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The Tubac Nature Center
WHERE IS THE TUBAC NATURE CENTER?
Room B2
Tubac Community Center
50 Bridge Road
Tubac, Arizona 85646
OPEN
Wednesday 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Saturday 10:00 - 12:00
December Activities
Tuesday Bird Walk at 9:00 AM
Thursday Hike at 8:00 AM
Speaker Series - December 17th at 2 pm - A Oaxacan Adventure – Gregg Starr, author and owner of Starr Nursery in Tucson, has traveled extensively in Mexico and the southwestern U.S., studying native plants. Join us as Gregg describes his meanders through the Oaxacan countryside, from the desert vegetation of the Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Valley, south to the landscapes, plants, and geology of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. Meet at the Tubac Community Center Long Room.
Tubac Nature Center Winter Bird Count – December 10-14
Habitat Restoration Monthly Event
December 17, 2025 at 9:00 AM Register here. Meet at Ron Morriss Park.
Message from the President,
We want to start off by thanking you for your support over the past year. With your help, we’ve been able to maintain open hours at the center, continue with our weekly bird walks, Thursday hikes, nature walks, and continue our family programs. We sponsored a wide variety of informative talks last year and this year we have a great line-up of speakers.
We have continued to protect and maintain the 17 acres that we own just south of the community center. We have designated the area a Wildlife Sanctuary with signage. We have continued our effort to preserve and restore the habitat along the river in Tubac and have received a new grant from the AZ Department of Forestry and Fire Management for removal of invasive plants in the riparian zone. We will hold monthly volunteer work events to remove weeds every third Wednesday through the spring. Our grants require matching funds and there is much more work to be done. We invite people to donate specifically to support our conservation efforts.
We are planning to expand our sponsorship of the Tubac HawkWatch this March, with more participants and activities during the peak week of the HawkWatch. Stay tuned for more details on these festivities.
We are working on a revamping of our website through the creative efforts of Sasha Wisdom. She has worked with us on other internet projects.
We have produced our first annual report which discusses all our activities. You can find it at this link.
Please consider continuing to support the Tubac Nature Center by renewing your membership for 2026 today. Membership is $50 per household. We would like to encourage you to give more as all of our programs are free and any extra funding goes toward keeping us moving forward. We are so grateful for your generosity and sincerely thank you for your support. We hope to continue working together to further the important work of the Tubac Nature Center.
You can renew and donate in the following ways:
- Online by clicking our membership page where you can fill out the form and pay via credit card
- Download the membership form by clicking here, fill it out and mail it with a check to: Tubac Nature Center, PO Box 5123, Tubac, AZ 85646
- Stop in to the Nature Center before activities, or during our hours of 10-12 Wed and Sat
Thank you for your support so that we can truly make Tubac the place where Art, History and Nature meet.
Sincerely,
Michael Dunn, President
Tubac Nature Center
December 2025
Community Garden of Tubac
For lot info, contact cgotubac@gmail.com. LOCATED BEHIND TCC ON 50 BRIDGE ROAD
Tubac Nature Center's New Interpretive Signs
www.tubacnaturecenter.org
The Interpretive signage funded in part by the Santa Cruz Valley National Heritage Area.
From the Smithsonian
El Jefe became famous after crossing into Arizona from Mexico in 2011. As the only known jaguar in the United States at the time, he quickly captured national attention, appearing on trail cameras, inspiring the documentary El Jefe of the Mountains, and becoming a symbol in the debate over development in the Santa Rita Mountains.
Take a closer look at the jaguar who became a star: https://bit.ly/4rDg8Zs
Great News for the Middle Santa Cruz
The Santa Cruz River team has unveiled a science-based plan to restore flows to the middle Santa Cruz River, a historically dry stretch from the Santa Cruz-Pima County line to the southern edge of the Tohono O'odham Nation's San Xavier District, using high-quality treated effluent from the Green Valley Water Reclamation Facility. This approach will increase surface flows, enhancing native vegetation, wildlife habitats, and public access. Supported by the Bureau of Reclamation’s WaterSMART program and the Santa Cruz Watershed Collaborative, the project has developed conceptual designs for flow reintroduction. Pima County is advancing permitting processes to implement the initial phase.
This initiative exemplifies how federal investment, and regional collaboration can lead to sustainable, community-supported environmental restoration
American Kestrel (Falco sparverius)
American Kestrel
(Falco sparverius)
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.
Photos (top to bottom) by Doris Evans (female) and Alan Vernon / Flickr Creative Commons License (male), TAS webcam (pair). Text by Keith Ashley, Olya Weekley.
