We live in a uniquely dynamic region that is full of opportunity and optimism. It’s our goal to guide the West to a better and more sustainable future.
The future of our region isn’t dependent on one factor alone. There is a deep connection between natural resource conservation, economic prosperity – and you. We’re all connected to the natural resources and beautiful environments around us. So let’s work together to make a difference for the future of the West.
From bringing back a dying ecosystem to providing communities the tools and training they need to deal with a changing environment and economy, our programs optimize our mission to connect communities with the natural resources that nourish and sustain them.
The Santa Cruz River has provided life-sustaining water for more than 12,000 years. Climate aridification and a century of overuse has negatively impacted the river, however we can continue to restore its vitality.
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A more resilient water future is possible from the Colorado River headwaters all the way to the delta. Our workshops bring leaders together to collaborate, and each team leaves with an action plan to meet local and regional goals.
READ MOREWhat comes with living in one of the most diverse and unique environments in the country? Equally diverse and unique challenges. Luckily, the Sonoran Institute is specially equipped to confront the environmental, economic, and community issues facing our region.
Supporting a clean, safe and reliable future. Clean. Renewable. Safe. These are energy concerns for any growing community, especially the West. It’s vital to our survival that we establish healthy energy practices, and…
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Growth is a good thing, right? Absolutely, especially when talking about the communities and economies that continue to flourish in the West. However, successful and sustainable…
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Protecting the life source of the West has never been more important. Water is life. And there’s no better example of this than the West. Water is the source of community development, agriculture…
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The West is epitomized by iconic images of natural beauty. But uncontrolled growth, unsustainable energy practices and careless planning threaten the very elements that brought us to the West…
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Working to ensure an efficient and sustainable transportation future for the West. Life is full of activity. Going to work. Taking your kids to school. Going to the grocery store. So how do you…
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Supporting you, your community and your economic health. Your community’s economic health directly affects the lives of you and your family. But how do you gauge that health? How do you…
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Leading communities to successful futures through up-to-date climate research. From droughts to floods to forest fires, the West is not immune to…
READ MOREIf you live in the West or have come to love the West, these are stories about communities, landscapes, and economies you care about. Stories of resilience, collaboration, and success.
The federally endangered Gila topminnow had not been seen in its native habitat, the Santa Cruz River, for more than a decade. Then, in December 2015 they came back.
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Helping establish the White Tank Mountains Conservancy builds on our long tradition of incubating new community conservation organizations – now more than 2 dozen that have conserved more than 145K acres of public & private lands, and raised more than $206 million – dedicated to protecting local natural and cultural resources.
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Green infrastructure—using nature’s ability to provide the same services associated with more conventional “grey” infrastructure—offers tremendous ecological and economic benefits. Nowhere is this more evident than on a 250-acre wetland we created to treat wastewater and serve as a refuge for birds and other wildlife in the Colorado River Delta.
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We develop tools & information for communities to better understand what’s driving their local economies and for public land managers to assess the relative benefits of protecting or developing these lands. Our work underscores that protecting public lands is important economic development strategy. The California Desert is our most recent success.
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Innovative. Collaborative. Turning the impossible to possible. That is what we are doing in the Colorado River Delta and our newest effort in the estuary—one of the most productive and endangered ecosystems on earth—combines these themes.
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As the West changes, we encounter challenges. Our Western Lands and Communities program is developing the tools communities desperately need to address those challenges collaboratively.
READ MORETogether, we can create a future for the Colorado River Basin where rivers flow, landscapes are healthy, and all communities thrive.