LOCATED AT THE TUBAC COMMUNITY CENTER , 50 Bridge Rd, Tubac
Do you want to help restore the Santa Cruz River?
As part of the grant that we received from the Santa Cruz Valley National Heritage Area, we are supporting monthly volunteer events in partnership with Tucson Audubon. We will be learning to identify invasive species and will be removing them. Please wear appropriate work clothes and shoes, and bring gloves and a refillable water bottle. Tools will be provided.
You can sign-up through the Audubon website: https://tucsonaudubon.org/volunteer-opp/santa-cruz-river-habitat-restoration/, or at the individual links below. Registration is required.
The dates are listed below. There is a limit of 15 volunteers for each date.
Monthly community restoration volunteer events will be held
every third Thursday from 9am -11am.
December 19, 2024: Register Here
January 16, 2025: Register Here
February 20, 2025: Register Here
March 20, 2025: Register Here
April 17, 2025: Register Here
May 15, 2025: Register Here
We will meet at Ron Morriss Park (31 Calle Iglesia, Tubac, AZ) and walk to the site from there.
This weeks Nature walk report & Jim Karps Journal
Tuesday Bird Walk –
Rancho Santa Cruz - 3-Dec-24 - 09:00 AM - 1.74 mile(s) - 2 hour(s) – Rob
3 Eurasian Collared-Dove
1 White-winged Dove
2 Mourning Dove
1 Red-naped Sapsucker
6 Gila Woodpecker
1 Ladder-backed Woodpecker
2 Northern Flicker (Red-shafted)
2 Black Phoebe
2 Say's Phoebe
7 Common Raven
4 Bridled Titmouse
1 Verdin
7 Ruby-crowned Kinglet
2 White-breasted Nuthatch
1 Bewick's Wren
3 European Starling
1 Northern Mockingbird
3 Western Bluebird
9 House Finch
2 Lesser Goldfinch
5 Chipping Sparrow
1 Lark Sparrow
5 White-crowned Sparrow
2 Song Sparrow
1 Lincoln's Sparrow
6 Abert's Towhee
1 Orange-crowned Warbler
7 Yellow-rumped Warbler
1 Black-throated Gray Warbler
1 Summer Tanager – Late female
3 Northern Cardinal
2 Pyrrhuloxia
Number of Taxa: 32 Rancho Santa Cruz - 3-Dec-24 - 09:00 AM - 1.593 mile(s) - 1 hour(s), 55 minute(s) – Caroline
2 Eurasian Collared-Dove
1 Cooper's Hawk
1 Red-naped Sapsucker
8 Gila Woodpecker
4 Ladder-backed Woodpecker
1 Hammond's/Dusky Flycatcher
1 Black Phoebe
1 Say's Phoebe
2 Common Raven
5 Bridled Titmouse
1 Verdin
2 Ruby-crowned Kinglet
2 White-breasted Nuthatch (Interior West)
1 Bewick's Wren
3 European Starling
2 Northern Mockingbird
3 Western Bluebird
1 Phainopepla
1 House Finch
2 Lesser Goldfinch
3 Chipping Sparrow
1 Lark Sparrow
12 White-crowned Sparrow
1 Vesper Sparrow
1 Song Sparrow
2 Abert's Towhee
2 Yellow-rumped Warbler
1 Summer Tanager – Female in cottonwood tree near parking; yellow body
1 Northern Cardinal
Number of Taxa: 29 Membership in the Tubac Nature Center is on a calendar year basis.
We are always looking to expand our activities and we ask you to join the
Tubac Nature Center by going to our MEMBERSHIP PAGE.
Your support is greatly appreciated.
TUBAC NATURE CENTER JOURNAL - WHAT’S NEW IN WIND AND SOLAR ENERGY
We know how to build solar panels and wind turbines cheaply. They now supply 15% of the world’s energy. One issue that hinders more rapid progress in the development of renewable energy from the sun and the wind is storage. We want our energy on demand, any time of the day or night. The sun does not shine at night and the wind comes in (often) unpredictable gusts. So we have available a limitless supply of energy from the sun and wind, but it is only captured when the conditions are right - day times and windy times. Hence, we need some way to generate an excess of renewable energy when the conditions are favorable and have that energy available on demand - day or night. We need a way to store the energy so that it can be distributed on demand regardless of natural conditions just like fossil fuel plants.
