Tracking bears
As the population in the Southwest grows at one of the highest rates in the nation, more of the desert and grassland habitats that separate our Sky Island mountains becomes subdivided and built up with houses and roads, dramatically changing our Sky Island landscape and diminishing the ability of wildlife to safely move between the mountain ranges. This fragmentation is one of the biggest threats to the survival of important species such as mountain lions, black bears, jaguars, wolves, and their prey. Sky Island Alliance is tackling this threat through our highly successful and innovative Wildlife Linkages Project.
Mobilizing "citizen scientists"
A Sky Island Alliance program since 1995, we now boast over 80 dedicated, trained volunteers who monitor the presence of six focal species in select areas within these movement corridors. By training and mobilizing concerned citizens and volunteers, we are able to shed light on little-known movement patterns of specific wildlife species within the Sky Island region. Our approach is unique in its incorporation of "citizen scientists," building grassroots support for protection campaigns that is dovetailed with conservation biology research. The collected data is now being used to advocate for the protection of verified wildlife corridors between mountain ranges.
Our volunteers collect data by conducting "track surveys" where they search for and document signs left by wildlife. They follow strict guidelines and adhere to a six-week survey interval to ensure the scientific viability of our data.
> Find out more about volunteering
Conserving Corridors
Pima County used Sky Island Alliance data to identify the Cienega Corridor for highest-priority protection, earmarking $42 million in Open Space bond funds for land purchases in this region alone, and Santa Cruz County used our data to create low-density zoning in wildlife corridor study areas--proving that citizen science works.
Photo-documenting bobcat tracks
Working collaboratively with the Arizona Department of Transportation we have identified locations to install remote cameras under the bridges and in the culverts along the main highways that bisect project areas, providing us with opportunities to mitigate high-mortality areas.
We continue to mobilize a strong volunteer base to monitor and identify potential landscape linkages in the Sky Islands, using the data collected to advocate for protection of identified linkages at local, state, and federal levels. Until recently Monitoring Program volunteers adopted tracking transects within four established project areas: the Tumacacori-Santa Rita Linkage, the Cienega Creek Watershed, the Dragoon-Whetstone Linkage, and in the Peloncillo Mountains that meander along the New Mexico/Arizona border. Now, we are broadening our scope and exploring two new areas: the Sky Islands of northern Sonora and the urban fringes of northwest Tucson.
Project Areas
Until recently Project volunteers adopted tracking transects within four established project areas: the Tumacacori-Santa Rita Linkage, the Cienega Creek Watershed, the Dragoon-Whetstone Linkage, and in the Peloncillo Mountains that meander along the New Mexico/Arizona border. Now, we are broadening our scope and exploring two new areas: the Sky Islands of northern Sonora and the urban fringes of northwest Tucson.
Staff: Janice Przybyl, M.A., Program Coordinator; and Sergio Avila, M.S. Wildlife Biologist
Wildlife Monitoring volunteers
Volunteering for Wildlife Linkages
We are seeking dedicated "citizen scientists" who can commit to an exciting conservation program on a long-term basis.
To qualify for the Program, volunteers must attend a five-day training workshop, which is held over two weekends. During the workshop, regional wildlife experts join Sky Island Alliance staff to teach tracking techniques and wildlife sign recognition - such as the difference between canine and feline tracks. Workshop participants learn where to look for sign and about the ecology and behavior of local mammal species. Classroom instruction is supplemented with field trips.
After the workshop, volunteers form permanent teams of 3-4 trained volunteers and adopt transects within our established project areas. We ask volunteers to commit to a full day of monitoring once every six weeks. To accommodate volunteers’ busy lives, teams can schedule their survey day within a two-week window.
We hold two training workshops each year and space is limited to 15 volunteers. To be considered for participation you must complete an application. Applications are available only after workshop dates are determined.
> To be notified when the next workshop is scheduled please email janice@skyislandalliance.org