volunteers work together to protect & preserve sierra ......canyon echo mailing party....

ArizonAns in Action: in service to nAture & the outdoors

Explore, enjoy, and protect the planet

A Green New Era at the Capitol

http://sierraclub.org/arizona Grand Canyon Chapter Spring 2019

By Jim Vaaler

Sierra Ancha continued on p. 5

Youth from the greater Phoenix area joined youth from around the planet to participate in the Youth Climate Strike with a rally at the Arizona State Capitol in March. The focus of the rally was on action and engaging in or-ganizing around a Green New Deal. Speakers included students, legislators, and activists. Thank you to all of the youth who are speaking up for action

on climate change and telling legislators to either step up or step aside!

The Sierra Ancha Wilderness Area was one of the original wilderness ar-eas designated in 1964 under a newly created law called the Wilderness Act. Prior to 1964, this area was admin-istered by the Forest Service, first as a Primitive Area, and then as a Wild Area. Under these two administrative designations, the Sierra Anchas were subject to the management whims of the Forest Service and were nearly declassified from Wild Area status in the early 1950s, when uranium and asbestos mining was allowed to take place within the boundaries of the area. As a result of this mining, the size of the original Primitive Area was reduced.

To this day there are controversies surrounding this beautiful area in the form of an illegal road. The Tonto National Forest Travel Management Plan has made an attempt at rectify-ing this road problem, however Tonto National Forest has yet to complete its Travel Management Plan, and so far has not addressed the concerns brought to its attention by Sierra Club.

The Sierra Anchas have also been the focus of service. Thank you to all the hard-working volunteers who participated in the many trail main-tenance outings led in the last six or seven years. The work at times was extremely difficult. One trip included a day and a half working on one tree on the Rim Trail. It was not unusual to spend one or two hours using the five-foot-long crosscut saw working on one tree. A special thanks is due to Jerry Nelson who brought his saw back from his family farm in Iowa to help cut some of the larger trees. The trails were in pretty good shape at the start of 2016, but then along came the Juniper Fire in June of 2016. It burned a large part of this Wilderness Area and so re-clearing almost all of the trails was required. With the help of the Forest Service and a couple of different volunteer groups, the trail system is now in reasonably good shape.

A new phase of our volunteer work has started. Many of the trail signs were destroyed in the Juniper

Photos courtesy of Aditi Narayanan.

Volunteers Work Together to Protect &Preserve Sierra Ancha Wilderness

2 Sierra Club Grand Canyon Chapter

http://sierraclub.org/arizona

GRAND CANYONCHAPTER

Chapter Director Sandy Bahr 602-253-8633 [email protected] Conservation Program and Communications AssistantLydia Wilson 602-253-9140 [email protected] Canyon Conservation Program CoordinatorAlicyn Gitlin 928-774-6514 [email protected] Conservation Program ManagerDan Millis 520-620-6401 [email protected] Water Sentinels Program CoordinatorJennifer Martin 602-254-8362 [email protected] Southwest Local Outdoors CoordinatorSergio Avila 520-624-7080 [email protected]

Arizona Chapter Action Directory

2019 Group Voting Representatives to Chapter Ex-Com (see pp. 12–13 for contact information):

Flagstaff/N AZ: Joe Shannon Rincon: Meg Weesner Sedona/Verde Valley: Brian MyersPalo Verde: Don Steuter Saguaro: Doug Murphy Yavapai: Tom Slaback

(xc) 2019 Chapter Executive Committee (ExCom) members

DCPC: Diversity and ConservationProject Committee

ScottsdaleCave Creek

Tucson

Chapter AnnouncementsAPR 6-7 (SAT–SUN) Chapter Conservation (SAT) and Executive Committee (SUN) meetings. Club leaders meet to consider matters related to statewide conservation efforts, share experiences across groups, and coordinate strategy to align our Chapter mission and goals with that of national Sierra Club. For more information, contact Don Steuter at 602-956-5057 or [email protected] or Keith Bagwell at 520-623-0269 or [email protected]. Meetings will be held in Tucson.

