Help us repopulate a burned hillside at Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument with native plant species! Sky Island Alliance is teaming up with the National Park Service and Borderlands Restoration to restore a recently-burned slope near the main ruin loop at the Monument. Volunteers will be removing invasive plants that have moved into the site, and spreading seed to reinforce the native species that we have planted over the past few years. The slope sits just above the riparian zone of the scenic Gila River and our efforts are essential to make sure these fragile soils are not lost via erosion. All tools will be provided by Sky Island Alliance. We’ll be bending, digging, and hauling materials on uneven surfaces and participants need to be prepared to get dirty.

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THE WORK:

Sky Island Alliance is teaming up with the National Park Service and Borderlands Restoration to restore a recently-burned slope near the main ruin loop at the Monument. Volunteers will be removing invasive plants that have moved into the site, and spreading seed to reinforce the native species that we have planted over the past few years. The slope sits just above the riparian zone of the scenic Gila River and our efforts are essential to make sure these fragile soils are not lost via erosion. All tools will be provided by Sky Island Alliance. We’ll be bending, digging, and hauling materials on uneven surfaces and participants need to be prepared to get dirty.

Thursday’s plan is to arrive at the site and set up camp. Local participants may arrive by 7:30 a.m. on Friday ready to work – please be sure to let us know when to expect you. We will break into teams and work all day Friday, Saturday, and most of the day on Sunday. We will depart the site by 3 p.m. on Sunday to return to Tucson by late evening.

WHAT TO EXPECT:
We will camp at one of the campgrounds immediately down the road from the work area (TBD). Due to its remote setting, Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument is a “You Pack it In, You Pack it Out” area, meaning there are no trash cans available for visitors. Once you see the access into the site, you will understand. Participants are responsible for providing all camping gear (sleeping bag, tent, pad, etc.) and food provisions for themselves for the duration of the project.

Other important points:

• Bring your own meals for the weekend – a minimum of 3 breakfasts, 4 lunches, and 3/4 dinners, with snacks.
• Potable water is available in some areas such as the Visitor Center, but you will want to bring enough bottles to have plenty at your campsite, as the water is rather far away.
• Be prepared to unplug – there is no cell phone service at Gila Cliff Dwellings N.M.
• Bring work clothes and appropriate close-toed shoes that you don’t mind getting dirty. You may want sandals for walking in the river.

PLEASE NOTE: 
This is a family-friendly trip: let us know if you plan to bring any youngsters and if there are any special concerns. No dogs on this one, though

LOCATION:
Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument is located approximately 2 hours north of Silver City, New Mexico. Surrounded by over 3 million acres of Wilderness, the Monument is an important Ancestral Puebloan cultural site but is also managed for its natural qualities.

Travel time from our headquarters in Tucson is just under 5 hours. Although the distance from Silver City is only 44 miles via State Highway 15, the travel time is approximately two hours due to twisting and winding mountain terrain. PLEASE TAKE NOTE THAT NEW MEXICO IS IN A DIFFERENT TIME ZONE, so plan your travel accordingly.

For more information, see the National Park Service’s official website: www.nps.gov/gicl 

GETTING THERE:
FROM TUCSON:  Overview Map: https://goo.gl/maps/PNxY9Rjb1zT2
Meet us at the SIA office 406 S. 4th Ave at 10 am on Thursday to caravan / carpool to the monument.

FROM SILVER CITY: Take State Highway 15 north from Silver City. Although the distance from Silver City is only 44 miles, the travel time is approximately two hours due to twisting and winding mountain terrain. An alternative route from Silver City is along State Highway 35 and goes through the Mimbres Valley. Even though it is 25 miles longer than Highway 15, it is less winding, wider, more level, and easier to travel; therefore it takes about the same amount of time to drive. NOTE: If your vehicle, travel trailer, or RV is over 20 feet in length, you should take Highway 35.

For more information, please contact Bryon Lichtenhan at [email protected].