Programs

  • Conservation for Migratory Birds

    CONSERVATION/COMMUNITY - WITH THE HELP OF OUR DEDICATED VOLUNTEERS, SKY ISLAND ALLIANCE WORKED TO HEAL THE LAND IN 2024. WE LAUNCHED A NEW PROJECT TO BENEFIT NEOTROPICAL MIGRATORY BIRDS, MANY OF WHICH WINTER IN MEXICO. THIS PROJECT ON SONORAN RANCHES IS ASSESSING THE ABUNDANCE AND DISTRIBUTION OF KEY GRASSLAND BIRD SPECIES AND RESTORING HABITAT THROUGH EROSION CONTROL, INVASIVE SHRUB REMOVAL, AND NATIVE GRASS RESEEDING. THE PROJECT WILL INCREASE LOCAL CAPACITY FOR MONITORING THROUGH OUR PARTNERSHIPS WITH PROFAUNA AND ADVANCE CONTINENTAL-WIDE CONSERVATION FOR THREATENED GRASSLAND BIRDS.OVER THE LAST DECADE, SKY ISLAND ALLIANCE, THE NATURE CONSERVANCY, AND HUNDREDS OF VOLUNTEERS REMOVED OVER 80% OF THE INVASIVE PERIWINKLE FROM THE BANKS OF ARAVAIPA CREEK. THIS EFFORT, IN ONE OF THE MOST INTACT NATIVE FISHERIES LEFT IN ARIZONA, HAS IMPROVED THE HABITAT FOR NATIVE FISH. IN THE HUACHUCA MOUNTAINS WE IMPROVED WATER SOURCES FOR WILDLIFE TO ENSURE THEY WILL BE CLEAN AND ACCESSIBLE IN ONE OF THE FEW REMAINING CROSS-BORDER CORRIDORS IN THE SKY ISLANDS NOT BLOCKED BY BORDER WALL.WE HELPED HOST A BINATIONAL BORDER BIOBLITZ AT CUENCA LOS OJOS' RANCH IN SONORA AND SAN BERNARDINO NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE IN ARIZONA. TEAMS OF STUDENTS AND VOLUNTEERS LOGGED MORE THAN 600 OBSERVATIONS OF 221 DIFFERENT SPECIES. THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, WE HOSTED NUMEROUS WEBINARS AND EVENTS TO ENGAGE THE PUBLIC IN LEARNING ABOUT THE SKY ISLANDS, INCLUDING SUPPORTING THE ANNUAL SKY ISLANDS FESTIVAL IN MOCTEZUMA, SONORA.
    Geographies
    Not indicated
    Dates
    Jan 1, 2024 – Dec 31, 2024
    Source
    990
    No causes provided
    No populations provided
    –
    $579.4K

  • Border Wildlife Study

    WILDLIFE - OUR BORDER WILDLIFE STUDY IS DOCUMENTING THE REMARKABLE WILDLIFE COMMUNITY LIVING ALONG 30 MILES OF THE U.S.-MEXICO BORDER WITH AN ARRAY OF MORE THAN 100 CAMERAS. IN 2024 WE PUBLISHED OUR FIRST SCIENTIFIC PAPER IN FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION PROVING THAT THE BORDER IMPEDES WILDLIFE. WE DOCUMENTED FINDINGS FROM 9,240 WILDLIFE INTERACTIONS WITH BORDER BARRIERS OVER TWO YEARS. THIS IS THE FIRST STUDY ON THE CROSSING RATES OF SPECIES THROUGH BARRIERS AT THE U.S.-MEXICO BORDER AND WE ARE USING IT TO ADVOCATE FOR WILDLIFE CONNECTIVITY AT THE BORDER.OUR TEAM CONFIRMED TWO JAGUAR SIGHTINGS IN THE WHETSTONE MOUNTAINS (LIKELY OF THE SAME CAT), ON OUR WILDLIFE CAMERAS. THIS IS THE FIRST REPORTED JAGUAR IN THAT AREA IN 13 YEARS. WE ARE WORKING TO PROTECT AND RESTORE CROSS BORDER PATHWAYS TO HELP WILDLIFE LIKE JAGUAR RECOVER AND THRIVE.MORE NATURE LOVERS JOINED THE FOTOFAUNA NETWORK, THANKS TO NEW WILDLIFE-CAMERA LENDING LIBRARIES IN ARIVACA, SIERRA VISTA, AND DOUGLAS. FOTOFAUNA IDENTIFIES WILDLIFE PRESENCE ACROSS THE REGION, SPANNING MORE THAN 370 MILES FROM NORTH OF PHOENIX TO HERMOSILLO, TO INFORM PROTECTION. NEARLY 300 VOLUNTEERS AND ORGANIZATIONS SUBMITTED 941 WILDLIFE CHECKLISTS FROM THEIR WILDLIFE CAMERAS IN THE U.S. AND MEXICO.
    Geographies
    Not indicated
    Dates
    Jan 1, 2024 – Dec 31, 2024
    Source
    990
    No causes provided
    No populations provided
    –
    $252K

  • Spring Conservation Initiative

    SPRING SEEKER/SPRING RESCUE - AS CLIMATE CHANGES AND WE SEE MORE HEAT WAVES, DROUGHTS, AND WILDFIRES, SPRINGS CAN ACT AS REFUGES WHERE PLANTS AND ANIMALS ARE PROTECTED. SKY ISLAND ALLIANCE WORKS WITH VOLUNTEERS TO SURVEY CONDITIONS, THREATS, AND RESTORATION OPPORTUNITIES AT THESE PRECIOUS WATER SOURCES. VOLUNTEERS, STAFF, AND INTERNS SURVEYED 480 SPRINGS, BREAKING THE PREVIOUS YEAR'S RECORD OF 449. MANY OF THESE WERE IN WILDERNESS AREAS OF THE CORONADO NATIONAL FOREST IN ARIZONA AND IN THE SIERRA LOS AJOS, A PROTECTED AREA EAST OF CANANEA IN MEXICO.VOLUNTEERS AND STAFF REMOVED OVER 18 TONS OF INVASIVE ARUNDO DONAX STALKS AND ROOTS FROM ROCK LEDGE SPRING, RESTORING IT AS A DESERT OASIS FOR WILDLIFE NEAR TUCSON. THE WORK HELPED LAUNCH A THREE-YEAR PROJECT TO PULL HARMFUL WEEDS AND PLANT NATIVE SEEDS AT NINE LOW-ELEVATION SPRINGS IN THE SANTA CRUZ RIVER WATERSHED. IN THE CATALINA MOUNTAINS NORTH OF TUCSON, VOLUNTEERS BUILT 62 EROSION-CONTROL STRUCTURES TO PROTECT AND ENHANCE WATER FLOW IN AREAS BURNED BY THE 2020 BIGHORN FIRE.
    Geographies
    Not indicated
    Dates
    Jan 1, 2024 – Dec 31, 2024
    Source
    990
    No causes provided
    No populations provided
    –
    $73.2K