​The North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE) is a US-based nonprofit organization. It is an integrated network of education professionals with members in more than 30 countries throughout the world. This October, NAAEE hosted its 51st Annual Conference in partnership with the Arizona Association of Environmental Education (AAEE) in Tucson, Arizona. The conference’s theme was Educating For Change, emphasizing the powerful role education can play in creating healthier communities and tackling today’s complex environmental and social issues.

As BRN’s Youth Education Program Coordinator, I received the 2021 Excellence in Environmental Education Awards from the AAEE for my work on an online course on jaguar habitat restoration and community advocacy and for moving the Borderlands Earth Care Youth, forward planning for its expansion to Nogales and Rio Rico, AZ. Now, I am a part of the AAEE eeFellow Program, a career development program designed for young professionals to advance their profession in environmental education (EE).

Through the fellowship, participants gain skills in creating formal and non-formal EE programs with measurable outcomes, build their understanding of quality and meaningful educational experiences, and have the accessibility to tools, resources, and mentors to grow as a skilled EE provider.

​Through the Fellowship Program and support from BRN, I had the opportunity to attend the NAAEE conference, which was my first ever large national conference. At the event, I got to meet many great people in person including my colleagues and mentors from the program. The first session I attended, Advancing a Diverse and Resilient Green Careers Sector, really set the bar high for my expectations for the rest of the conference as three empowered women talked about their experiences in the field. They shared research and anecdotes showcasing the importance of increasing exposure of STEM-related fields for populations that are disproportionately impacted by environmental justice issues. The session was relevant to the services and opportunities BRN provides to enhance youth’s pursuit of the field through experiential work, culturally competent curriculum, and accessibility to mentors.

I attended over 10 sessions that included traditional presentations, hands-on workshops, and an evaluation clinic. The conference also led nature walks, art ecology activities, tabling and field trips. In one of the sessions, I learned a lot about using Universal Design for Learning in creating inclusive EE programs so that we can be more welcoming and accessible for all learners. In another, a young, inspiring college student shared their invention of “Watershed Clue,” an interactive game about watersheds built using NOAA’s MWEE framework. Since then, I’ve been extremely motivated to leverage existing frameworks to incorporate more collaborative activities that allow for artistic expression and integrates outdoor exploration that meets an individual’s learning needs.

​One of the last sessions I attended was to support students and staff from the University of Arizona. A panel from UArizona and partnering organizations shared their experiences and actionable strategies for engaging diverse students with environmental learning opportunities. The panel helped me consider the barriers and opportunities that exist for connecting students with minoritized identities to environmental education experiences and projects. This was relevant to the work I do for BRN in the sense that we are trying to develop a pathway for youth to pursue restoration-related careers at a local level. Part of this is trying to build awareness of the different pathways youth can consider, including pursuing sustainability-related programs in college, university or technical trainings, but also providing opportunities starting at a young age. We need to empower, guide and support today’s youth who are the next stewards of their communities, places and environment. 

The highlight was the Intertribal Nursery Council meeting. A council of indigenous-led nurseries hosted by co-organizer of the conference, Plant Research Physiologist and Tribal Nursery Specialist, Jeremy Pinto of the USDA Forest Service. The council’s goal is to provide a network and support other tribal organizations fighting climate change, deforestation, or drought. It was exciting and warming to meet Jeremy, who is also a member of the Díne like myself, and from my hometown of Gallup, NM. Jeremy hosted a dinner where all tribal affiliates who attended the conference gave presentations on various works they do with nurseries, food sovereignty, health in native communities, and the power of indigenous plants. I am grateful for the experience and met great people who do work in their tribal communities for future generations and for the land itself. One of the great people I met was Ken Parker, a certified nursery and landscape professional and native plant consultant residing in New York. Ken is a key resource of indigenous knowledge of plants. 
 
Overall it was a great experience and I loved Missoula, MT. It was a beautiful small town and I am grateful for the opportunity BRN provided for me to attend the conference.