In the fossil fuel era we obtained a smooth flow of energy on demand by putting a coal pile or an oil or gas tank next to a boiler and feeding the boiler based upon demand. If the demand exceeds the capacity of the boiler, we have what are called “peaker plants” which are usually older, less efficient, and dirtier plants that are brought on line just for those peak demand periods. In the renewables era to date most of our effort has gone into developing lithium-ion storage batteries. The same kind of battery that you have in your smartphone, laptop or car. The technology is transferable for use on a more massive scale for storing and suppling our general electricity demands. The technology is currently being used in California, Texas, and many other parts of the world. But, I wrote before about some problems with lithium-ion batteries, including cost, unfavorable locations for acquiring, etc.
Is there an alternative on the horizon? Just maybe! In Japan a company is developing a new technology called vanadium flow batteries that store energy in massive tanks of metallic liquid. Two large tanks are placed next to each other separated by a membrane. Each tank has exotic metal filings of vanadium, floating in the metallic soup. To delve into a little chemistry, one tank holds vanadium filings with a positive (+) charge and the other with a negative (-) charge. (Think of a flashlight battery). When the energy from the sun and wind is coming in, the electrons flow from the positive side of the membrane to the negative, creating an imbalance of crammed in electrons itching to get out. When the stored energy is needed, at night for example, the electrons flow through the membrane creating an electric current that supplies the nighttime needs of the electric company’s customers. Currently the vanadium flow batteries can store energy for about 4 hours, about on a par with lithium-ion batteries, but it is expected that storage time will soon increase to 8 to 10 hours. In addition, experts assert that the vanadium batteries will be cheaper to make and will have twice the lifetime of lithium-ion batteries. The vanadium flow batteries are being used in Japan, China, and a few other places in the world.
Okay, so what is the down-side? About 75% of the current supply of vanadium comes from Russia and China as a byproduct of steel manufacturing. Not the best places for us to rely on for the supply of a critical element. But, 25% is available elsewhere, the vanadium is reusable indefinitely, and there may be substitute metals for vanadium yet undiscovered. It is sort of fun to present the people of science with a problem and watch them go on the attack like football players chasing a fumble on their opponents 3 yard line. Hope you had a great Thanksgiving!
Jim Karp
Tubac Nature Center
December 3, 2024
Now AvailableA Living River report for the Santa Cruz River - Nogales Wash to Amado
It's time for the latest bilingual Living Riverreport for the Santa Cruz from Nogales Wash to Amado! Learn what fish are thriving, how a new trash trap is helping to remove some of the floating trash, and how scientists and community members documented some of the river's biodiversity with a bioblitz this past spring as an accompaniment to our Santa Cruz River Research Days.
This year we celebrate the diverse partnerships and collaborations that are protecting our river. A binational project to rehabilitate an aging wastewater pipeline is complete, groups are actively addressing trash, and a community-led effort is underway to create an urban national wildlife refuge to protect the river.
Do you want to dive a little deeper into the 2024 achievements and river conditions? Check out the Supplementary report .
In case you missed it: read the latest Living River report for the Santa Cruz River from Downtown Tucson to Marana .
Report A Living River for the Santa Cruz River –
The latest bilingual Living River report from the Santa Cruz River, from Los Nogales Creek to Amado, is here! Learn how new fish are thriving and what they are, learn about the new trash trap that is helping to remove a large amount of floating pollutants, and finally, how the scientific community and members of the community helped document part of the River's biodiversity with Bioblitz last spring, joining us on the Santa Cruz River research days.
This year we are celebrating a number of partnerships and collaborations to protect our river. A binational project to rehabilitate an old sewage pipeline was completed, groups of people have been actively addressing the trash problem, and a major community-led effort is underway to create a national urban wildlife refuge to protect the river.
Want to learn a little more about 2024's achievements and river conditions? Check out the companion report (English only).
Connect with us Creek and Patagonia Lake, every Friday, starting at 9am, Patagonia.
___________________________________________________________
The rare spotted feline was first caught by wildlife camera in the Atascosa Highlands west of Nogales in June of this year. It was detected by researchers from the Phoenix Zoo.
A little more than a month later, after crossing Interstate 19, it was spotted in another mountainous region in Southern Arizona. Russ McSpadden, a Southwest conservation advocate at the Center for Biological Diversity, along with intern Clara Smith, were the first people to check the wildlife camera with the new sighting.
“I shouted with joy when I realized what I was seeing on the trail cam. This incredible footage shows us that ocelots belong in our Sky Islands, despite all the threats they face,” said McSpadden in a press release issued by the center.
