Three Days until the Southwestern Research Station Weekend, April 10 - 12

 I’m looking forward to seeing everyone! 

Joelle has organized a great list of activities for the weekend, and Lori and Gordon are sure to show us some very cool birds! Speaking of which, I will bring some extra binoculars in case anyone needs them.  Prepare for cloudy skies and temperatures in the 50’s to mid - 70’s. The activities schedule is detailed below.

Check-in is at 4 pm Friday. The office closes at that time, but instructions will be left for those who arrive later. Be sure to review the guest information before the weekend.

For those planning on joining us on Saturday and wish to eat meals served by the kitchen, please let Louise know Friday by noon so I can notify the kitchen staff.

If you have any questions or concerns, please notify myself or Joelle. See you this weekend!

Schedule of Events for April 10 - 12, 2026

Friday, April 10th

4:00 pm Check-in to rooms for those staying at Southwestern  Research Station (SWRS).

4:45 - 5:45-ish Birding on grounds of SWRS. Meet Gordon & Lori Lam at the hummingbird feeders on the property. 

6:00 pm Dinner inSWRS dining room (included in room rate; $16 for those staying off-site).

Saturday, April 11th

5:45 am For early risers, a bird walk on South Fork Road led by Gordon & Lori. Car-pool a short distance and walk on road to bridge where trogons are possible; return to SWRS for breakfast.

7:30 am Breakfast in SWRS dining room ($10 for those staying off-site). 

8:00 am TBD Possibly a service project or tour of the SWRS facility. Or maybe the Lam’s will lead a birding excursion to bird feeders in Portal (about 5 miles; 15 min from SWRS). Bring work gloves.

10:00 am Native ant experience. We’ll carpool to home of “Professional Insect Wrangler” Raymond Mendez who lives nearby. We’ll learn about leaf-cutter, honey pot, and twig ants of southern AZ and see them in action as he tours us around his captive display colony. Mr. Mendez has a long resume of wrangling insects for movies & TV, and creating museum natural history exhibits.

12:00 pm Lunch in SWRS dining room ($12 for those staying off-site).

1:00 pm Nature journaling with Margaret Welch, Friends of Cave Creek naturalist. This activity will take place on shaded picnic tables at the Cave Creek Visitor Center (3 miles or 10 min. drive from SWRS). Margaret will introduce the concepts of nature journaling and lead participants in an activity focusing on the spectacular geologic formations and unique rocks of the Chiricahuas.

All materials (including a journal, colored pencils, and a “zine” on nature journaling) provided.

3:00 pm Plant walk with Elaine Moisan along South Fork Road. Easy walk on paved road.

A butterfly expert may join us for a bit to point out butterflies.

6:00 pm Dinner ar SWRS dining room ($16 for those staying off-site).

7:00 pm Talk on “The Geometry of Birds”  by Peg Abbott who is founder of Naturalist Journeys, a company specializing in birds and natural history tours. She has led tours across the globe, and has decades of experience in birds, geology, and other natural history themes.

Sunday, April 12 th

7:30 am Breakfast in SWRS dining room ($10 off-site). 

8:30 - 9:30 am Talk by Carol Simon:”A Brief History of the Southwestern Research Station and why it is here: Looking at our Incredible Biodiversity “.

Not only does Dr. Simon’s 60+ history with the SWRS make her the undeniable expert on this subject, but she also completed her PhD on lizards of the area.

10:00 am Check-out time for those staying at SWRS.

Sky Island Alliance Erosion Control Event in Mexico

 

This is the link to register for the Erosion Control Camping Event!

A great way to help the environment, spend time int eh outdoors, hangout with some fine folks, and earn volunteer and advanced training hours.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/erosion-control-at-rancho-el-sahuaro-tickets-1985070019866?aff=oddtdtcreator&keep_tld=true

Did you Know that Southern Arizona has over 750 Species of Native Bees?

Learn more about Native Bees on Tuesday March 17, at 6 pm, in HRB 303 (Human Resources Building) at Cochise College!

Tanner Bland, a native bee expert, will talk about bee diversity in southern Arizona and about a few bee species in more detail. Tanner will also discuss his work with the Tucson Bee Collaborative. Did you know that bee DNA can be "bar-coded" to enable greater understanding of which flowers are more preferable to bees in different landscapes?

Tanner is the Bee Collaborative Program Coordinator at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum and is a student at the University of Arizona. His masters' studies are focused on bee DNA and pollen.

There will be a chapter business meeting at 7 pm, which will conclude by 8 pm. Be sure to stay so you can earn chapter service time.

Bring your questions and ideas!

Join us for a Day at the Southwestern Research Station 4/10 - 4/12

 

If you can't join us for the weekend, consider driving out to the station for the day. There will be activities Friday through Sunday, and it will be wonderful to see you and enjoy all that the Chiracahua Mountains have to offer. The station is a little over a 2 - hour drive from Sierra Vista. 

