Over my first few weeks working with Sky Island Alliance as a fellow, I’ve had the opportunity to join several community events, including a Sunday weeding tamarisk in Davidson Canyon and a Friday night talk at Saguaro National Park that highlighted SIA’s Sonora work. I’ve come across many friendly people excited to assist with SIA initiatives.
On a recent Tuesday morning “spring cleaning” event at Rock Ledge Spring in the Catalina Foothills, I came to understand why. It was my third time volunteering at the site, where a hardworking neighbor named George consistently meets with SIA staff to help wrestle Arundo donax roots out of the ground and to ensure surface water remains available for local wildlife. Neighbors have reported more wildlife sightings since the arundo removal began in June 2024, and dragonflies and birds frequent the area as we work. I never had the chance to see the arundo stand before the weed removal began, but I’ve heard stories of a dense monoculture that filled the area, and the growth forms of the surviving trees reflect past battles for sunlight that were taking place 20 feet above the ground.
This Tuesday morning we had a good turnout, with two SIA staff members, Sarah and Bryon, leading myself, George, and another volunteer named Ann to construct plywood covers for a few spring boxes that were uncovered during weed removal. During a break from the power tools, I heard a rustling behind me and turned to see a javelina coming out from nearby shrub cover to take a drink from the spring. Bryon wisely advised me to move to the other side of the spring box, and on the heels of the first javelina trotted another two dozen. While most of the herd stayed under the cover of the shrubs as they passed, a few individuals broke off from the group to wallow in the mud of a pool that not long ago was covered in a mat of arundo. After a few minutes refreshing at the spring, the javelinas continued on, and we humans got back to the project at hand as the warm desert sun continued to rise.
I just recently moved to Tucson to start a graduate program at the University of Arizona, and Tuesdays are my busiest day of coursework. I helped as much as I could that morning before heading out to my first class of the day, and I was happy to hear from Sarah that the rest of the spring box covers were completed that afternoon. As my busy day continued, I kept thinking back to the herd of javelinas that accompanied us at Rock Ledge Spring that morning. For months I had been told about the iconic javelinas that live in the area but had yet to see one myself. After seeing a herd drinking from and wallowing in newly uncovered spring water, I understood what this work was all about.
For many wildlife species in the desert, the presence of surface water is a critical component for survival. In projects such as that at Rock Ledge Spring, Sky Island Alliance offers the opportunity for volunteers to get their hands dirty while working to restore surface water to natural springs, and to see the impacts of their efforts firsthand. This work also allows volunteers to channel their appreciation for the Southwest’s beauty and wildlife. After seeing my first herd of javelinas, I’m excited to continue working alongside SIA staff and volunteers and anticipate more wildlife encounters that remind us why this work is worth doing.
Oliver Fahrner is a Peace Corps Coverdell Fellow with Sky Island Alliance, as well as graduate student at the University of Arizona studying Sonora sucker and desert sucker fish populations. He’ll be working with SIA habitat restoration projects and helping us evaluate impact to springs.
For a full list of upcoming events and volunteer opportunities, see SIA’s event calendar.