Field Notes

Leaping Lagomorphs: A Deep Dive on Rabbits and Hares of the Sky Islands

Join us for this virtual Coffee Break with SIA Wildlife Specialist Meagan Bethel, who will take us on a deep dive into the different cottontail and jackrabbit species that make their home in the Sky Islands and bring so much joy with their every hop and step. Together, we’ll learn how to identify each species in the field and on camera. Meagan will also share their life history and distribution across the region using data from our FotoFauna and Border Wildlife Study cameras.

Monsoon-Themed Open Mic

In partnership with the University of Arizona’s Poetry Center, join us at Hotel Congress’ Century Room to celebrate and call in the 2026 monsoon season! Participants can share their own work or a rain-themed poem that they love. Spots in the lineup will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis. Up to 30 people can read, with one poem per person. Learn more and sign up for a spot.

Erosion Control in the Catalinas

Join us in the Santa Catalina Mountains for a weekend building erosion-control structures in areas burned by the 2020 Bighorn Fire. Together, we can protect springs from landslides and ensure the mountain absorbs even more rain and snowmelt, recharging the aquifer that plants, wildlife, and people like us depend on. Note: Carpooling from Tucson is available, and day-trippers are most welcome. We’ll be camping at Spencer Campground on Mt. Lemmon.

Festival for the Grasslands

Join us in Cananea for a community weekend celebrating the grassland ecosystem of northeastern Sonora. Cananea lies in the heart of the Sky Islands region — a place where rivers are born, and where biodiversity and culture abound. We look forward to a couple days full of community, learning, celebration, culture, hiking, and camping! This gathering is part of the celebration of the United Nations’ International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists, which seeks to recognize the importance of grasslands, biodiversity conservation, and the livelihoods of rural communities.

Aravaipa Canyon Vinca Removal

Come join us for a Memorial Day weekend in Aravaipa Canyon Preserve as we resume the fight against invasive vinca!

Celebrate the San Pedro

The Friends of the San Pedro River spring festival explores the cultural and natural history of the beloved Upper San Pedro River Valley. The event is free and will feature activities for adults and kids, a series of talks, and informational displays.

The event this year will emphasize history — you will be able to throw an atlatl, make an adobe brick, learn about the Clovis mammoth hunters and other native cultures, find out about the Amerind Foundation, and much more. SIA’s Ranchos Regenerativos tech Karen Aglaee Lopez Roman will also be there tabling, so stop by and say hello.

Coffee Break: Himdam, the Remarkable Ocelot That Traversed 4 Sky Islands

Join us for this virtual Coffee Break to learn more about the remarkable journey of a male ocelot across four mountain ranges in the Sky Islands of Arizona, the longest-known trek by a single member of the species. This ocelot covered at least 111 miles and crossed I-19, AZ-82, and AZ-83 (at least twice) as it moved among the Atascosa Highlands, Whetstone Mountains, Patagonia Mountains, and Santa Rita Mountains. One of the more fascinating aspects of this story is that the ocelot was detected in four separate ranges by four organizations, who then collaborated to tell the story. We’ll be joined by several partners for the talk to discuss this intrepid cat and what’s next for ocelot conservation.

Spring Restoration in Bear Canyon

Help us restore a wildlife oasis by removing invasive grasses and oleander along the Bear Canyon drainage around Rancho Fundoshi Spring. We’ll be working in the soil, bending, kneeling, and using hand tools, picks, and lots of elbow grease.

Binational Border BioBlitz

Calling birders, botanists, bug lovers, trackers, herpers, fungi folk, and naturalists of all sorts! Join SIA and partners for a special binational event, starting at San Bernardino National Wildlife Refuge in Arizona. Groups will be surveying on both sides and will eventually meet at the wall. If you’d like to join from Sonora instead, see the event on April 23-26.

Binational Border BioBlitz

Calling birders, botanists, bug lovers, trackers, herpers, fungi folk, and naturalists of all sorts! Join SIA and partners for a special binational event, starting at Cuenca Los Ojos ranch in Sonora. Groups will be surveying on both sides and will eventually meet at the wall. If you’d like to join from Arizona instead, see the event on April 25.