APR 10, MAY 8 (WED) 6:30 p.m. Political Committee meetings. Help us elect more environmentally-friendly candidates! If you are interested in helping improve the political climate in Arizona, consider being part of our Political Committee! All Sierra Club members are welcome to participate. Contact Korey Hjelmeir at 480-734-0926 or [email protected].

APR 23, MAY 28 (TUE) 6:30 p.m. Energy Team meetings. Discussions, programs, and field trips encompass renewable energy and energy efficiency campaigns nationally and locally. Everyone is invited to participate, no matter how much or how little you know about energy issues. For more information, please contact [email protected] or 602-253-8633.

APR 29 (MON) 5:30 p.m. Publications Committee meeting. Have an idea? Help plan future issues of Canyon Echo! Contact Meg Weesner at 520-576-2083 [email protected].

JUN 1 Copy deadline for Summer 2019 Canyon Echo. Articles, art, photographs, poetry, essays, and brief epiphanies are welcome. Contact the editor before submitting at 602-253-9140 or [email protected] to discuss word count, photos to include, licensing, issue topics, and to request submission guidelines.

JUN (TBD). Canyon Echo Mailing Party. Volunteers save the Chapter hundreds of dollars by preparing Canyon Echo for mailing. Thank you! The job is easy to learn, and we all have a great time. Any amount of time that you’re available is appreciated. Contact Jerry Nelson at 602-550-0282 or [email protected] for details.

Canyon EchoSpring 2019Vol. 55 No. 2

Canyon Echo © 2019. Canyon Echo (ISSN 0164-7024) is published quarterly for Sierra Club members by Sierra Club Grand Canyon Chapter, 514 W. Roosevelt St., Phoenix, AZ 85003. Phone: 602-253-8633. Printed at Valley Newspapers.

Front page banner designed by Erika Gronek.

Printed on 100% recycled paper with soy ink.

Editor: Lydia Wilson602-253-9140, [email protected]

DEDICATED VOLUNTEERS

Outings Editor/Mailing Organizer: Jerry Nelson602-550-0282, [email protected]

Copy Editor: Kurt Florman

Publications Chair: Meg Weesner520-576-2083, [email protected]

Publications Committee: Keith Bagwell, Sandy Bahr, Gary Beverly, Kurt

Florman, Chris Gehlker, Amelia Hirsch, Tiffany Sprague, Jon Findley, Toni Hefer, Jerry Nelson

Webmaster: John Sheffield [email protected]

SUBSCRIPTIONS: Annual dues to Sierra Club are $39 (including $1 for Canyon Echo). Subscription rate for non-members is $10. Send check payable to Sierra Club - Canyon Echo, 514 W. Roosevelt St., Phoenix, AZ 85003.

ADVERTISING: Advertising is sold on a first-come, space-available basis. The editor reserves the right to refuse any advertisements, and inclusion of advertisements does not imply endorsement by Sierra Club. All interactions between advertisers and consumers are solely the responsibilities of those parties.

SUBMISSIONS: Send electronic or hard copies to the editor (include a self-addressed stamped envelope for return of hard copies). Indicate copyright or Creative Commons preference. We are not responsible for lost or damaged items. Writer’s guidelines can be obtained by contacting the editor. All rights to publication of articles in this issue are reserved. The deadline is the first day of the month preceding the issue. Opinions expressed in Canyon Echo are those of the contributors and do not necessarily reflect the official views or policies of Sierra Club.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes and postage due to Sierra Club Member Services, c/o Canyon Echo, P.O. Box 421041, Palm Coast, FL 32142-6417. Periodicals postage paid at Phoenix, AZ.