McSpadden said experts thought the ocelot had a smaller range in the region, “but the new detection is blowing that conception open.”
“It traveled a really long distance, moving well over 30 miles,” McSpadden said. “It crossed I-19, showing that kind of highway is not an impenetrable barrier.”
To have made it to the new sighting, the cat must also have crossed the Santa Cruz River, which advocates are hoping to establish as a national wildlife refuge.
Protected under the Endangered Species Act since 1982, the ocelot is about the size of a bobcat, but known for its distinctive jaguar-like spotted markings, or rosettes.
Ocelot spot and rosette analysis of a wild ocelot in Southern Arizona 7/24/2024 and 6/12/2024. Credit: Images on left: Russ McSpadden.
It was the pattern of rosettes that led Carmina Gutiérrez González, a research coordinator for the Northern Jaguar Project, to confirm that the latest detection was the same ocelot seen a month earlier west of Nogales.
Researchers believe there are fewer than 100 ocelots in the U.S., with the majority in southern Texas.
I don't suck blood and I don't want to get stuck in your hair.
If I accidentally walk into your house,
please don't hit me with sticks or brooms, it really hurts and I'm very scared.
It was an accident, I didn't want to scare you. If I land, I may not be able to get up and I need your help. Just use a towel to get me out and I'll fly right away, I promise. I eat mosquitoes and many other insects. Our houses are being demolished for other buildings and we only have a few places to shelter. so if I fly into your house, turn off the lights, leave the outside light on and leave the door open, I'll be out in a heartbeat.
Be a human, I want to live too..
HOW TO WATCH HAWKS FOR BEGINNERS : You’ll learn where to find a good spot to watch the migration (even if a hawkwatch doesn't currently exist near you), what gear to bring, resources to help ID distant birds, and more! Check it out here:
https://hawkwatch.org/how-to-hawkwatch-a-beginners-guide-to-observing-raptors/
A mother and her three nearly full grown kittens paid us a visit for a drink from the birdbath. This wasn't the first time, since a few mornings recently I found the birdbath bowl tipped onto the ground. I thought it must have been deer but now I know who the real culprit is. We live in Rio Rico on the western slope of the San Cayetano mountains overlooking the Santa Cruz river. These beautiful bobcats are just one example of the abundant and varied wildlife we enjoy on a daily basis. photo by BRUCE TILDEN
The brightly colored American Kestrel is North America’s smallest falcon, measuring just 8 to 10 inches in length. They feed primarily on insects, small rodents and sometimes birds. This fierce hunter adapts well to human-influenced habitats and urban settings, but the species’ population is declining in many regions of the United States, including Arizona. Tucson Bird Count data show a sharp reduction in numbers locally since 2010. Kestrels suffer from habitat loss and a lack of available nest cavities. Fortunately, this species readily accepts human-crafted nestboxes.
Nestbox programs are currently supporting the American Kestrel around the country. Watch for these birds perching on utility wires or hovering in the sky as they search for prey below. You may hear them calling: klee-klee-klee.
HABITAT Kestrels prefer semi-open country of all kinds,
especially with available hunting perches providing views of surrounding land. In the Sonoran Desert kestrels frequently nest in flicker holes in saguaros. Kestrels also nest in urban and suburban palm trees, underneath untrimmed fronds.
BOX MOUNTING Boxes should be placed between10
and 20 feet high with a northern or eastern orientation. They can
be affixed to houses, trees or poles. Boxes should not be placed among dense trees or shrubs, an open flight path to the entrance of the box is a must.
NESTING FACTS Kestrel pairs in Arizona deserts begin
courtship in late winter. The male often performs impressive feats of aerial display. As the time for egg-laying draws near, the male provides more and more of the female’s daily food. Kestrels lay eggs as early as March, but the peak of the breeding season is in April and May. The birds use no nesting material, laying eggs on debris found naturally in cavities. For nestboxes, we recommend providing wood shavings to cushion the eggs. Kestrels may return to reuse the same nests, year after year. During the winter, kestrels sometimes roost in nestboxes and cavities.
American Kestrel / Western Screech-owl
Nestbox Construction Guidelines
Kestrels and Screech-owls use the same size nestbox
RECOMMENDATIONS:
While Bald Eagles, Peregrine Falcons, and other raptor species have rebounded in North America since the banning of DDT in the 1970s, American Kestrel numbers have continued to drop, plunging by an estimated 50 percent. Although the birds are still common, the decrease has scientists worried.
