By: Cholla Rose Nicoll, Borderlands Wildlife Preserve CoordinatorI know it's cliche to write about love in February, but some animals in Arizona find February the perfect time to meet a partner. Both coyotes (Canis latrans) and gray foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) breed in or around February having their pups or kits born in spring. Javelina (Tayassu tajacu) also frequently breed in February to coincide with the birth of their reds during monsoon season. (Baby javelina are called reds due to the red color of their hair.) Breeding season for bobcats (Felis rufus) also occurs in or around February. So, as you can see February is about more than Valentine's Day for our local wildlife, it just happens to be a great month to plan a family for a spring or summer arrival.  Gray fox pair drinking water at the Borderlands Wildlife Preserve. Some fun facts about the animals mentioned above are:
 Image of a bobcat pair captured at night by one of our wildlife trail cameras. Something I am hoping you will all love this month are these pictures from the Borderlands Wildlife Preserve of what is most likely mated pairs of animals. These rare images give us a glimpse into the survival of the species living within the preserve. Although gray foxes and bobcats are not considered threatened species it is always a special treat to see a picture of them not just surviving, but thriving under the pressures of an ever-changing climate and growing human population. I hope these images bring some warmth to your heart despite your relationship status on Valentine's Day.
By: Dr. Laura Monti, Borderlands Restoration Senior Fellow, Research Associate, University of Arizona Mel & Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health and The Southwest CenterMangrove forests and seagrass beds are some of the most efficient ecosystems for carbon storage. Off the coast from the Comcáac Indigenous communities, within the Infiernillo Channel, there are 13 mangrove forests and more than 900 hectares of seagrass beds which is more than exist throughout the entire rest of the Gulf of California. With support from 11th Hour Racing and the Schmidt Family Foundation the members of the Comcáac blue carbon team explored ways to expand the existing seagrass beds and mangrove forests to increase carbon sequestration to strengthen climate resilience for these ecosystems while generating income for the community.  Zostera marina beds and seed planting sites in the Infiernillo Channel of the Gulf of California. Adapted from Terre Cosio, 2000. Comcáac team leaders Alberto Mellado, Erika Barnett, Gabriela Suárez, Gary Nabhan, and Laura Monti led an effort to cultivate 4000 mangrove seedlings which were transplanted to four estuaries in the Infiernillo Channel while scuba divers sowed thousands of eelgrass seeds and transplanted hundreds of rhizomes into the sea floor along the margins of seagrass beds at two different sites. This team is also working with the University of Arizona and Prescott College Kino Bay Center for Cultural and Ecological Studies to renew the designation as a recognized site of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance. In addition to capturing carbon, these systems provide critical habitat and food for resident and migrating sea turtles. Among the five species of sea turtles that migrate or reside in the Infiernillo Channel, the sea turtle conservation team Grupo Tortuguero Comcáac-Desemboque led by Mayra Astorga, have documented that olive ridley sea turtle nests have increased significantly during the past seven years possibly related to warming waters further south. In addition to data collection, this group has been monitoring nests, collecting, and incubating eggs, releasing hatchlings, tagging turtles, and leading community education.  Sea turtle hatchery pen.  Volunteers from Grupo Tortuguero Comcáac-Desemboque monitoring hatchlings. During the 2020-2021 seasons close to 10,000 thousand sea turtle hatchlings were released. This two year trend represents a dramatic increase from previous years likely due to reduced human activity during the COVID pandemic. A new initiative supported by Amazon Conservation will link Grupo Tortuguero with other Indigenous coastal communities of Central and South America to facilitate knowledge exchange.  Hatchlings in their protected nest soon to be released to the wild.  Release of sea turtle hatchlings. This interweaving of programs across human health including food, water, and energy security as well as climate change resilience is rooted in Comcáac traditional knowledge and carried out with full knowledge and invitation of the Comcáac community governing authorities and leaders.
If you haven't already, read the first two blogs in this three blog update about work happening with the Comcáac Indigenous Communities. Lea la versión en español de este blog en este enlace. By: Dr. Laura Monti, Borderlands Restoration Senior Fellow, Research Associate, University of Arizona Mel & Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health and The Southwest CenterIn our blog series update about the work of the Salud Comcáac team, that includes BRN Senior Fellow Laura Monti, we turn to renewable energy and food security. The lack of access to affordable energy, clean water and healthy food threatens the long-term survival of the Comcáac Indigenous communities. Thanks to support of the Honnold Foundation, in Desemboque the community well and about half the homes now have photovoltaic solar panels installed, reducing energy costs by two thirds and eliminating carbon emissions. Working alongside the Solarex Enterprise engineers were Comcáac solar technician leaders Veronica Molina and Cecilia Moreno who received additional training in solar panel installation.  Solar panel community workshop participants and team leaders. These new panels do more than provide renewable energy and clean water, they also provide shade, another resource in short supply. The panels create a buffer against the intense heat and aridity of the Sonoran coast. A food security team led by Mayra Astorga and Gary Nabhan are testing the idea to see what traditional foods and herbs grow well in these new shady spots.  Solar energy and agriculture team. Punta Chueca food security team leader Erica Barnett has also launched a community garden program to increase the availability of healthy foods with support of the Instituto Nacional de Pueblos Indígenas.  Community garden in Punta Chueca. An inaugural community celebration was held to revitalize the consumption of the traditional food, eelgrass. The seeds of this seagrass contain dense concentrations of nutrients and beneficial oils. Read more about the seagrass and mangrove restoration project here.  Close up of Zostera marina (eelgrass) seed. Photo by Eduardo Infantes. In addition, the Comcáac Mesquite Collective, made up of community members who collect mesquite beans to roast and grind by mortar and pestle, produced 150 pounds of mesquite flour providing an additional income source from sales. Much thanks to Juliet Jivanti and the Borderlands Restoration Network Mesquite Stewardship Program for your help with sales!  Read the other blogs in this three part update!
