landscape filled with so many incredible people! I’m excited to see how this desert internship interfaces with both wildlife science and science communication!
Our new paid internship program is funded by the Deupree Family Foundation. Thank you DFF for your generous support!
Pima County’s Open Space Conservation Acquisitions: An Overview
Pima County has invested heavily in acquiring conservation properties, especially in fulfilling the goals of the Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan. The County recently released a new report about all their open space conservation acquisitions. Along with providing a comprehensive overview of this decades-long program, the report specifically touches on the transparent public processes underlying the prioritization of eligible lands, funding mechanisms, and benefits these lands bring to the community.

This map from page 13 of the report shows the full suite of conservation lands in Pima County, including the open spaces owned or managed by Pima County in green and open spaces owned or managed by other jurisdictions (such as the Forest Service, National Park Service, etc.) in yellow.
You can check out the full report HERE.
Thank you for supporting our work as a partner and advocate for connected and robust protected open space in the Sonoran Desert!