Leave out CLEAN water for birds in a bird bath or another type of clean ceramic dish. Remember that water can get moldy which can kill the birds, hummingbird sugar water too, so change it every other day.
PHOTO by Dick York
!
Great birding and Hiking ! See EXPLORE PAGE for more about Madera Canyon.
In Southern Arizona, monsoon rains usually come in early July, although the official monsoon season kicks off on June 15 and runs through September 30, with many factors throughout the spring and early summer influencing its exact start. The word monsoon is derived from the Arabic word mausim, which means season. Monsoon thunderstorm activity accounts for two-thirds to three-fourths of the annual precipitation in Southern Arizona, where short-lived, intense monsoon thunderstorms can cause flash flooding in areas with steep terrain, low-lying roads, or normally dry washes. Lightning, hail, dust storms, and strong winds often occur during the monsoon season. Furthermore, it is incorrect to call a single thunderstorm a “monsoon,” rather it is a large-scale weather pattern that causes these thunderstorms.
The dew point can help predict when the monsoon is likely to start. When the dew point hits 55 degrees on three consecutive days, the chance of monsoon rain is high.
Places to see waterfalls after a good rain:
Safety tips:
I was recently asked by someone "how can I help the birds?" While it is sometimes easy to feel helpless, there is so much you can do!! Here are some tips:
- Vote for and support people and organizations who will fight climate change. Climate change is the number one existential threat for not just birds, but all living things, including us.
- Support bird conservation organizations at the local, state, and national levels.
- Keep cats indoors and learn how to protect birds from window strikes.
- Educate yourself about birds, as well as the healing and wellness power of birds and nature so you can educate others.
- Participate in HawkWatch, Citizen Science, such as Project FeederWatch and eBird so scientists can learn more about how birds are doing and what they need.
- Create a bird sanctuary in your own yard with native plantings to help resident, migrating, wintering, and breeding bird species.
- Feed the birds and learn best bird feeding practices to successfully attract the most birds and keep them safe.
- Mentor someone and help them learn about birds, including kids!!
Do not run. Running into a large predator in the wilderness will instantly trigger your fight-or-flight instincts. Follow the former; do not ever turn and run from a cougar. This is certain to trigger the cat’s predator response — they almost universally take prey by chasing and attacking from behind.
Look big. Make yourself look bigger to the cat. Open your jacket, raise your arms and spread your legs, and face the lion at all times. If you have trek poles or any objects handy, wave them around — and be prepared to use them to defend yourself.
Make noise. Speak loudly, and make as much noise as possible. There are plenty of anecdotes of people scaring away mountain lions with loud music (Metallica, in particular) played from a speaker or smartphone.
Maintain eye contact. You may have been told that staring down an animal is considered a challenge that could invite an attack — especially with dogs — but, in this case, maintaining eye contact with the lion is a best practice.
Stand your ground. If the lion challenges you by approaching from a distance, stand your ground. To the lion, only prey animals retreat. Lions don’t recognize a standing human as a typical prey animal. Standing your ground reinforces this fact.
Do everything to fight back. Adult male lions weigh 135 to 175 pounds, while females weigh between 90 and 105 pounds. These are powerful creatures with sharp claws and strong bites, but they aren’t insurmountable — and, if you’re attacked, there’s nothing better to do than to fight back. Mountain lions usually attack the head and neck; do your best to protect these areas by remaining upright and facing the cat during the attack. Use any weapon available to you. A sharp crack to the skull with a rock, or a blow to the body with a pocket knife or any other sharp implement, could be enough to end the attack.
If you see a mountain lion near any area frequented by people, immediately contact your local authorities. If you’re near a state park or forest, contact park officials or your state’s Department of Wildlife. If no contact information for rangers or DNR services are available, or if you see a lion near an urban area, contact your local sheriff’s office or police department — they’ll either respond directly, or contact the appropriate wildlife service.
The Santa Cruz River is the fourthmost endangered river in America, according to American Rivers’ 2024 rankings.
The river conservation nonprofit released its annual America’s Most Endangered Rivers list Tuesday to call attention to 10 of the most at-risk rivers and streams due to drought, pollution and climate change.
Nominated by the Sonoran Institute, the Santa Cruz was listed due to threats to water security and climate change. All rivers in New Mexico were ranked first on the list following a Supreme Court rollback on Clean Water Act protections.
The Sackett vs. EPA ruling left 96% of New Mexico’s streams vulnerable to pollution with potential downstream impacts to the Rio Grande, Gila, San Juan and Pecos rivers, American Rivers said.
