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Photo of the Week
A happy little Vermilion flycatcher at the Hale Ranch. Photo by Teresa Smith
SEFD will begin a district-wide burn ban beginning Thursday, May 1, 2025, and the ban will remain in effect until further notice. For those camping in areas like Rosemont, Empire Ranch/Las Cienegas, Gardner Canyon, and other areas within our district, we ask that you do not light any fires, even in designated fire rings or pits.
Citizen-led Sonoita-Elgin Planning and Preservation Committee holds first town hall
More than 100 people attended the Sonoita-Elgin Planning and Preservation Committee town hall held Tuesday night at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds. The event, facilitated by committee chairman Aaron Gudenkauf (standing, in second photo above), was aimed at soliciting community feedback on priorities related to growth and protection of the area’s resources and landmarks. Future town halls will be announced in the PRT. —Dave Lumia
Finch Disease outbreak at Paton Center ends
Clockwise from top: northern cardinal, Gila woodpecker and lazuli bunting.All photos by Tom Brown
In what is becoming an annual springtime occurrence at the Paton Center, our bout of Mycoplasma Conjunctivitis (aka “Finch Disease”) has luckily ended. All our seed feeders, suet blocks and orange halves are back out for the birds. Fortunately, we did not locate a single bird in the yard that perished from this disease.
The interesting thing about this year’s round of this highly contagious disease, is that it found a method to infect other species of birds. It was nicknamed “Finch Disease” since for most of its history (first identified in 1958), it remained within the finch family. House, Cassin’s and Purple Finches were all that were affected. In the last decade, goldfinches began contracting it, as well as a small population of evening grosbeaks. This year, for the first time in Paton Center history, several other species began catching it, including Gila woodpeckers, lazuli buntings and northern cardinals.
Working with Arizona Fish and Game’s Head Veterinarian and staff from the Wildlife Veterinarian Center at Cornell University, we established a set of protocols to help stop the spread of the disease within the yard and around the community.
We are now seeing many migrant birds showing up, including great numbers of hummingbirds starting to gather at the feeders. We look forward to your next visit to the Paton Center for Hummingbirds!
Local legends to share memories this Saturday at Patagonia Library
Just ask Cynthia Matus-Morriss, who grew up in Patagonia, where family had eyes everywhere.
“My junior year in high school, my dad bought me a 1956, two-door blue-and-white Chevy sedan,” Matus-Morriss wrote upon inquiry regarding her participation in this Saturday’s “Living Legends” event at the Patagonia Public Library. “I was overjoyed.”
Not so happy was she upon returning home—as her hot-rodding ways had been reported to Dad, William “Memo” Y. Matus.
Adios Chevy.
These and other memories of life here will be shared at “Living Legends,” a free event this Saturday, May 3 at 1pm at the Patagonia Public Library. No registration is required.
“Living Legends” is the brainchild of library employee Jade DeForest, who said the series may continue as a monthly/bimonthly event depending on its reception.
In addition to Matus-Morriss, participants at Saturday’s event will include Bob Bergier, Maureen De La Ossa, German Quiroga, Irene Smith and Emma Voss.
De La Ossa, for her part, arrived in Patagonia in 1945 from Rochester, N.Y.
“My grandfather was a fireman in Rochester when fire wagons were pulled by a team of horses,” De La Ossa wrote. And it was through that exposure that her father taught himself about all things equine. And the West— cowboy heaven—seemed like a natural next step.
“Johnny Jones, a rancher in the San Rafael Valley, told him if he could ride the horse in his corral, he could work roundup,” De La Ossa wrote.
He did—both.
Thus began a long association with the San Rafael Valley, her father starting colts at the RO Ranch and her mother serving as roundup cook.
Ocotillo nectar is served
Above: A female broad-billed hummingbird at Raven’s Nest Nature Sanctuary nectars at an ocotillo—a semi-succulent which has evolved to flower during peak hummingbird migration in the Sky Islands. —Vince Pinto
Mountain Empire Rotary Club (MER) is offering local graduating seniors a chance to receive up to $2,000 that can be used toward college tuition. Two scholarships are available.
