Sky Island Alliance

Wildlife - our border wildlife study is documenting the remarkable wildlife community living along 30 miles of the u.s.-mexico border with an array of more than 100 cameras. In 2024 we published our first scientific paper in frontiers in ecology and evolution proving that the border impedes wildlife. We documented findings from 9,240 wildlife interactions with border barriers over two years. This is the first study on the crossing rates of species through barriers at the u.s.-mexico border and we are using it to advocate for wildlife connectivity at the border.our team confirmed two jaguar sightings in the whetstone mountains (likely of the same cat), on our wildlife cameras. This is the first reported jaguar in that area in 13 years. We are working to protect and restore cross border pathways to help wildlife like jaguar recover and thrive.more nature lovers joined the fotofauna network, thanks to new wildlife-camera lending libraries in arivaca, sierra vista, and douglas. Fotofauna identifies wildlife presence across the region, spanning more than 370 miles from north of phoenix to hermosillo, to inform protection. Nearly 300 volunteers and organizations submitted 941 wildlife checklists from their wildlife cameras in the u.s. And mexico.

Spring seeker/spring rescue - as climate changes and we see more heat waves, droughts, and wildfires, springs can act as refuges where plants and animals are protected. Sky island alliance works with volunteers to survey conditions, threats, and restoration opportunities at these precious water sources. Volunteers, staff, and interns surveyed 480 springs, breaking the previous year's record of 449. Many of these were in wilderness areas of the coronado national forest in arizona and in the sierra los ajos, a protected area east of cananea in mexico.volunteers and staff removed over 18 tons of invasive arundo donax stalks and roots from rock ledge spring, restoring it as a desert oasis for wildlife near tucson. The work helped launch a three-year project to pull harmful weeds and plant native seeds at nine low-elevation springs in the santa cruz river watershed. In the catalina mountains north of tucson, volunteers built 62 erosion-control structures to protect and enhance water flow in areas burned by the 2020 bighorn fire.