Circle Z Ranch is the PRT newsletter’s Premier Sponsor for 2025. We are grateful for their partnership. If you would like to be a newsletter sponsor, click here for more info.
Submissions to the PRT Newsletter: Have something—news (big or small), a photo, a noncommercial or nonprofit event announcement, a birth or wedding announcement, etc.—that you’d like to share with our 2,000 weekly newsletter subscribers? Great! Get in touch with us at prtadast@gmail.com. (Feedback on the newsletter is also always welcome—just send an email to the same address. Thanks!)
Want to know when a new PRT Newsletter is out? You can receive a notice the moment our weekly newsletter is published, conveniently delivered to your email inbox every Wednesday. Click here to go to the sign-up page.
News
Snowy Gambel’s Quail
“Jan. 9: After a dry and particularly warm holiday season, winter finally made its way to the Appleton-Whittell Research Ranch! Although it’s cold, we’re loving the views, and the precipitation is appreciated by even our most desert-adapted residents.” Photo and text: Steven Prager/Appleton-Whittell Research Ranch of the National Audubon Society
Sonoita House a Total Loss in Fire, GoFundMe Set Up for Homeowners
A Sonoita-Elgin Fire District firefighter inspects damage at the Paint Trail house fire on Thursday morning.Photo by Marion Vendituoli
Town of Patagonia Committee to Hold Feb. 4 Workshop on Affordable Housing
Affordable housing in Patagonia will be the main item at the Town Planning and Development Committee’s meeting this coming Tuesday, Feb. 4 at 6pm.
From committee member Nancy McCoy:
This is the first of several workshops to gather information on affordable housing in Patagonia and will focus on three areas of concern to provide a basis for further discussions:
1. Defining what affordable housing is;
2. Presentations by local organizations currently working on housing;
3. Identifying roadblocks to affordable housing.
The workshop format will consist of presentations by invited speakers. Members of the public will be able to ask questions and make comments. The Planning and Development Committee will take no action at this meeting on issues raised.
In-person and Zoom attendance is possible. You may also email your comments/concerns to me, and I will forward them to the other committee members. nancymccoy@hotmail.com
Zoom Meeting I.D. 957-511-4862 Password 338501
For the official agenda of the meeting, click here.
Reminder: Funeral Mass for Lucy Valenzuela Mihalik This Saturday
A funeral mass will be held for Lucy Valenzuela Mihalik on Saturday, Feb. 1 at 10am at St. Theresa’s Catholic Church in Patagonia. A private burial will be held immediately following the mass.
Rotary Collecting Donations for Families Impacted by L. A. Wildfires
The Mountain Empire Rotary (MER) is collecting donations for families impacted by the California wildfires. In partnership with area Rotary Clubs, our goal is to fill a semi-truck with essentials. Requested items include:
For Cleanup:
Shovels
Rakes
Work gloves
Lawn and leaf bags
Cleaning supplies
For Seniors:
Adult diapers
Flushable wipes
Ensure protein drinks
Medical Supplies:
Ace wraps
Glucometers or test strips
Medical tape
Medical gloves
Basics:
Toilet paper
Paper towels
Small Kleenex packets
Chapstick
Pets:
Leashes
Kitty litter
Cat and dog food
Animal blankets
Gift cards and cash donations are appreciated as well. Donations may be dropped off at wineries in Sonoita and Elgin. The deadline for donations is Tuesday, February 4. If you have questions, please call or text (586) 872-8378.
Join us and Jason “the Birdnerd” St. Sauver, Senior Education Manager at Spring Creek Prairie Audubon Center in Nebraska, on Feb. 7 at 5pm, for our next Appleton-Whittell Research Ranch potluck presentation! Jason will discuss several priority grassland bird species, explore how they connect across the country’s grasslands and compare to grassland species of the southwest, and share current tools and techniques used for management and tracking—from fire to bird banding (with some entertaining bird songs and calls thrown in for good measure!). Sign up here: https://bit.ly/2025potlucks
We are progressing nicely on the many improvement projects at the Paton Center for Hummingbirds and many of you have been waiting for us to get the HaikuBox running again. That has now been completed!