Arizona Master Naturalists Annual Conference Highlights

  AZMNA Board of Directors

A wonderful time was had by all at the AZMNA Annual Conference!

 After strolling through the Las Milpitas Community Farm and greeting fellow members, the board of directors had a relaxed, no business meeting. We then went on to Bianchi's Pizza for a delicious dinner attended by 11 of our chapter members and the conversations flowed! We knew each other much better by the time the last plate was cleared.

Saturday morning was cold and windy, but no lingering in bed for us! Off to the University of Arizona Environmental and Natural Resources Building 2 to set up the Borderlands Chapter table with chilled fingers (a challenge!). If you haven't been to the ENR-2, you should put it on your list! Designed to look like a slot canyon, we were amazed at the trees, lush hanging plants, rocks and landscaping. The general meeting classroom was capacious and the chairs were comfortable. The art show was being set up when we arrived, and Joelle Buffa stole the show with her unique and creative desert southwest mosaic.

Would you believe that this mosaic was constructed using discarded Bic lighters and other items of beach trash? Joelle, Clyde and their colleagues collected these items on Midway Island the past two years.

Jeff Babson, of Pima County Conservation Lands & Resources, highlighted some of the interesting "critters" found in the Sonoran Desert. Jeff's presentations are always informative and enjoyable! Dr. Mike Johnson, of the University of Arizona, Arizona Institute of Resiliency, talked about the history of tribal agriculture in Arizona, now, and in the future. He also addressed the cultural and health value of tribal agriculture. My take? Tribal agriculture systems are more efficient, more adapted to environmental conditions in the Sonoran Desert, and require much less land and water. Dr. Johnson is a member of the Hopi nation and lives and farms in the desert.

There were three breakout sessions throughout the day, and attendees chose one topic to learn about per session. I attended "Wildlife Corridors and Crossings" by Jessica Moreno, Coalition for Sonoran Desert Protection. It was not only timely, but informative and gave hope for the future of wildlife preservation amongst an ever-increasing human population. "Tracking Bats, Radio-frequency Identification Technology to Track Bats at Hummingbird Feeders" was quite interesting and lends itself well to community scientist participation. My third session was a visit to the UA Herbarium and looking at flower parts under a microscope.

Certification and re-certification pins were awarded after lunch, as were bronze, silver, and gold pins for 250, 500, and 1,000 hours of volunteer service. Two awardees were recognized for 2,000 hours of service. Joelle Buffa was one of them. Congratulations, Joelle!

The post-lunch presentation was "Community's Role in Sonoran Desert Conservation". by Brian Powell, Executive Director of the Arizona Desert National Parks Partnership. He concluded that volunteer programs can help cultivate a "radical center" of care, healing, and collaboration, urgently needed in a divided world.

Susan Malusa, Director of the University of Arizona Wildcat Research and Conservation Center, was the keynote speaker on Sunday morning. The center tracks jaguars (now 5) and ocelots and relies on community scientists to maintain and download data from camera traps and to review the photos obtained.  More volunteers are needed, if this study is of interest to you.

Sunday morning field trips offered were Sweetwater Birding, King Canyon Wash Trail Hike and Nature Journaling, Honeybee Canyon Archeology, Field Geology, and Tracking Southern Arizona's Mammals.

Did I mention food? Everyone seemed happy with the array of foods offered. Pima County members provided breakfast treats made with white Sonoran wheat flour, mesquite flour, and sourdough, as well as fruit. Master Naturalists don't go hungry!

All in all, it was a fun and educational weekend. Both advanced training and skills-based training was provided, and a total of 14 hours could be attained if all activities were attended.

Watch for notice of next year's conference and save the dates if possible!

Please Wear your Name Tags at the Annual Conference!

Borderlands Chapter Membership Dues

 What is the value of membership in the Borderlands Master Naturalists Chapter?

    Education about a variety of subjects, natural, historical and cultural.

    Community. Spending time with people with similar interests and curiosity.

    Acquiring skills useful in the pursuit of nature study.

    Access and information about volunteer outlets.

    Learning about the Sky Islands and the Borderlands of southeastern Arizona.

    Hanging out with master naturalists across the state.

    Continued good health.

That's a lot!!

It has come time to ask our chapter members and friends of the chapter to pay annual dues of $20 so that we can continue to offer activities and educational opportunities beyond the completion of the training class. Room rentals, tour fees, education and tabling supplies, AZMNA fees, and food are provided by the chapter and we need to be fiscally responsible.

Please send in your dues by May 1st to: Borderlands MN Treasurer, 419 S Meadowood Ln, Sierra Vista, AZ 85635.

Thank you.