What is Resilience?
A resilient system will keep working, and even positively adapt, when faced with immediate shocks or long-term stressors. Nearly a year into this pandemic and my only regular outings are to the trailhead… MORE ›
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Capturing our Annual Fish Survey
On November 13, Sonoran Institute coordinated the annual fish survey at four locations along the Santa Cruz to determine which species are currently in the river. This multi-partner effort included staff from Arizona… MORE ›
Helping Gila Topminnow Swim Home
In 2015, we found about a dozen endangered Gila topminnow in the Santa Cruz River near Tubac. If you had told me then, that in 2020 I would help catch hundreds of the… MORE ›
An Update From Our CEO
A Clear Mandate for Nature More people voted in this year’s election than the last 100 years. Now is the time to hold elected officials accountable for promises to conserve Nature. The 2020… MORE ›
A Fresh Set of Colorado Communities Dive into Water-Smart Growth
Northglenn has a great quality of life for its residents and businesses and is a vibrant community, but its economy depends on a limited water supply that may run dry during times of… MORE ›
Planning for an Uncertain Future around Water
In the arid West, there is much uncertainty around water. Falling water supplies. Growing cities and towns. Competing needs of farmers, cities, and tribes. Having enough water for wildlife. These factors underscore that we live in a world rife with uncertainty—who would have guessed we… MORE ›
An Update From Our CEO
Community-based Conservation & Magic Canoes One of the bedrocks of the Sonoran Institute is its dedication to collaboration. Not just any collaboration. True collaboration where we achieve goals together that we could never… MORE ›
The River Gave us Life
An interview with Antonia Torres, Cucapah The Colorado River Delta is home to many diverse groups of people. With many stories to tell about the rich cultures and environment here in the Delta,… MORE ›
An Opportunity to Create an Inclusive, Transparent Process for Water-Sharing
In prior basin-wide agreements, tribal water rights and water use were not given enough consideration. And yet, tribes hold legal rights to over 20 percent of the river—comprising some of the most senior… MORE ›
Fires Approach Laguna Grande Restoration Site
On July 19 and 20, 2020 fires broke out near our restoration site in the Delta. It is unknown how the fires began. Nearly 172 acres were affected, 33 of which are within… MORE ›
An Update From Our CEO
Sustaining the Legacy of Conservation Nearly 6 years ago, I had the extraordinary opportunity to accept the position of CEO of the Sonoran Institute. I had been very familiar with the Sonoran Institute… MORE ›
Celebrating the Santa Cruz River: What Makes Tucson Extraordinary
“This is what happens when a stretch of river comes back to life. There are many benefits. We should aspire to more wet stretches.” -Lauri Kaye, Tucson artist Nature has inspired human creativity… MORE ›
Statement From Our CEO and Board Chair
Sonoran Institute stands in solidarity with the Black community. The killing of Black Americans is wrong. Systemic racism must be dismantled. Black Lives Matter. We condemn the continued racial incidents targeting Black Americans… MORE ›
Declaración de nuestras directora ejecutiva y presidenta del consejo
El Sonoran Institute manifiesta su solidaridad con la comunidad negra. El asesinato de afroamericanos está mal. El racismo sistémico debe desmantelarse. Las vidas negras importan. Condenamos los constantes incidentes raciales de los… MORE ›
Delta Fieldwork Under COVID-19
March, April, and now May of 2020 have brought many changes with the COVID-19 pandemic. We’re staying resilient throughout the Colorado River basin. Let’s learn how our staff in the Colorado River Delta are adapting to continue to care for Laguna… MORE ›
With Careful Planning, the Gila Topminnow Could Move Downtown
The diminutive Gila topminnow is a big indicator of change. This endangered fish, no bigger than your thumb, is native to the region but disappeared from the Santa Cruz River near Tucson decades… MORE ›
An Update From Our CEO
I will be retiring on August 1, 2020. To me, there would never be a perfect moment to retire, because our rivers, water supplies, lands and communities living in the North American West continue to require action.
How Water Crosses Borders: Collaboration for a Binational Solution for Nogales Wash
Born a block from the border, Guillermo Valencia dedicates his time and career to benefit Ambos Nogales, the twin cities on either side of the U.S.- Mexico border. As a child, he remembers riding on… MORE ›
A Bridge Without Its River
It would be an easy site to miss, compared to nearby attractions like the de Anza Trail and the Santa Cruz River, but this cement ruin means something more to Diana. It was once a pedestrian bridge that spanned the wide Santa Cruz River, and Diana used to walk across this bridge to visit her grandmother on the other side. The bridge has been partially removed and is now almost completely forgotten; the river is no longer wide enough to need it.
Honoring our Roots… Reaching to the Future… We’re Turning 30!
From our start in 1990 Sonoran Institute has changed the way the North American West thinks about conservation. By connecting communities to the landscapes and natural resources that sustain them, Stephanie Sklar, CEO,… MORE ›