On the second day, the Sonoran Field Course began with a climb to Johnson Hill and a talk with Sergio and Luis from Caminantes del Desierto which is a group that promotes the care and restoration of the desert. Next we visited Palo Alto School to learn more about the native plant nursery project that past Sonoran Field Course interns created. It really caught my attention with the plant propagation and aquaponic workshops they teach to the little ones. Thanks to Director Limón and Leonela, a SFC alumna, for the work that you’re doing at Palo Alto to share these important lessons with children. ​

We left in the morning for Cuenca los Ojos (CLO), the place that I definitely fell in love with because of the food delicacies that they gave us every day and the great human beings there. Valer Clark, the founder and  José Manuel Pérez, Conservation Director of CLO , are without a doubt  a great inspiration to me and everyone. I have no words to convey the great restoration wonders she has achieved on the ranch over time.  CLO guided us in building nine erosion control structures and educated us about grassland management. We also learned about native plant propagation and seed balls from Francesca Claverie and Perin McNelis of Borderlands Restoration Network's Native Plant Program. I will never forget this place and I will never forget the people who make it up.

I also appreciate the two great Sonoran Field Course facilitators Jorge and Anays. I know that Jorge will always be the right person to talk about everything, because he knows how to listen and chat with you like a great friend. Then there is Anays with her great intelligence and dedication. I am sure that any barrier that comes my way she will be the one to ask for real advice. Then there is Juliet who is the coordinator of the program, I can only say that wow you know how to handle everything wonderfully, how brave you are and what a great charisma you have. You always made me feel at home every time we talked. I thank them and all my colleagues immensely. I take the best of you, you are phenomenal. I hope the road brings us together again and to live more experiences like these. I admire every talk I have with each one, they are my example to follow. I love them. I LOVE IT HERE. 😊

To read the Spanish version, please click here.

My family including three humans, two dogs, and one cat recently moved from one side of Patagonia to the other. Our new location is closer to Sonoita Creek, and there is more moisture in the surrounding environment. Even before monsoon season hit, I noticed we had some unique amphibious wildlife to admire. Residing on our porch was a canyon tree frog, Hyla arenicolor. Try as I might to relocate this little cutie to a safer location it always seemed to reappear the next day quietly letting me know it had every intention of enjoying the screened-in porch as I did. Tree frogs have the surprising ability to change colors to camouflage themselves. Until I discovered this trickery was expected, this little friend had me fooled into thinking there was more than one frog claiming our porch as its habitat. ​

Enjoying this little frog who decided to share her space with us felt special. Little did I know, more of her relatives would soon show themselves. The red-spotted toad, Bufo punctatus, arrived with the first couple of monsoon storms. Slightly larger than the tree frog, they dotted our driveway and hopped about the yard with their red spots making them particularly easy to identify. These charismatic and abundant toads can amazingly tolerate a 40% loss in body water and still be active during dry months, although they do hibernate underground during winter. We adapted further to accommodate this second amphibian, and the dogs who had been banished from the porch were no longer allowed off-leash in the driveway where the red toads seem happiest in the evenings. ​

The dogs would face one more challenge, one that could make them deathly ill, the Sonoran Desert toad, Bufo alvarius. The Sonoran Desert toad possesses skin toxins that are strong enough to kill a dog and have been known to cause sickness and hallucinogenic qualities in humans. Two of these toxic beauties live in the dog run and have a nice little burrow allowing for some pretty cool videos. Lucky for us, one of our dogs seems to instinctively know to avoid them, leaving only one dog to keep close on nighttime potty breaks. Frequently they are easy to spot, immediately outside our backdoor, eating bugs attracted by the inside lights. ​

Many amphibian species live a life of duality. Part of the year, they hibernate underground, part of the year they are active and above ground. I find myself living a duality around them myself. Part of the year, I do not see them, and part of the year, I do. I choose to accommodate their duality and mix up my schedule to avoid any harm coming to them. These fantastic creatures with apparent superpowers can bring wonder into our lives if we take the time to learn about them and make space for their busy times. ​

Borderlands Restoration Network strives to restore local watersheds, including protecting and creating habitats for frogs and toads. Amphibians face many challenges as their bodies require abundant moisture to function correctly and are particularly vulnerable to climate change. Some ways you can help our local amphibians include planting native plants and avoiding the use of pesticides that turn the bugs that frogs and toads eat into toxic food. Also, if possible, avoid driving or cycling in the summer evenings, especially during or immediately after the monsoon rain. If you have to get out there and enjoy the rain, slow down and take a walk, you might meet some toadally new friends along the way. 