For those who don’t know, the HaikuBox is a listening device that continuously records bird calls and songs which then feeds the data to an app and website. Night birds, migrating birds, and other species that might get missed by visitors listening with other apps such as Merlin will all get recorded. The HaikuBox app gives you the option of seeing current or recent bird species recorded, or a list of all the birds ever heard at a site. The app also allows you to check in on other HaikuBoxes across the country, provided the owners have made their location public.
Since the HaikuBox was installed on June 30, 2023, it has recorded 165 bird species. Check it out here: https://birds.haikubox.com/listen/348518978588 The all-time leader is the Lesser Goldfinch, with 202,839 recorded calls! The other birds at the top of the leader board are the Gila Woodpecker (64,626), and the White-crowned Sparrow (63,294). Anna’s Hummingbird is at 41,676, Song Sparrow at 24,726, House Finch at 20,879, White-wing Dove at 16,962, Pine Siskin at 14,909, Northern Cardinal at 13,728, and rounding out the top ten is Inca Dove at 11,793.
We look forward to your next visit, and would be happy to talk with you about this amazing tool to help birders all around the world!
—Tom Brown, Site Manager-Paton Center for Hummingbirds
Hey friends — it’s a new year and we’re back with more FotoFauna highlights, brought to you by … you all! And your wildlife cameras throughout the Sky Islands.
FotoFauna is a growing network of 293 individuals and organizations in the Sky Islands, with wildlife cameras set up in the U.S. or Mexico. It’s easy to get started. Just set up a wildlife camera in your backyard and submit an online monthly checklist of species you observe. In addition to being fun and another way to form community, the data will help us study when and where wildlife is present so we can better protect their habitats.
Could this be the year that you set up a wildlife camera of your own? To learn more about how to join us, visit: https://ow.ly/5C3o50TTLT7
Remember When?
We’ve posted over 3,100 articles from past years’ print editions on the PRT website, with more to come. Take a walk down memory lane with this article from February, 2015…
Community Homes of Patagonia (CHOP) has purchased 0.6 acres of land on the corner of Third and Pennsylvania in Patagonia. The property, known as Gopher Field, is next to the Catholic Church and the senior housing apartments.
CHOP plans to develop from four to eight homes (depending on demand and site configuration) at Gopher Field and sell them to low and moderate income buyers. The homes will be designed to attract people who have grown up in Patagonia and want to stay here, as well as our local teachers, policemen, and others who now cannot afford to live where they work.
Sign-Ups Open for Free 13-Week ‘Universe Within’ Fridays Program for 4th-8th Graders
Click flyer to register
From Mat Bevel Company:
Art and science nonprofit Mat Bevel Company is getting ready to start unit 3 of The Universe Within next Friday, February 7 at the Patagonia Volunteer Fire & Rescue upstairs loft. Students will build sustainable electri-cities on their planets, deciding what natural sources they’ll harvest to power their cities and designing the community layout with natural and built environments. Then, they’ll wire up their communities with lights, buzzers and motors! This is a free 13-week immersive world-building program. We are ordering materials so sign up your 4th-8th graders now. Text Paula Schaper at 520-604-6273 or sign-up online: https://the-universe-within.org/the-power-of-electricity-sign-up/
Elgin School STEAM Night Set for Feb. 6
From Elgin School:
This event is a wonderful opportunity for students, families, and community members to explore Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) through hands-on activities, engaging demonstrations, and fun interactions with professionals from various fields.
We are thrilled to connect this event with our One School One Book title, Malcolm at Midnight by W.H. Beck, with themed activities and snacks! The event is open the public, all community members are welcome. We hope to see you there!
Click flyer for more info
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!
Click flyer to email makeart1@msn.com for more info or to register
Click flyer for more information and to purchase tickets
Click flyer to email makeart1@msn.com for more info or to register
Click flyer to RSVP via email to egallaher.chop@gmail.com
Click flyer for more information and to register
Click flyer for more info and to register
Local Items of Interest
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.
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.