To learn more about the American Kestrel Partner- ship and the decline of this species, please visit kestrel.peregrinefund.org.
To begin contributing to American Kestrel conservation in Arizona or for more information contact us at raptors@azgfd.gov.
Sign up: Support the Santa Cruz River Urban Wildlife Refuge
https://santacruzriver.org/letter-of-support/
Together, we represent thousands of Pima and Santa Cruz County residents who want to see the river corridor protected in perpetuity. The Santa Cruz River Refuge coalition recognizes that the Santa Cruz River has been a storied spiritual and cultural place for the Tohono O’odham and their distinct ancestors, and Pascua Yaqui people from time immemorial. We recognize that the people of the San Xavier District, in particular, have ancestral ties to the flowing Santa Cruz River and the lands around it. The original homeland of the O’odham and their ancestors, including the Hohokam and Early Agricultural People, is located on the river, which they collectively have stewarded for millennia. They continue to access these lands for ongoing cultural and religious practices.
The ecologically and culturally rich Santa Cruz River flows through the heart of Tucson, a fast-growing city of over 1 million people in the greater metropolitan area. After generations of colonization and groundwater overuse, the surface flow stopped running in some areas, with flows all but drying up except during heavy seasonal rains. In 2012, Pima County approved funding to vastly improve the quality of wastewater effluent that was being released into the Santa Cruz River. By upgrading the wastewater treatment facilities—which currently release highly treated wastewater into the Santa Cruz—local leaders, alongside restoration volunteers, created over 25 miles of vibrant habitat that has been foundational to the recovery of native vegetation, wildlife, insects, and migratory bird species.
The Santa Cruz corridor offers abundant recreation opportunities, including birdwatching at Sweetwater Wetlands and cycling and walking along the beloved 137-mile Chuck Huckelberry Loop, a popular paved recreation trail with dozens of access points that runs alongside the Santa Cruz and its major tributaries.
Our vision for an urban national wildlife refuge imagines an archipelago of protected properties along the Santa Cruz River that would offer permanent wildlife habitat and outdoor access. The Tucson land would anchor this “string of pearls,” offering shade, river access, and outdoor education for the neighboring communities. The Santa Cruz River Urban National Wildlife Refuge draws inspiration and lessons from current exemplary restoration work happening along the corridor, including the San Xavier District’s Wa:k Hikdan project.
FROM HAWKWATCH. ORG
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/
Wildlife Emergency
Tucson Wildlife Center
If you have a wildlife emergency, please call our 24/7 helpline at (520) 290-9453. We are available to answer calls and to offer advice. We will travel after hours for emergency wildlife situations if we are available and if the situation warrants. Our hours of admission/intake are from 8am to 5pm daily.
Hello... I'm a bat...
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..
Local Backyard wildlife by Glenn Walen
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
FROM DICK YORK'S BACKYARD
A GRAY FOX photographed by DICK YORK
Dick saw the grey fox run. Run fox, run !
Dick saw the grey fox run. Run fox, run !
Dick saw the grey fox run. Run fox, run !
Dick saw the grey fox run. Run fox, run !
Dick saw the grey fox run. Run fox, run !
!
HELP THE BIRDS SURVIVE THE HEAT
HELP !!! ALL OUR BIRDS ARE THIRSTY and need water to cool off !
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
How to Avoid a Lion Encounter
Painting by David Simons
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.
- Throw objects and retreat. But if the distance between you and a curious mountain lion closes to an uncomfortable degree, it’s time to act in self-defense: Throw rocks, sticks, and other nearby objects in the cat’s direction, and slowly walk backward to put space between you and the cat.
If a Mountain Lion Attacks
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.
Immediately Report All Sightings
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.
wild horse sighting on TUBAC'S ANZA TRAIL
PHOTOGRAPH BY MARY FRANCIS HARRIS
HOW CAN I HELP BIRDS?
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!!
Chasing Monsoon Waterfalls
Santa Cruz Valley National Heritage Org.
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:
- Bridal Wreath Falls in the Rincon Mountains
- Maiden Falls in the Santa Catalina Mountains
- Seven Falls in the Santa Catalina Mountains
- Tanque Verde Falls in the Rincon Mountains
- Romero Falls in the Santa Catalina Mountains
Safety tips:
- Check the weather forecast before setting out.
- Hike in the morning instead of the afternoon, when flooding is more likely to occur.
- If you hear a flash flood, get to higher ground as quickly as possible.
- Keep in mind that stream beds, narrow canyons, and washes can flood quickly.
- If you see an area with flash flood warning signs posted, proceed with caution.
- Remember, it can be raining upstream even if you can't see it, which can cause flooding downstream.