Border BioBlitz Weekend

Sky Island Alliance is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization working throughout southeastern Arizona (US) and northern Sonora (MX). Our mission is to protect and restore the biodiversity and natural heritage of the Sky Islands. We use science, education, and advocacy to connect the binational landscapes, people, and wildlife of the Sky Islands for the benefit of all.Sky Island Alliance es una organización sin fines de lucro que trabaja en el sureste de Arizona (EE.UU.) y el norte de Sonora (MX).  Nuestra misión es proteger y restaurar la biodiversidad y el patrimonio natural de las Islas del Cielo.  Usamos la ciencia, la educación y luchamos para conectar el paisaje binacional, las personas y la Vida Silvestre de las Islas del Cielo para el beneficio de todos.

Sky Island Alliance

Calling birders, botanists, bug lovers, trackers, herpers, fungi folk, and naturalists of all sorts to join us for a Borderlands BioBlitz!

Borderlands Campground (TBD)

The WorkSky Island Alliance is teaming up with N-Gen, Wildlands Network, and numerous other NGOs for the 2023 Border BioBlitz! The Border BioBlitz is a project taking place throughout the month of April with the aim of collecting observations of as many species as possible within five kilometers to the north or south of the U.S.-Mexico border.During this trip we invite naturalists of all persuasions to join us for a weekend of borderlands biodiversity surveying. We will be focusing on areas within our Border Wildlife Study, an un-fenced stretch of the border reaching from the Patagonia Mountains to the Huachuca Mountains, and across the San Rafael Valley.The work will be as hard as you want to make it and could include anything from birding by car or climbing up remote canyons in search of rare plants, for example.If you enjoy searching out plant and wildlife for a good cause, please join us!Covid PrecautionsTo keep our volunteers and staff safe, we’re taking these precautions: <ul><li>If you have signs/symptoms of COVID, or if you or anyone in your household has had a recent exposure, please stay home.</li><li>Monitoring the case numbers and variant severity so that we can make good decisions about proper precautions. If you’d like to bring kids, please contact us first. </li><li>Choose how to get there: You can either meet us there, caravan with us from SIA’s office, or carpool in SIA vehicles (masking will be based on case numbers and discussion with other carpoolers). </li><li>We&#x27;ll be camping, and each household should bring their own food, camping gear, and cooking gear. </li><li>Working outside, of course! </li><li>We will stay safely spaced out while working. </li><li>We’ll have a thermometer available in case anyone starts feeling off. </li></ul>What to Expect/BringWe will be camping for the duration of the weekend. Bring your own meals for the weekend — a minimum of two breakfasts, two lunches, and two dinners, with snacks. <ul><li>SIA will provide potable water, and folks are welcome to bring their own as well. </li><li>Be prepared to unplug — there is limited or no cellphone or internet service where we&#x27;ll be camping and working. </li><li>B﻿ring camping gear: tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, etc. We have extra camping gear available to borrow. Please contact our staff listed below if you would like to use some of our equipment.</li><li>Bring work clothes and appropriate close-toed shoes that you don&#x27;t mind getting dirty and potentially torn. </li><li>B﻿ring sun protection: sunscreen, long-sleeves, hat, etc.</li><li>Bring a refillable water bottle and a daypack for snacks and gear.</li><li>Bring whatever gear or tools you need for your survey work: Binoculars, butterfly nets, snake hooks, field guides, etc.</li><li>B﻿ring your smartphone or tablet with the iNaturalist app downloaded, and make sure to join the &quot;Border BioBlitz 2023&quot; project before you leave home.</li></ul>LocationWe will be working in the borderlands between Nogales and Coronado National Memorial across the Patagonia Mountains and the San Rafael Valley. If you have a particular area you are interested in visiting (within five kilometers of the border), let us know and we will try to fit it into our itinerary! We have yet to settle on a campsite, but it should be accessible via passenger car (though high clearance is recommended). Getting ThereA higher-clearance vehicle is encouraged as the dirt roads in the borderlands can be rather bumpy and rocky, but our campsite should be accessible for regular cars, and there will be opportunities to carpool to any locations visited throughout the weekend. You can meet us there, caravan from SIA&#x27;s office, or carpool in SIA vehicles.Option 1Meet at the SIA office at 3127 N Cherry Ave. to caravan or carpool to our campground at 1:45 p.m. on Friday. We will head down to our campsite near the border in the Patagonia Mountains, San Rafael Valley, or Huachuca Mountains. Option 2If you would like to meet us out there, just let us know when to expect you on Friday evening. From Tucson: (85ish miles) Take I-19 south or take I-10 east to Vail exit 281 for AZ-83 South. Our camping spot is yet to be determined, but will be in the vicinity of the Patagonia Mountains, San Rafael Valley, or Huachuca Mountains. Directions will be shared with registered participants as the trip approaches.Trip Logistics<ul><li>Friday, 1:45 p.m. — meet with SIA staff at our office to carpool to the camping spot near the border (location TBD). </li><li>Friday, 4 p.m. — if you would like to meet SIA at our camp spot (location TBD), you may arrive after 5 p.m. on Friday. Follow our green SIA arrow sign for the correct turnoff. </li><li>Saturday, 7 a.m. (or earlier)— be prepared to head out and start blitzing. We will work throughout the day with breaks for meals. </li><li>Sunday, 7 a.m. (or earlier)— get started on another day of surveying the wilds. We will finish up in the afternoon and then head back to Tucson. </li><li>Sunday, 6 p.m. — we will be back to our Tucson office by 6 p.m. </li></ul>Unfortunately, pets are not allowed on this trip. If you have further questions, please email Bryon Lichtenhan at bryon@skyislandalliance.org, Sarah Truebe at sarah@skyislandalliance.org, and/or Eamon Harrity at eamon@skyislandalliance.org

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Border BioBlitz Weekend

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