CHAPTER OFFICES & COMMITTEE CHAIRSChair: Keith Bagwell (xc) 520-623-0269 [email protected]: David McCaleb (xc) 602-840-7655 [email protected]: Elna Otter 520-212-9736 [email protected]: Don Steuter 602-956-5057 [email protected]/Membership: Kathy Mohr-Almeida (xc) 480-329-8503 [email protected]: Kenneth Langton (xc) 520-749-3829 [email protected]: Oscar Medina (xc) 520-903-8005 [email protected]: Jim Vaaler (xc) 602-553-8208 [email protected]: Korey Hjelmeir 480-734-0926 [email protected] Jenny Cobb 928-925-1320 [email protected] Large: Richard Toll Ward (xc) 520-268-4047 [email protected]

Bev Full (xc) 480-221-2554 [email protected] Vazquez Salas (xc) 623-302-6889 [email protected]

Prescott

PALO VERDE

YAVAPAI

SEDONA/ VERDE VALLEY

Phoenix

FLAGSTAFF/ NORTHERN AZ

SAGUARO

RINCON

Winter 2017 Canyon Echo 3


Sierra Club Board of Directors Election is Underway – Vote!

The Sierra Club is a democratic, grass-roots organization–we, all Sierra Club members, elect our leaders. The annual election of the Club’s national Board of Directors is underway online and most of us will have received a ballot in early March. Each year we elect five of the Board’s 15 members and your votes are needed to get the best candidates into office.

Your ballot includes information on the candidates. Each candidate provides a statement about themselves and their views on the issues on the official election ballot. You can learn more by asking questions of your group and chapter leadership and other experienced members you know. You can also visit the Club's election web site for additional information about candidates at http://www.sierraclub.org/board/election.

In a typical year fewer than 10% of eligible members vote in the Board elections. A minimum of 5% is required for the elections to be valid. That means your participation is important to the voting process.

As a democratically structured organization at all levels, the Club requires a regular flow of views on policy and priorities from its grassroots membership in order to function well. Yearly participation in elections at all Club levels is a major membership benefit.

If sending in your ballot by postal mail, please note your ballots must be received by no later than Election Day, April 24, 2019. That also is the last day you can vote online.

Winter 2019

Grand Canyon Chapter – What’s Going On?

2 Chapter Announcements

4 Thank You!

6 Happy 100 GCNP

6 How Natural Disasters Have Shaped Us

7 The Power of Citizen Science

7 Opinion: Google’s Secret Evil

8 New Trails in Flagstaff

9 Día del Jaguar

10 Group Happenings

12 Environmental Day

13 Keeping an Eye on SRP

14 Hikes and Outings

16 Service Outings

Host or Come to an Action Party!

Do you want to act on climate? Do you enjoy writing, calling, or tweeting actions on energy, wildlife, public lands, and more? Want to let your elected officials know that you care about clean air and clean water? Would you enjoy getting to know other activists? If the answers are “Yes,” then please consider hosting an Action Party. You can host in your home, at a public venue, in your favorite coffee shop, or, a neighborhood park. All you have to do is set the time, location, and issue focus. We will help with talking points and sample letters and can help with promoting it, as needed.

Writing a letter to the editor is an opportunity to help spread public awareness in your own voice on important issues. Contacting your elected officials at the federal, state, and local level lets them know that Arizonans care about protecting this place we call home and all that depend on a healthy environment.

For more information on hosting or participating in an action party near you, please contact Sandy Bahr at (602) 253-8633 or [email protected].

Summer 2018Spring 2019

Sierra Club members send a message to Senator McSally. Photo by Sandy Bahr.

Chair: Keith Bagwell (xc) 520-623-0269 [email protected]: David McCaleb (xc) 602-840-7655 [email protected]: Elna Otter 520-212-9736 [email protected]: Don Steuter 602-956-5057 [email protected]/Membership: Kathy Mohr-Almeida (xc) 480-329-8503 [email protected]: Kenneth Langton (xc) 520-749-3829 [email protected]: Oscar Medina (xc) 520-903-8005 [email protected]: Jim Vaaler (xc) 602-553-8208 [email protected]: Korey Hjelmeir 480-734-0926 [email protected] Jenny Cobb 928-925-1320 [email protected] Large: Richard Toll Ward (xc) 520-268-4047 [email protected]

Bev Full (xc) 480-221-2554 [email protected] Vazquez Salas (xc) 623-302-6889 [email protected]



Thank You to Our Donors!

