​After nearly two years as Borderlands Restoration Network’s Watershed and Habitat Restoration Program Manager, I am writing to say goodbye. As my time with BRN draws to a close, I am filled with gratitude for the incredible opportunities and deep relationships I’ve fostered through this organization.
 
I am extremely proud of what we’ve accomplished with the Watershed Restoration Program over the past couple of years, and we couldn’t have done it without the tireless work and dedication of the restoration crew, volunteers, and the rest of the BRN staff. My hope was to craft a program that would holistically address the most pressing concerns across this special region. I think we’ve done a great job in pulling this off, and I hope the region we serve agrees with me. Some highlights from my time include:

• Installing over 1,000 erosion control structures, which will retain an estimated 1,890+ tons of sediment over their lifespan. These erosion control structures mitigate downstream pollutants to vulnerable populations across southern Arizona, support plants and wildlife, and improve the hydrologic function of the region in the face of an ever-changing climate.
• Outplanting over 2,000 native plants across southern Arizona, improving habitat for pollinators and the other wildlife who call this region home.
• Eradicating Johnsongrass from nearly 100 acres of the Borderlands Wildlife Preserve. Johnsongrass forms dense monocultures that increase fire risk, suck up water, and crowd out native plants vital for wildlife habitat.
• Removing invasive plants from 15 acres of oak woodland habitat in the Santa Rita mountains where the jaguar was known to roam in just this past decade.
• Enhancing habitat for the rare plant Pectis imberbis, a dainty yellow aster found in highest abundance throughout the Huachuca Mountains.
• Improving nearly 400 acres of quail habitat to keep this charismatic, common bird common and promote ecosystem recovery.
• Obtaining nearly $750,000 in grant funding from various private and public funders.
• Engaging youth and volunteers in erosion control structure installation, outplanting, and invasive plant management activities, emboldening a strong sense of stewardship for this special region.

​The Madrean Sky Islands are home to some of the nation’s highest biodiversity, from enclaves of Madrean pine-oak woodlands, towering cottonwood galleries, sweeping grasslands so expansive they could break your heart, to riparian areas abuzz with frenetic activity. I’m beyond grateful to have had the opportunity to call this region home and to get my hands dirty restoring it. Thanks for everything, BRN!

Wintertime in the Sky Islands brings cooler weather and new challenges to the wildlife living in the Borderlands Wildlife Preserve. With some much-needed rain finally falling on the preserve in late January, my mind has been on the importance of water in animals' lives. Luckily for the animals that find themselves traveling through or residing in the preserve, there are several water sources available to them. Three of these water sources are custom-made wildlife drinkers, expertly designed by local engineer Dave Ellis. These drinkers are shallow basins that allow animals to escape if they fall in the water. This shallow depth also leads to the water freezing on a rare occasion.

Although these wildlife drinkers are not a natural part of the landscape, they provide a source of water in a region where most of the surface water has been depleted by human needs and wants. These drinkers are in off-trail areas providing a safe space for animals to take a drink. As the preserve’s wildlife technician, one of my duties is to maintain these drinkers. Although fixing them can sometimes be a challenge, it allows me an opportunity to provide stewardship to the wildlife in a non-invasive way. The reward is often a chance to share a wildlife trail cam image we can all relate to, the happiness a much-needed drink of water brings to all desert dwellers.
 
For more information on water usage in the U.S. and Arizona please see this recent U of A study on how ground water depletion effects stream flow. For a summary in local AZ news please see this AZ Central article.