In late 2023, blue skies and sunshine found Sonoran Institute staff, partners, and friends knee-deep in water for our 16th annual fish survey. Their objective: identify which fish species are currently observed in… MORE ›
Beside the looming company of A Mountain, Logan Phillips gathered us in the cool morning air with poetry to welcome and inspire a shared love and appreciation for the Sonoran Desert. Childrens’ laughter… MORE ›
“I know that a great deal of collaboration that went onto include so many entities – solutions to our environmental problems will only be solved through such collaborative actions. I like facts and… MORE ›
In February 2023, Sonoran Institute presented at the University of Arizona’s Water Resources Research Center’s Seminar Series. The Santa Cruz River has long been the backbone of the region’s natural and cultural heritage.… MORE ›
This is part two of a series – read part one here. Here, the journey continues of water along the Santa Cruz River’s course, taken up by a distant cousin by union to… MORE ›
For many of its miles, the Santa Cruz River is a dry sandy bed inhabited by tough desert creatures and vegetation. From headwaters in the Sky Islands of southeastern Arizona to its confluence… MORE ›
“The cultural history of the Santa Cruz is a rich, complex, and fascinating one. For starters, the Santa Cruz is the reason we can call Tucson home. And its waters have supported people… MORE ›
Last month our Santa Cruz River team was invited to do an Ask Me Anything on the Tucson subreddit. The online group is focused on Tucson-specific issues and news and has more than… MORE ›
Baldwin pilots new program that saves water, improves parks, and addresses climate inequities The woman-led team at the Green Stormwater Infrastructure program at City of Tucson – Tucson Water is getting ready to tackle some big sustainability issues.… MORE ›
Bringing water from the Conservation Effluent Pool into action. Good news broke last March at Santa Cruz River Research Days: Pima County received approval to permanently allocate water to sustain river flows benefiting… MORE ›
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 ›
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 ›
“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 ›
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 ›
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 ›
Sonoran Institute’s headquarters are right downtown, so I thought no problem, I’ll give myself 15-20 minutes and have plenty of time to jump on my bike and get there. In hindsight, I should… MORE ›
A new flow for the Santa Cruz River in Downtown Tucson On June 24th Tucson Water will launch the Santa Cruz River Heritage Project with the release of highly treated recycled water into the… MORE ›
In December 2017, I was fortunate to attend the kick-off workshop of the 2017 Catalyst Initiative teams. Organized by the Center for Performance and Civic Practice (CPCP), this program funds pairs of artists… MORE ›
2018 National Environmental Achievement Award The Pima County Board of Supervisors is scheduled to recognize the Pima County Living River Project Steering Committee and its partners, Sonoran Institute and the United States Environmental… MORE ›
Sonoran Institute and Watershed Management Group to host a public celebration at new demonstration site TUCSON, Arizona (Jan. 30, 2018) – The newly built rain garden demonstration site at New Hope/Nueva Esperanza United… MORE ›