SKY ISLAND ALLIANCE

At Sky Island Alliance we protect and restore the diversity of life and lands in the Sky Island region by connecting wildlife pathways, protecting critical water sources, and promoting public appreciation of the unique Sky Islands. We use science, education, and advocacy to connect the bi-national landscapes, people, and wildlife of the Sky Islands for the benefit of all.

Our uniquely diverse borderlands thrive on the mingling of wildlife and plant species, people, and cultures from north and south. Sky Island Alliance is keeping wildlife connected and thriving, water flowing, and people connected to this unique region through our restoration and conservation work.

Conserving Wildlife:
Border Wildlife Study - Launched in Spring 2020, the Sky Island Alliance’s new bi-national Border Wildlife Study, documents the remarkable diversity of wildlife species in the Sky Island region of Southern Arizona and Northern Sonora, Mexico — collecting data on wildlife populations and movement in a section of the border that is under imminent threat from the Trump administration’s proposed border wall. Announced in early 2020, nearly 100 miles of new border wall sections are proposed to cut the Sky Island region in two. The wall will stop many wildlife species in their tracks, including jaguars, wolves, ocelots (whose reintroduction to the US is a focus of bi-national conservation efforts), pronghorn, black bear, pygmy owls, box turtles, and dozens of species of butterfly.
The bi-national Border Wildlife Study, a collaborative project between the Sky Island Alliance, Patagonia Area Resources Alliance and Mexican-partner Naturalia Sonora, fills this serious gap in environmental review by rigorously documenting border wildlife, including the installation of a camera array across 35 miles of the Patagonia Mountains, San Rafael Valley and Huachuca Mountains in Southern Arizona and Northern Sonora, Mexico. Capturing photos and video 24/7, the project generates tens of thousands of images weekly, which will be used to both document the incredible wildlife of this biological hotspot – the most biodiverse region of North America- and advocate for the urgent protection of critical wildlife corridors in the face of border wall construction.
Protecting Water:
In the arid sky islands, water is a precious resource for all life. Our water program maps and tracks the health of springs to identify where water sources are most vulnerable so that we can help protect springs for future generations.
• We protect and restore seeps and springs that are valuable water sources.
• We use onsite materials such as rocks and brush to create structures to stop and prevent erosion issues.
• We install native plants that enhance wildlife habitat and help anchor soils.
• We exclude livestock from sensitive riparian areas.
Connecting People to The Sky Islands:
Our work in natural resource conservation is closely tied to our community engagement work. At Sky Island Alliance we work to inspire people to feel deeply connected to the region and to one another. Through our volunteer trips we train participants to become citizen scientists who can study, understand and conserve the Sky Island region.
Through our coordination work we help land managers and conservation professionals in Mexico and the US connect with one another to address regional threats and design creative solutions together. Through our stewardship work we create spaces for communities and students from both countries to learn from one another and together help save the region for generations to come.

Sky Island Alliance has been protecting and restoring the wild lands, wildlife and waters that embody the Sky Island region since 1991.

We have a proven track record in connecting people and science to conservation action. We use the best available scientific and management information to bring private landowners, federal and local government agencies, conservation organizations research institutions, and universities together to proactively push the practice of conservation forward. By engaging scientists, land managers, and citizens to create this science-based conservation blue-print, we are connecting the dots between planning and conservation action.

We are passionate about our work, so that our children today, and future generations tomorrow, can enjoy clean air, clean water and visit natural places in the Sky Islands with abundant wildlife.

Sky Island Alliance has already installed over 50 wildlife cameras across the Patagonia
Mountains, San Rafael Valley, and Huachuca Mountains since April 2020, with
more on the way. Capturing photos and video 24/7, the project will generate thousands
of images weekly. The study is already detecting a remarkable diversity of wildlife species - more
than 27 species within just days of camera installation. Wildlife detected include: mountain lion, white-nosed coati, ringtail, bobcat, gray fox, javelina, kangaroo rat, white-tailed and mule deer, Montezuma quail, American kestrel, Northern harrier, Mexican jay,
and red-tailed hawk.

Starting in 2017, we partnered with the Springs Stewardship Institute, Saguaro National Park in Arizona, and the University of Sonora in Mexico. Together, we hosted two major workshops in Sonora on methods to conduct springs assessments, after which we were able to detect and survey 25 springs located in the Sierra la Madera (15 springs) and in the Sierra el Tigre (10 springs).