“These scholarships are intended to recognize graduating seniors who have demonstrated an interest in continuing to develop their own leadership skills and making a difference in their community,” said Mountain Empire Rotary President Annelies Dompe. “The funds can be used to help cover tuition costs whether the students will be attending a technical school, community college or four-year university.”
The application can be obtained by contacting Mary Faley at mufaley@outlook.com. All completed applications must be returned no later than Friday, May 2, 2025. Each recipient can receive $1,000/year for two years.
Eligible students must be graduating from high school, accepted by and plan to attend an accredited post-secondary institution or vocational program, and reside in one of the following ZIP codes: 85611, 85621, 85624, 85637
Upcoming Events
To share information about an upcoming event in this newsletter, please submit a poster/flyer in JPEG or PNG format. Email your submission to prtadast@gmail.com by Monday, 5pm. Remember to submit your event at least one week before the event date. Thank you!
Border BioBlitz and Lens on the Border at BECC May 3: Drop in anytime from 8 AM – 1 PM
Borderlands Earth Care Center (BECC) 59 Stevens Canyon Rd., Patagonia, AZ 85624
Come join a very special citizen science event and help us record the biodiversity of the border region!
BRN is hosting a Border BioBlitz event at BECC in Patagonia on May 3. Join us to discover, record, and share the wealth of the borderlands! All you need is a smartphone and the iNaturalist app.
In addition, we will present the Sierra Club Borderlands’ photo exhibit Lens on the Border, which features vibrant images of the Southwest landscape, the people, and the communities that have been impacted by walls and would be impacted by more border walls. Full details: www.borderlandsrestoration.org/events
There are only a few slots still available in our Seed Pelletization Workshop on Saturday, May 3 from 9am to noon! Join us at the Seed Barn to learn about seed-based revegetation methods and then get your hands dirty making some seed pellets that will be used in a restoration project! Sign up for this workshop through our events page at www.borderlandsplants.org.
Click flyer for more info and to buy tickets
Recurring Events
AA: Alcoholics Anonymous:
Sonoita Bible Church – Tuesdays at 7pm, 3174 N. Doors open at 6:30. Highway 83, Sonoita. Zoom option: 601-758-3907.
Patagonia Methodist Community Church – Thursdays at 6:30pm. 387 McKeown Ave., Patagonia. Contact Dave at 207-249-8302.
Overeaters Anonymous: to find a meeting go to oasouthernaz.org. Contact Adrienne H. for more info 520-404-3490.
The Patagonia Senior Center has received a grant from Delta Dental of Phoenix to help seniors with dental expenses. Vouchers are provided for up to $350 to participating dentists. If interested, please call the Senior Center at (520) 394-2494.
To list an employment opportunity, please contact Nisa Talavera at prtads@gmail.com or 740-206-9594.
We are a mustang and a mule who need your help for approximately 1 hr./day to feed, water & pick up manure. Mon.-Thurs. $25. day. Sonoita 520-975-9920
Family Health Care Amigos/Purple Elephant, a certified charity, seeks a dependable part-time furniture mover for approximately ten hours a month at $20 per hour. Please call 520.256.7213 to set up an interview.
Click flyer for more info
Click flyer for more info
Farmers Markets
Patagonia Farmers and Crafts Market – Thursdays 10am-12pm by Red Mountain Foods.
Sonoita Farmers Market – Saturday Mornings 9am-12pm at the Sonoita Post Office parking lot (NW corner of Hwy 82/83)
For information on advertising in the PRT’s print edition, weekly newsletter, website or a custom package, please contact Nisa Talavera at prtads@gmail.com or 740-206-9594.
Private collector interested in buying good quality minerals from the Patagonia area and other Arizona locations. Please contact Bob Stewart, 315-440-2786 (Sahuarita)
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