Crews working for Tucson Audubon (TA) have begun removing invasive plants along Sonoita Creek, the start of a two-year effort to clear invasive plants from the riparian area around the creek and replace them with locally harvested Fremont cottonwood seedlings and other native plants.
The crews are working on lands owned by TA, as well as property owned by the Town of Patagonia, The Nature Conservancy (TNC), the Montessori School, and a number of private landowners. The effort will focus on the part of Sonoita Creek stretching from the Patagonia Post Office to the TNC Visitors Center.
There are two projects led by TA, funded by two separate sources. Jay Snowdon, TA project manager for the invasive species removal component, is already at work in Patagonia with his crew. This component is funded by the AZ Dept. of Forestry and Fire Management. They are targeting removal of Siberian elms, tree of heaven, and, when possible, vinca, and clearing underbrush which could be fuel for fires. The trees that crews are removing are being cut into 16-inch logs and made available to residents for free. Snowdon said this work will occur primarily in the winter months of 2023 and 2024.
Cally Wilken and Aya Picket, two TA program managers, are leading the restoration component. Their work is funded by the US Forest Service’s Resource Advisory Committee. There are three focal areas for the restoration work. The first is planting seedling cottonwoods throughout the riparian corridor, sourced directly from young plants on TNC property in order to enhance survival rates. The second is the planting of a variety of native plant species throughout the riparian corridor. The third is planting native food plots for Montezuma Quail on TA and TNC lands along the Creek. The main plants in the food plots will be oxalis, tepary beans, and nutsedge. The seeds for these plots are sourced from the crop (grinding gullet) of Montezuma Quails that hunters have shot and then donated to TA.
The restoration crew will be working intermittently over the two-year project, after the invasive plant removal crew finishes their work on a section. There will be volunteer opportunities to help with the planting, Wilken said.
The scale of the two interrelated projects is significant, with a total investment of $350,000 over two years. Depending on the time of year, there may be up to 12 crew members on the invasive plant removal team and 3-4 crew members on the restoration team working along Sonoita Creek.
TA is aware of potential impacts of the invasive species removal and the planting of native plant species during the mating season of birds like yellow billed cuckoo, which falls just before and during the summer monsoon. Work will be suspended during that time. Snowdon also stressed that both crews hope to collaborate with the local community and are open to suggestions on how to maximize benefits and minimize the temporary disruptions.
Tucson Audubon has a number of partners assisting with the projects: Friends of Sonoita Creek, who helped TA secure the grants and is helping with volunteers; the TNC, who worked with TA on the design, and is all in with their properties along the creek; and Borderlands Restoration Network, who is a source for local native plants.
Work on Sonoita Creek is a win-win-win: first, for the native and migratory flora and fauna that live in its riparian corridor and will benefit from the improved habitat; second, for local businesses that depend on the abundance of wildlife and recreational opportunities for their livelihoods; and third, for residents of Patagonia. The benefits for locals include free, cut firewood, improved walking trails on lands owned by TNC and TA and open to the public, and improved fire prevention through removal of invasive plant materials along Sonoita Creek.
There will be numerous opportunities for volunteers to participate in these projects. As those opportunities arise, they will be posted on Tucson Audubon’s weekly volunteer newsletter and the PRT’s weekly online newsletter.
If you are interested in including your creekside property in the program, have questions about volunteer or educational opportunities, or want to check in about project operations, contact Howard Buchanan at 520-216-7337.