​This summer Borderlands Earth Care Youth (BECY) celebrated its 10 year anniversary with 13 borderlands youth interns and five adult leaders in two crews, one in Douglas and one in Patagonia. Both crews learned and worked on a variety of restoration worksites alongside conservation professionals creating a transformative and inspiring summer internship experience.
 
BECY is a 6-week paid internship opportunity for youth from rural borderland communities. Program curriculum emphasizes restoration of local watersheds, ecosystems, and communities.

​Amongst many learning opportunities, the Patagonia crew had the chance to work at BRN’s Borderlands Nursery & Seed helping establish a native seed growout field that will expand growing capacity of native plants for seed collection. Interns also helped propagate and transplant native plants to be used in ecological restoration projects and for retail sale at the nursery. Participants toured the newly expanded seed lab and learned more about the uniqueness and importance of the Madrean Archipelago and how our local native plants have distinct adaptations to regional conditions. After helping clean and prepare native seed, interns made seed pellets used in restoration to help seeds stay in place, avoid predation, and assist in germination when they are distributed in the landscape.

​BECY Patagonia crew also worked on local community projects including building a rain garden in the heart of Patagonia. Initiated by Patagonia residents, the BECY Patagonia crew shaped and armored the earth to passively harvest rainwater that flows down the side of the street during rainstorms. This rainwater will now soak into the Patagonia Memorial Garden, supporting native trees and newly planted wildflowers. This project was supported by local residents and the United States Forest Service, through a local Secure Rural Schools grant. BECY Patagonia also partnered with the Patagonia Youth Enrichment Center to create four new vegetable garden beds, install a rainwater-fed drip irrigation system, and install a second rainwater collection cistern to collect rain water from the roof supporting the sustainable mini-urban farm project.

At Deep Dirt Farm, youth worked alongside BRN’s education staff, professors and students from the University of Arizona’s Southwest Field Studies in Writing. Since 2018, BECY has participated in an exchange with creative writing students seeking Master’s Degrees from the University of Arizona. The UA students learn about life, work, and restoration on the US/Mexico border while hosting creative writing workshops so BECY interns can creatively explore the impact of their summer experience on their lives. The team worked together to collect seed, weed, and turn over the twenty-two beds in the main greenhouse.

​Halfway through the season, both BECY Patagonia and Douglas worked together alongside BRN’s Watershed Restoration staff at T4 Ranch. Together, they completed dozens of erosion control structures and collected multiple piles of wood that will be mulched in the fall. The mulch will then be spread throughout the tops of drainages to help protect the topsoil, soak in water and support diverse native vegetation.

​The Douglas crew had the opportunity to complete work on the Winkler and Sycamore Ranch in New Mexico thanks to the Malpai Borderlands Group. At Winkler Ranch they removed a quarter mile of barbed wire fencing because the landowner will be installing a wildlife fence, allowing wild animals to pass through and will keep cattle safe. At this site, they also completed six large trincheras with volcanic rock found throughout the landscape. At Sycamore Ranch, interns repaired existing trincheras.

Interns also spent two weeks in the Huachuca Mountains building over 50 erosion control structures within the Coronado National Forest to help reestablish habitat for Montezuma Quail. This project was funded by Southern Arizona Quail Forever and the National Forest Foundation. While in the Huachucas, interns learned how to identify native plants and tips on how to track wildlife.

For the last couple of weeks, the crew returned to the Douglas Public Library and the Douglas High School Land Lab. Last year, BECY installed a rainwater harvesting cistern off the roof of the DHS Land Lab greenhouse. At the library, interns installed an irrigation system and watered plants put in to support green space at the library. This year at the Land Lab, students incorporated a rainwater harvesting berry patch. At the library, they installed a grape trellis and planted a pollinator garden. For their last day, they toured El Coronado Ranch to see first-hand the flowing waters and results of erosion control structures after 20-25 years.

​After six weeks of hard work the program came to a close on July 14 concluding with a graduation celebration in each community where interns presented each of their individual community restoration projects that are a requirement for successful completion of the program. The interns shared with their family, friends, and the community the experiences they had and how the program impacted them personally.