The Morning Stars Sing Together ($500+)David M BixbyEric CoonsEd GogekJ Grossman & H MechanicDavid McCalebJerry NelsonElizabeth J StewartWalt WictorJanet WitzemanKris Wolfe

Make the Mountains Glad ($100–$499)Sandy Bahr & David KommElizabeth BaldwinSat Sansar Singh BestDr Gary & Molly BeverlySusan BoydTom BrysaczPeter & Barbara Burkholder

Roger CarterMargaret Gay ChanlerDavid & Lisa CherneyGary ChristmanGerald D CoxAndre DargisSandra De NeuiMargaret R. DiazLorna FalkensteinAlvin R FinkelsteinRick FreasCraig FriesnerBruce & Peggy FlockenJohn GausmanShelly GordonGayle G HartmannJames HenriksenRichard B JacobsCarl KanunBarbara KellyJohn KellyMs Susan KettlewellR Kloppinger & R KuerzelSusan KozacekR Kulakofsky & J SawyerAngela & Paul LefevreMarty LiebermanSharon Lohr & Douglas Blount

Annie McGreevyJane McNamaraSally MerrillB K Miller & S TrimbleMike MulroyEve MurilloJames NafzigerWayne NelsonJasper NorrisJeff PeltzKatya PetersonCarole Piszczek-SheffieldLinda & J Michael PowersMichael QuinlanSheila RandallRobert ReismanTom & Barbara RichardsonRobert & Donna RobbFelecia RotelliniPamela & Philip RupprechtMs Claire SargentJane SchwerinDavid ShaneThomas & Barbara ShermanLouisa StarkLouise SteeleGary SteenRoz Switzer

Jerry & Ruth Ann ThackerDouglas W TrinderRichard & Zella UsherDrs. Tuber & SchechtmanBruce J VillereEdgar WalterDuffie WestheimerAnastatia WalshGary Wright

Keep Close to Nature’s Heart ($50–$99)Phil AhlstrandStuart & Cindy AltDavid AshbySergio AvilaPat BarrySusanna & Charles BeattyDr J P Bierny & C TanzMargaret BoyceSid BucherJan BuckwalterS & C Carl-MitchellJanice E CattJohn ChaseNancy ChristieScott J CooleyRebecca DaughertyNancy DeemLynn DeMuth & Eugene MertzR A Dittberner & Deni HarrisRobert & Barbara DonahueDavid DuffeeAlan DulaneyRandy FilipicDaniel L FischerMary FosketChris & P E GehlkerDr Gregory GessayCharles & Mary GrafErik GrantJeffrey & Kimberly GroutClaude D HaynesChristopher & Sharon HeldSally HillsDon & Linda BentleyLeslie HudakDiane HuffmanElizabeth HunterMarion Hunt-KummSteven Ketchel

Sandy HughesJanette HuntingtonMichele HoldenLaura KeyTyler & Katrina KokjohnLaurinda LanzaGeorgette LarrouyHarry LumleyMarvel StalcupEligh MasaquaptewaKaren McclellandShauna McIsaacPaddy McKeagLoretta MerrellDan Millis & Kate Van RoekelScott MittelsteadtJoy MockbeeElena MoshinskyMark Mulligan & Toni RamseyJanice E. MyersBich Hoa NguyenStephen NunnJim McPherson & Elna OtterBecky PetersSteve Pinedo

Judy & Ken AhlbergFannie AllenJulie AllenCraig AndersonJennifer AndersonJesse AndersonSergio AvilaAndrew BernierRebecca BerryDr Gary & Molly BeverlyLynne BlairDoug BlandSusan BriggsElizabeth BromleyJan BuckwalterVictoria CahillDavid CardinaliKen CollierBarbara Bingham DeutscherRoxane GeorgeRobert GilliamPaul GlavesMartin HaleySadie HansonJ Haupert & J SowardAntoinette Hefer

Thank you to our monthly donors!

