Founded in 1996, the Sky Island Alliance protects the Sky Island region of southern Arizona and northern Mexico. Bounded by the Rocky Mountains and the Sierra Madre, the Madrean Sky Islands is one of the most biodiverse regions of the world, containing 55 mountain “islands” surrounded by desert and grassland “seas.” The area is home to more than 7,000 species of plants and animals, including jaguar, ocelot, and pygmy owl, but faces many critical threats, including climate change-induced drought, proposed mining projects that would heighten the risk of groundwater depletion and pollution, and increased border militarization that has destroyed habitats and migration corridors for animals. The Sky Island Alliance, which has 11 full-time employees, five interns, and nearly 400 volunteers, engages community members through public education, conservation and research projects (including citizen science), and advocacy for stronger environmental policies.
Volunteers and staff install low-tech rock structures to slow water and erosion and protect a high-elevation spring in the Santa Catalina Mountains. Photo: Louise Misztal
The nonprofit focuses on water, wildlife, and people. Spring Seeker trains volunteers to look for springs and log their conditions through a mobile app. Information about water present and how the site is developed is then used to save springs through restoration actions like planting native plants and slowing erosion. FotoFauna is a network of wildlife cameras that tracks the presence and seasonal movement of more than 43 animal species, drawing from 300 volunteer contributors. The Border Wildlife Study uses 100 cameras to document animal movement along portions of the U.S.-Mexico border, which will provide baseline data on the effects of the border wall in the region and hold authorities accountable to environmental standards. The Sky Island Alliance is actively fundraising to continue the Border Wildlife Study and other cross-border collaborations, including protecting grassland bird habitats and working with ranchers to improve natural resource management strategies in Sonora.