@skyislandalliance.org
We protect and restore the wildlife, water, and lands of the U.S. & Mexico Sky Island region. Check out www.skyislandalliance.org for events and information in our region.
@skyislandalliance.orgNext weekend, Oct. 15-17, is the 5th annual Festival of the Sky Islands in Moctezuma, Sonora — so check out the program of activities and plan your trip! You can find details on hotels, camping, hiking, birdwatching, yoga, dance, and more: https://ow.ly/XiAy50ZWpjY
@skyislandalliance.orgThis Oct. 30-Nov. 1, we’re hosting a volunteer camping trip just upstream from #AravaipaCanyon to put up wildlife-friendly fencing around the beautiful Stowe Spring. Join us! We’ll stay in Aravaipa Canyon overnight, then head out each day for the work: https://ow.ly/4gWr50ZVFWr
@skyislandalliance.orgThis past month, La Red de las Islas del Cielo, a cross-border coalition of conservationists, including SIA, launched a new website. Check it out! And stay tuned for more from this group, including a plan charting their vision for the next five years. reddelasislasdelcielo.net
@skyislandalliance.orgU.S. Customs and Border Protection is holding a comment period — a last chance to weigh in on plans for more walls with 30-foot-high steel bollards and stadium lighting in the Sky Islands. Send a letter urging them to reconsider plans and uphold environmental protections: ow.ly/JxaM50ZVckH
@skyislandalliance.orgLast week, SIA joined Saguaro National Park, APFF Bavispe, and other allies at a binational #SisterParks gathering. The summit gave folks working on both sides of the border a chance to visit, share visions, and coordinate on projects. To learn more: https://ow.ly/FsWl50ZU6Qo
@skyislandalliance.orgWe are living in an era of significant environmental change and loss. It’s essential that we come together as a community to process our experiences. Join us and Maria Renée on Oct. 15 at 9:30 a.m. for a dedicated time to practice building resilience together: https://ow.ly/44pc50ZTbll
@skyislandalliance.orgWhat would you say in a love letter to the Sky Islands? Maybe you’d thank them for the wildlife, wild places, and flowing springs — or the feeling of being part of something bigger. Your gift today can help ensure they’re here for generations to come! https://ow.ly/o2wn50ZPS6W
@skyislandalliance.orgToday we’re excited to share that Anays Blanco has joined us as our new Sonora Projects Manager! Anays is from Hermosillo, with roots in Cananea, and will be working to advance our programs, from Ranchos Regenerativos to springs monitoring: https://ow.ly/p9g050ZRAH8
@skyislandalliance.orgJoin us Oct. 8 at 9:30am for a virtual tour of the Chiricahuas' amazing springs. Thanks to Spring Seeker volunteers who have surveyed these springs over the years, we understand just how important these water sources are for people, plants, and wildlife: https://ow.ly/kCQM50ZOXgw
@skyislandalliance.orgWant to camp with us in Sonora and help plant native trees along a beautiful creek? We’re hosting another #volunteer weekend on Oct. 2-4 at Rancho Agua de Enmedio, just southeast of Cananea and tucked in a canyon full of sycamores and oaks: https://ow.ly/XTsI50ZQP6P
@skyislandalliance.orgFall is almost here, and it’s never too early to get a jump start! Here, in Madera Canyon: a squirrel explores all the acorn options, prepping for the months ahead. Happy #fall vibes to you all, as well as adventures among the squirrels and Mexican jays.
@skyislandalliance.orgYet another threat to our #publiclands: The U.S. Forest Service is proposing major changes to the Travel Management Rule, which guides where motor vehicles can travel on national forests and makes safe, multiple use possible. To learn more and take action: https://ow.ly/h9HJ50ZOVCv
@skyislandalliance.orgOur team recently grew with the addition of two new members — Alex Pond and Lyndsey Shafiei. Alex joins us as a seasonal botany assistant. And Lyndsey joins us as a Peace Corps Coverdell Fellow. To learn more about these rising stars and other SIA staff: https://ow.ly/jjP650ZOxVU
@skyislandalliance.orgTwo more opportunities to join us on #MtLemmon, where rains have greened things up! Over a day trip (Sept. 25) and a camping weekend (Oct. 2-4), we’ll be building erosion-control structures to heal the mountain after the Bighorn Fire: https://ow.ly/G5uw50ZIrry
@skyislandalliance.orgThanks to all who joined us last week at Rock Ledge Spring in Tucson! We planted native trees and bushes, sourced from Borderlands Restoration Network. Already a dragonfly found one of the seep willows planted. Stay tuned for more volunteer opportunities restoring these oases.
@skyislandalliance.orgRecently, we surveyed sites at the San Pedro River for the Bureau of Land Management, part of a multi-year effort to track 50 riparian areas in Arizona. Stay tuned for more on this project. For this trip, the survey took place on bulrush mats over flowing water — feet never touched ground for hours!
@skyislandalliance.orgQuick reminder that this Sunday, Sept. 13, is the kickoff for Weeds Week along the Santa Cruz River in Tucson, and if you can’t make it, you can join on your own anytime that week, Sept. 13-20. We'll be learning to use #iNaturalist to ID plants: https://ow.ly/JSMG50ZLEjj
@skyislandalliance.orgTwo opportunities to level up your skills and help benefit our region’s wildlife:
1) Pima County is hosting a Sonoran Desert Track & Sign Certification on Nov. 14-15: https://ow.ly/2ten50ZKZI0
2) Pima Master Naturalists has a spring 2027 course planned: https://ow.ly/6qei50ZL2Sk
@skyislandalliance.orgThis Oct. 3 and Oct. 24, we're leading a two-part class at Tucson Botanical Gardens for folks interested in joining #FotoFauna and learning how to set up a wildlife camera in their yard as part of our community science project. To learn more: https://ow.ly/s0oi50ZJE6G
@skyislandalliance.orgCalling all plant nerds and desert lovers: On Sept. 13, SIA Botanist Dan Beckman is leading a kickoff for Weeds Week — a new biannual event in Tucson — with a gathering along the Santa Cruz River. Come learn how to use #iNaturalist and be eyes on the ground: https://ow.ly/Y29Q50ZJAMB