“All water is connected. We cannot allow pollution anywhere without risk to the rivers we rely on for drinking water,” said Tom Kieran, president and CEO of American Rivers. “America’s Most Endangered Rivers is a national call to action to defend the streams and rivers on which all life depends.”
The Colorado River in the Grand Canyon was the most endangered river last year. The Colorado has made the list several times, and American Rivers has previously highlighted other Arizona rivers, including the Gila, the Verde and the San Pedro.
Climate change, weakened regulation imperil many rivers
The American Rivers report calls for protection and aims to raise awareness of the 10 rivers featured and conservation for all 3 million miles of rivers across the nation.
The list signals severe degradation to the nation’s waterways, as about 44% are too polluted for swimming or fishing according to the EPA, and freshwatermarine life is going extinct at unprecedented rates. Climate change has spurred severe floods and droughts, and new legal rulings have scaled back protections, worsening water quality, the group says.
The Clean Water Act was enacted in 1948 and implemented pollution control programs to keep waterways clean. It set wastewater standards and made it illegal to release pollutants into navigable waters without a permit.
The 10 most endangered rivers
1. Rivers of New Mexico 2. Big Sunflower and Yazoo Rivers (Mississippi)
3. Duck River (Tennessee)
4. Santa Cruz River (Arizona)
5. Little Pee Dee River (North Carolina, South Carolina)
6. Farmington River (Connecticut, Massachusetts)
7. Trinity River (California)
8. Kobuk River (Alaska)
9. Tijuana River (California, Mexico)
10 . Blackwater River (West Virginia, Virginia)
In 2023, the EPA amended the definition of “Waters of the United States” based on the Sackett vs. EPA decision. It narrowed the scope of waters subject to federal jurisdiction, deeming relatively permanent or continuously flowing waterways “forming geographic features” qualify.
The new definition also states the Clean Water Act only applies to wetlands that are difficult to distinguish from waterways. To nominate waterways threatened in some way, local groups had to prove the river’s importance to people and wildlife, the severity of the threat to the river and community and identify a decision in the next 12 months the public can influence.
Santa Cruz flows with treated wastewater. The Santa Cruz has been revitalized in the last 15 years, but advocates worry climate change and water scarcity could undo years of progress. The river’s perennial flows ceased in 1913 from extreme groundwater use, and seasonal flows followed in 1940. In the following decades, partially treated wastewater was discharged into the river, worsening water quality that endangered the ecosystem and the surrounding communities.
In 2008, wastewater treatment facilities were updated and now provide about 35 miles of perennial flows. As water quality improved, native fish, wildlife and vegetation have returned to the river.
As Tucson relies on water supplies from the dwindling Colorado River, advocates fear less wastewater will be released into the Santa Cruz.
“The water is treated to a really high quality and then released into the Santa Cruz, but you need water in the first place to create the Santa Cruz,” said Luke Cole, Santa Cruz River program director for the Sonoran Institute. “That’s really what the main threat is.”
Why advocates campaign for protection
The Sonoran Institute is campaigning for an Urban National Wildlife Refuge designation to protect the Santa Cruz. If granted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, this designation would provide funding for the federal government to buy parcels of land that would be protected permanently.
National wildlife refuges must be within 25 miles of urban areas and help residents engage with nature and protect wildlife. The designation would allow the government to acquire more property in the future, provide open spaces for wildlife and provide amenities within the refuge.
“We’re seeing people using the river again, native fish, birds and wildlife are coming back,” Cole said. “All of this desert life needs the Santa Cruz River, and the recognition of it through this campaign is a great tool to help people refamiliarize themselves with this system and see the value in it.”
Beyond the potential designation, Cole hopes the Santa Cruz’s place on the endangered rivers list will raise awareness about the threats to the river, and encourage the public to advocate for its survival.
“For me, this is really a rebirth story that deserves to be told,” Cole said. “To see the recovery of the Santa Cruz River in the last 15 years is unlike anything I’ve ever seen before.”
Hayleigh Evans covers environmental issues for The Arizona Republic and azcentral. Send tips or questions to hayleigh. evans@arizonarepublic. com. ---This article was reprinted from The Arizona Republic.
See ar.ticle in NOTICES section for adding your signature or sign here: https://santacruzriver.org/letter-of-support/
Copyright © 2024 tubacweekly.com - All Rights Reserved.
Powered by GoDaddy Website Builder