​Many students built food or pollinator gardens and one intern organized a clothing collection drive where donations went to refugees to show the importance of reusing clothes and diverting reusable materials from landfills as much as possible while serving those most in need. Another project focused on the importance of reaching the next generation of land stewards through community building and raising awareness. One intern volunteered as an assistant basketball coach locally and shared about the importance of protecting our watersheds and the potential to be a part of next year’s BECY program. 
 
We are grateful to all the participants, staff and partners that make this program a reality each year that has now touched the lives of 170 participants making the borderlands more resilient in more ways than one.

​Historically fire season in Arizona occurred from May through October. According to the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management, fire season is now year-round, and humans start nine out of 10 wildfires. Last summer’s extraordinary monsoon season has created an abundance of dry fuel, prompting Borderlands Wildlife Preserve (BWP) managers to reach out to local experts to learn more about fire prevention for the preserve. Fortunately, the Town of Patagonia has an excellent volunteer fire department that can advise and help local homeowners and land managers. 

​I was happy that Patagonia Volunteer Fire and Rescue Captain Zay Hartigan was able to spare some of his valuable time to access our needs on the preserve. As we drove, Zay pointed out areas of concern and made recommendations to provide easier access for fire crews if needed. The beginnings of a preserve fire mitigation plan are now in place with a priority to protect our neighbor’s property where fire could potentially spread from the preserve to property with homes. To achieve this, a fire break or clearing would need to be created.

Thanks to recommendations made by a committee of Santa Cruz County residents convened by the Community Foundation for Southern Arizona, $35K of grant funding available through federal funds from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 will support Borderlands Restoration Network to partner with the Patagonia Youth Enrichment Center (PYEC) to develop a mini-urban farm at the PYEC. Participants of BRN’s Borderland Earth Care Youth alongside visiting groups from local colleges, universities, and visiting youth groups will construct the mini-urban farm, learning about both the design and implementation processes. 

The latest group of Ṣu:dagī ‘O Wuḍ Doakag interns has designed a new project that will be installed at BHS. The design aims to capture about 20% of all rainwater that falls on the site. Our interns have designed this project to give BHS students a sense of ownership of their campus and more importantly, a calm space to relax. This cohort will spend a few days out of their summer break to dig catch basins and leave a framework for the next group of Ṣu:dagī ‘O Wuḍ Doakag interns to build on. ​

We thank the Baboquivari High School administration for helping create this opportunity, our presenters for sharing their knowledge with our interns, and our students of Ṣu:dagī ‘O Wuḍ Doakag for giving their time and hard work.

​Beavers are the original water storage engineers and relatively recently have been gaining recognition in the field of habitat restoration as vital partners in the journey to restoring watersheds. Beaver’s biological activities of dam building and pond creation slow water flow and allows water to infiltrate more deeply into surrounding and upstream soils. Beaver dams also regulate water temperature and help trap sediment filling in erosion areas. These slower and wetter waterways are less prone to fire damage, flooding, and biodiversity loss than other areas where beavers have been eliminated.

Recently led by Watershed Management Group (WMG), I had the opportunity along with some of BRN’s watershed restoration crew members, to join in with a group of like-minded individuals and organizations to discuss the reintroduction of beaver in Las Cienegas National Conservation Area. With some prior restoration to retore suitable beaver habitat, this area with year-round water flow could provide an ideal setting for a small population of beaver and a space to study further how beaver populations re-establish in our region. Find out more about how you can help move this process along by visiting the link above to WMG. ​

Some more good news for beavers is also on the headlines in California. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife has requested five permanent positions and a $1.67 million California Environmental License Plate Fund in Fiscal Year (FY) 2022–23 and $1.44 million in FY 2023–24 and ongoing to fund and support the implementation of a beaver restoration program within the department. If this request is approved, it could serve as an example for other states to do the same and create the national support network that beavers and humans need to coexist and partner against climate change. For more information on what this program could help maintain and support, please visit Worth A Dam and read the news article from May 14th, 2022, titled This Is The Big One: Dam Good News. 

Good news for beavers or any fellow living creature is good news for us all.