This is the second installment in a series. The first article appeared in the February issue of the PRT.
Being an Earth steward to our two diverse Sky Islands Nature Sanctuaries has been the most rewarding experience of my life.
Starting in 1993 at the 50-acre Raven’s Mountain Nature Sanctuary – located in the eastern foothills of the towering Chiricahua Mountains – I embarked upon a path of healing the land to the benefit of native species. The lessons learned there served me well upon acquiring the 42 acres of Raven’s Nest Nature Sanctuary near Patagonia Lake State Park and the rugged landscape of the 9,500-acre Sonoita Creek State Natural Area. Decades of daily hands-on and intimate interactions with the land have taught me valuable, practical and transformative ecological restoration lessons, as I have endeavored to protect our world-class Sky Islands biodiversity for future generations. Now more than ever, resilient habitats on private property of all sizes are vital links in the chain of local wild lands – key pillars of our biodiversity.
Our guiding vision has been to create a resilient nature sanctuary with self-sustaining habitats – a key puzzle piece in the mosaic of ecosystems that together comprise the Sky Islands region. Improving the overall ecological health of the area for generations to come has been our maxim, a goal bolstered by the strategic location of Raven’s Nest Nature Sanctuary in the heart of the Sky Islands. We strive to serve as a template of ecological restoration practices aimed at protecting, enhancing and artfully managing our diverse habitats.
Upon our arrival, the 42 acres initially bore the unequivocal damage of previous livestock grazing despite having been fenced since the year 2000. Degraded habitats called for our urgent ecological restoration work, addressing years of previous mismanagement. After initially assessing the health of each habitat – mesquite/acacia woodlands, grasslands, canyons, ocotillo forests, and arroyos included – my initial ecological assessment resulted in management strategies to promote optimal levels of biodiversity among various taxa. In short, we wanted the preserve to flourish with as many bird, mammal, reptile, amphibian, invertebrate, plant and fungi species as it could support!
Since habitat loss is a leading cause of species extinction, we committed to strategically planting native species, clustering them in “habitat islands,” which minimizes water usage, while removing all non-native ones. Our long list of restored native species includes: netleaf hackberry, velvet ash, Arizona cypress, scrub oak, alligator juniper, Arizona rosewood, western soapberry, ocotillo, evergreen sumac, wild cotton, desert honeysuckle, various succulents, and many others that collectively provide food, cover and nesting sites to a broad spectrum of wildlife.
Additionally, we sustainably manage the land’s natural resources via our ongoing reuse of logs, dead tree branches, and dry brush. We repurpose them as mulch in our restored habitats and create water-retaining berms in our habitat islands that conserve water and minimize soil erosion. We employ our in-ground compost pile – filled with food scraps and select dead plant parts – to improve soil health, providing nutrients to all of our plantings. Using a “nature first” mentality, which drives our every action, we always choose a low-tech approach to ecological restoration, avoiding bulldozers and other heavy machinery in favor of hand tools and a good workout.
One of the foundations of ecological management for optimum biodiversity is watershed restoration. No matter your location, your land is part of a broader watershed that along with others collectively drains our region. One key principle in our watershed restoration at Raven’s Nest has been to install gray water systems, redirecting and recycling the water from showers and sinks into an effective, passive irrigation system that benefits neighboring native vegetation.
On a larger scale, both passive and active rainwater harvesting and conservation techniques, carefully built throughout our preserve, will continue to greatly benefit a broad spectrum of native plants and wildlife far into the future. The seminal passive rainwater harvesting principle of “planting” otherwise runoff water into the ground via earthen berms, swales, check dams and habitat islands deeply soaks the ground at Raven’s Nest after every rain or rare snow event. The resulting flourish of vegetation serves as a foundation for our diverse wildlife populations.
Actively collected rainwater also supports our organic orchards, edible gardens, and five thriving wildlife ponds that we created. A 20,000-gallon rainwater harvesting system on the lower part of the preserve – positioned near our Sky Islands Discovery Center – collects rain from the building’s 2,000-square-foot metal roof, eventually cycling it back to support our ecological restoration efforts.
Overall, the efficient use and reuse of water throughout Raven’s Nest Nature Sanctuary has led to a breathtaking ecological transformation since our arrival in 2008. Harvested rainwater keeps our restored wildlife habitat thriving while filling our wildlife ponds. The ponds in turn allow terrestrial species to drink and bathe, while aquatic species use them as breed habitat. Collected rainwater has successfully rehabbed a formerly catastrophic, razed area, restoring a part of the land that had been used as a vehicle turnaround prior to our arrival.
Throughout the years, our dedicated efforts have created a firewise landscape. By systematically removing dead branches on many of the hundreds of trees in our woodlands, we have minimized wildfire threats – management actions that will bear benefits for decades. Supporting our fire prevention strategies, we have artfully carved a 6-mile nature trail system, affording access to every habitat in the preserve and aiding our ecological monitoring efforts. Bottom line? The more time you spend outside in your landscape, the more educated your management decisions become.
Our overall ecological restoration efforts at Raven’s Nest have revegetated disturbed areas, bolstered native plant populations, improved various wildlife habitat, helped to recharge the aquifer, supported and built up pollinator populations, and created diverse floral, faunal and fungal communities for generations to come. You can do the same. All it takes is a deep desire to help the Earth and a commitment over time.
One of the many rewards of building your own national park includes keeping species lists – a key management tool to help you monitor wildlife populations. Thus far at Raven’s Nest Nature Sanctuary, we have recorded 170 bird species, 36 mammals, 26 reptiles, six amphibians, 57 butterfly species, and 20 damselfly and dragonfly species. Memorable biodiversity rewards for ecological restoration efforts have included: ornate box turtles, Gila monsters, mountain lions, common gray foxes, bobcats, white-tailed and mule deer, collared peccaries, gray hawks, Mexican ducks, regal horned lizards, elf butterflies, Sonoran desert toads and golden eagles searching for prey.
Every national park obviously has rules, so you should also know what NOT to do. Do NOT let your pets run roughshod over your habitat or chase/kill wildlife. Do NOT let livestock, especially cattle or horses, destroy your habitat. Do NOT feed wildlife, including birds, as the practice spreads diseases. Instead, let your native plants feed various species in accordance with their co-evolution.
Thank you for supporting our biodiversity at a time when habitat destruction is rampant.
Vincent Pinto and his wife, Claudia, run RAVENS-WAY WILD JOURNEYS LLC, their Nature Adventure & Conservation organization devoted to protecting and promoting the unique biodiversity of the Sky Islands region. RWWJ offers a wide variety of private, custom-made courses, birding & biodiversity tours. Visit www.ravensnatureschool.org