Publication: Renaissance of Xnois grain from the seagrass (Zostera marina) as a food of the Comcaac community together with the University of Arizona. Link: Publicación / Publication Lea la versión en español de este blog aquí. By: Dr. Laura Monti, Borderlands Restoration Senior Fellow, Research Associate, University of Arizona Mel & Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health and The Southwest CenterWhen in June of 2021 the third wave of COVID hit the remote Comcáac villages of Punta Chueca and Desemboque, the Salud Comcáac team who formed at the onset of COVID-19 to assist these communities, including BRN Senior Fellow Laura Monti, was prepared. The Comcáac are indigenous people that occupy their autonomous territory in the coastal desert of the State of Sonora, Mexico. Local Seri health promoters who received training during the initial response, Omar Casanova and Isabela Morales, mobilized quickly along with expert herbalists, and Secretary of Health physician Dr. Diego Franco to address the health needs of the villages. Our generous partners including the Amazon Conservation Team responded immediately providing additional funds needed to cope with this surge. For this outstanding work, the Salud Comcáac team was honored by Mexico’s National Secretary of Health.  Cristina Molina, Filomena Barnett, and Laura Molina, Centro de Salud y Medicina Tradicional Punta Chueca.  Desemboque Health team: Omar Casanova, Mayra Estrella, Isabel Morales, and Vilma Morales.
The two Rural Health Centers are now better equipped and operating in Desemboque and Punta Chueca with running water and electricity, combining modern medicine and traditional medicine. Internet and cell phones are supporting telemedicine and other vital communications. Additional space was refurbished with equipment and additional beds, thanks to the Fundación Tichi Muñoz and FESAC, Nogales. Early intervention with 24 hour care, oxygen concentrators and herbal treatments has so far avoided Covid related deaths and reduced hospitalizations. In addition to delivering integrative care to over 100 COVID patients, the team also served 300 Comcáac community members for issues unrelated to COVID in 2021.  Dr. Ana Luisa Weildfeld Gomez, Medical Coordinator from Pitiquito.
 Desert Healers Filomena Barnett, Guadalupe Romero, and Betina Romero. Between COVID surges, seven members of the Salud Comcáac team earned a diploma in health promotion from El Colegio de Sonora facilitated by Dr. Catalina Denman and other public health expert mentors. These students are the first indigenous students to complete this innovative and rigorous applied course thanks to financial support from the University of Arizona Southwest Center and donors.  Salud Comcáac Punta Chueca team: Filomena Barnett, Pati Barnett, Gema Torres, and Laura Molina.  Mangrove medicine herbalists Filomena Barnett and Cristina Molina.  Herbalist Vilma Morales presents medicinal plants used for respiratory illness at the Comcáac-Mayo traditional medicine exchange supported by Fondo Acción Solidaria and Cobanaras. Salud Comcáac is rooted in traditional knowledge and is carried out at the invitation of the Comcáac community governing authorities and in collaboration with the Sonoran Secretary of Health.
Oceans of gratitude to all that supported this work and to those that worked tirelessly to provide health care in these communities! Check out the next blog in this three part blog update about work happening with the Comcáac Indigenous communities! Para leer la versión en español de este blog, por favor dé click aquí. By: Pachynne Ignacio, Ṣu:dagī ‘O Wuḍ Doakag FacilitatorSudagĭ 'O Wuḍ Doakag (SOWD/Water is Life) staff would like to proudly introduce this year's class of 2021-2022 student interns. This is our third year as a program at Baboquivari High School and so far, our students have learned about water systems, water quality, and quantity, and most recently they learned about ecosystem restoration.  SOWD crew with Noland Johnson after a tour of his family’s farm, Alexander Pancho Memorial Farms. Cowlic, AZ. SOWD is an after-school program that emphasizes teachings about rainwater harvesting and water conservation efforts around the world. At the end of each year, we help the students construct their water harvesting designs at Baboquivari secondary campus. We incorporate teaching about the drastic changes to traditional O'odham lands and discuss how these changes came to be, and what we can possibly do to restore our homelands.  Interns observing natural running water in the Santa Cruz River with San Xavier Natural Resources. Cukṣon (Tucson), AZ. Field trips that we take on Saturdays bring lessons to life and inspire our students to create interesting and inspired ideas for the project they will be creating in the spring semester as a team. So far, we have visited Alexander Pancho Memorial Farm in Cowlic, Wa:k Hikdan and the San Pedro River.  Swale diverted rainwater in a wo’o (man-made watering hole) that’s utilized for traditional crops and cattle. Cowlic, AZ. Alexander Pancho Memorial Farms. We are excited about future trips and projects the students will participate in and look forward to sharing our journey with you!
To learn more and to support the Ṣu:dagī ‘O Wuḍ Doakag (Water is Life) after-school program please click here. |
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