NOTE: These lists include donations received from December 10 through March 20.

Thank you to all who donated to protect our borderlands.

City of BisbeeLinda Crouse

Vicki Rapp GabrielsonLaurie Jurs

Kathleen McCallieRobert and Julia Millis

Dan Millis & Kate Van Roekel

Michael J PopeLisa ReyesNyssana ReyesPeter RoccoPatricia RomeroLeilani RothrockJohn SeamonMolly & James SheedyGary SilvermanRebecca Smith GrossTiffany SpragueHarry StacyAlice & Karl StambaughMr & Mrs Joseph KastingDeborah StinerMargaret StoneG. Marie SwansonPatricia VanmaanenKendra ViningDale & Christine VolzJudith & Richard WatsonMeg WeesnerJudith L WilloughbyLydia WilsonK M Wyly and A StumpfRobert Zaccaria



Winter 2019Rosemary KistMichael L KottkeDavid LangleyJulie LeiterRichard LewisJohn LippertM Charron & R LuceRonald & Susan MarkRobert MawkJerry McCoyAnn McDermottDiana A McHenryN Mckean & J BellingerCarol & Joe MelilloKaren & Cecil MichaelDrs. Bernard & Linda MorenzRobert MorrisLeo NistasSandra F NovakJohn F PeckKathryn PensingerJoan RobertsHelen RogersJim RutherfordBarbara SausenJames and Patricia SchumannPhillip D SeegerBarbara SeeseMildred J StarrettCharles SteakDon SteuterArthur SwansonMichael TamarackRuth and Rick TilmanDonald ValentineRoger Van HorsenRobert C VanvoorheesFred & Sheryl VrbaMary WalkerWally WarnkeDr Barbara WarrenGene I WendtCathy WilliamsLouis Woofenden

Hitched to Everything Else in the Universe ($1–$49)Diane AbazarniaLinda AnestasiChris And Beverly AppletonMary AxeAnn AycockLorraine BackmanB BarnesBryan BatesRobert BatesDeron BealDiane G BeattyAmee Beck

The Grand Canyon Chapter is also thankful for the generous support from those who chose to remain anonymous.

Thank you to all who donated toour Political Action Committee.

Jan BuckwalterNancy Chidester

Stephen JohnstonLee Oler

Thank you to all who donated to support our Water Sentinels.

IntelRiester Conservation Foundation

Katherine Pawlowski

Summer 2018Spring 2019Judith K. BeckerAl BellaviaDorothy BlakeLawrence BleikliSteven & Fay BlumMarilyn BonineMs Bonnie BowenJudith M BowersDiane BradshawRussell BradshawJulie BrammerDr Robert BreaultBeth BruceKarl BruecknerMartha Callaghan-ChaffeeLisa & Tom CambronLee CampbellDennis ChandlerMary Chee-SandellThomas ClemanDr Lawrence CohenKris ColeRobert M ConwayMark CoryellMichael CurranJack CurryFrederick Davis Robert DelcarloRichard A DemersRobert DonofrioJack DooleyRichard Dunie & Deanna RosenDuane EdigerDr Sandra EikerJeanne FernandezMaureen FisherAna FloresRonald and Linda FolkweinJo Ann ForristalClaire FosterDorothy A FosterIlona A FrearIrma Frederick

Joel FreyMr. & Mrs. Marlin FriedMichael & Sue GeorgeJane GrahamV L GreenfieldGloria GuilloryGary HancockLynne HarrisonBarbara HarperSonyia HartwellCharles & Patsy HeacoxDavid HoernerW HornPaul HoytAnne JehleFrank JentsSandra JohnsonOla JonesJules KetchamWill KocsovskyBeatrice LangmadeFlorence LemkeKathleen LemoineGreg LewisLarry LohmanJanice LoveDonna LucasLynn MacDonaldJudith MaedaKristine MaishLinda MillerJill MarloweTim & Rita MathisLynda McEvoySusan MorrisVikki & Donald McCloudAndrew MeansHector MelendezJohn & Mary Ann MeyerV Middleton & T MonsonLarry A MorrisCarroll MunzMary NapierDavid NewarkJill NewbyMs Karen O’haraJen OrcuttLucy OxenhandlerJohn D Palmer MDSusan PasternackKenneth R PeresJan Peterson

