Dear SIA family — I hope this message finds you all in good health and high spirits. Today, I find myself writing a farewell note, a message that is both bittersweet and filled with gratitude.
After a year of working at Sky Island Alliance, I will be moving on from my position as field coordinator. My wife, Eliana, and I are planning on buying a home in Puerto Peñasco, Sonora, this fall and although it deeply saddens me to leave this incredible organization, I look forward to and welcome the changes that life brings.
It has been an absolute pleasure getting to work with my SIA peers who have motivated and inspired me in too many ways to count. And a special thank you to my manager, Sarah Truebe, who mentored me along the way and was always there for feedback and help on every project — not to mention her unmatched knowledge of bats and caving! It has also been an honor to have worked and met so many of our volunteers who really help make this whole thing called conservation work! Everyone I’ve met and worked with has presented themselves with unbridled enthusiasm, a great work ethic, and unique perspectives on conservation that I’ve relished listening to.
I don’t plan on being a stranger to future SIA volunteer opportunities, as Tucson is my hometown and we’ll only be 3.5 hours away. So I hope to see many of you down the road.
Wishing the entire SIA team continued success, growth, and prosperity. I like to think that the two sightings of a jaguar in the Huachucas this year indicate good things are in store for us and the future of the Sky Islands. Thank you once again for everything. It’s been an honor to be a part of this incredible organization.
— Jimmy