Sonoran Institute Joins 25 Organizations in Signing Letter to President Biden on Border Region Restoration
Restoring Nature, Economy, and Security at the U.S. Mexico Border Dear Mr. President: Congratulations on your historic victory. Already, your administration is bringing hope and decency to the pressing challenges facing our nation.… MORE ›
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 ›
A Living River: Supplementary Data for Nogales Wash to Amado 2008 to 2019 water years
The Living River reports were developed to annually gauge conditions of this valuable ecosystem, the Santa Cruz River. This supplementary report summarizes data from Nogales Wash to Amado from the past twelve water… MORE ›
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 ›
A Living River: Where Community and Nature Meet
Charting Santa Cruz River Conditions from Northwest Tucson to Marana – 2019 Water Year The Santa Cruz River near El Camino Del Cerro and flowing north into Marana, has been improving for almost… MORE ›
A Living River: Supplementary Data for Northwest Tucson to Marana 2013 to 2019 water years
The Living River reports were developed to annually gauge conditions of this valuable ecosystem, the Santa Cruz River, and track the impacts of our community investment in wastewater treatment upgrades. This supplementary report… MORE ›
Desert Laboratory on Tumamoc Hill Lecture Series
Various dates 6-7:30 PM VIRTUAL EVENTS FREE Past, Present, and Future of the Santa Cruz River Heritage Reach The Santa Cruz River was the life blood of the earliest human settlements in Tucson (Chukshon,… 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 ›
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 ›
Her Career Improved Conservation Outcomes in the West
Stephanie Sklar, Sonoran Institute CEO announces retirement Stephanie Sklar, Chief Executive Officer at Sonoran Institute, has announced her retirement as of August 1, 2020 concluding her 35-year career devoted to natural resource, wildlife… 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 ›
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 ›
Celebrating Collaborative Conservation and Twenty Years of the Las Cienegas NCA
In a different time, with a different cast of characters, the fairgrounds could easily have turned into a battleground. Instead, this 1995 meeting proved to be the beginning of one of the most successful and enduring collaborative conservation efforts in the nation.
Water Enough to Drink on the Ranch
“We need to be aware of the connection between our lives and our river. These lands, the river—they are my family’s roots. And, well, family is all we have” —Tony Sedgwick, rancher and… MORE ›
It Just has to be the Place that you Love
Connie Williams has traveled the world, but it’s the Sonoran Desert that calls to her: “I’ve been to places that are more beautiful, places that have a richer life. But I think when… MORE ›
Sonoran Institute takes on the Sublime: A field trip to the Tucson Museum of Art
Four of us from the Tucson office visited a recent exhibition at Tucson Museum of Art: The Western Sublime: Majestic Landscapes of the American West. Here are some takeaways from Elise Christmon, Luke… MORE ›
Waste to Water: Modern Alchemy
Wastewater has been transformed into crystal clear, life-supporting water. John Light is the area operations manager at the Nogales International Wastewater Treatment Plant, and today he’s also the tour guide of this federal facility.
An Update From Our CEO
The breathtaking and diverse landscapes of Colorado inspire me. Aspen leaves ablaze with color in the autumn, the iconic snow-capped Rockies in winter, picturesque cities and towns full of friendly faces—there’s something for everyone here.