Joe PfeiffElaine PowersMaureen & Peter PriceKatherine RayCrystal RichtMartin RickmanHelene RollinsJohn RunbergEmily SamaniegoJoan SamuelsonMary SanchezSuzanne SelbyJames M. SheaPatricia SinelliBarbara SinyellaWilliam SissonMichael B SmithRuth SwansonMarty SwartzRon TaylorBarbara TellmanDianne VaisRichard VandyneLogynn T VanwellsKate Von GuntenRichard WaldingerMarilyn WeissmanAlynne WellsTimothy WelshJ K Whitehouse & B WhiteGary & Corinne WilsonHugh WilsonLloyd & Sara WisdomGerald WooldridgeRobert Zech

Fire. So the focus will now be on replacing these signs. They have been made by volunteers in Payson and are ready to be put in place. This project will not end with the placement of these signs, but will be ongoing, as I am sure there will always be a few trees to remove from the trails. Volun-teers look forward to giving the El Rey Restaurant in Miami more business, as that is the restaurant of choice at the conclusion of the trail maintenance outings.

Jim is the Chapter Wilderness Chair and the Palo Verde Group Outings/Wilderness Chair.

Sierra Ancha continued from p. 1



February 26, 2019 was the 100th Anniversary of the establishment of Grand Canyon National Park. To commemorate this occasion, U.S. Representa-tive Raúl Grijalva, Chair of the House Natural Resources Committee, announced legislation that would place a permanent moratorium on new mining claims on public lands in the Grand Canyon region. Grijalva made the announcement at the Canyon where he was joined by Havasupai, Hualapai, Hopi, and Navajo leaders, environmental advocates, other elected officials, and park visitors. Chair Grijalva’s bill, HR1373: the Grand Canyon Centennial Protection Act, will make the 20-year moratorium established in 2012 by then-Interior Secretary Ken Salazar permanent. All told, the legislation would protect approximately one million acres of public lands north and south of the Grand Canyon. Uranium mining on public lands surrounding the park threatens to disrupt, deplete, and pollute aquifers that feed springs and streams in the Grand Canyon. Mining also poisons wildlife, fragments wildlife corridors, and industrializes iconic landscapes that are sacred to regional cultures. Now let’s get this bill passed!

“How, in the face of catastrophe, do we help ourselves and the people around us survive and make a bet-ter life?” (Big Ones, pg. 12). This is the premise of Dr. Lucy Jones’ book, which mirrors Malcom Gladwell’s stylistic writing with a natural disaster focus predominantly on earthquakes.

The book begins with a description of the Pompeii eruption. Next, Dr. Jones describes a massive flood that took place in the Sacramento area in 1861–1862. The author then describes a massive earthquake that took place in Japan in 1923 and how people blamed divine forces for the event.

The Big Ones: How Natural Disasters Have Shaped Us (And What We Can Do About Them)By Kathy Mohr-Almeida The author reviews Hurricane Ka-

trina, the levy that broke, and discuss-es recent earthquakes in California.

One of the biggest points the author makes over and over is that hu-man nature tends to blame the victim in order to psychologically inoculate ourselves into thinking that a natural disaster that took place can never hap-pen to us. “When prayers fail and the catastrophe is upon us, we seem inca-pable of accepting that it is inexorably, infuriatingly random.” (pg. 10)

Dr. Jones suggests that communi-ties be as prepared as possible for catastrophe. The last chapter describes proactive steps communities can take as prophylactic measures against natu-ral disasters. She suggests that people recognize the capricious nature of natural disasters and become comfort-able with the fact that a natural disas-

Happy 100th Annniversary Grand Canyon National Park!Legislation to Permanently Protect the Canyon Introduced at Centennial Celebration

ter can happen to anyone, anywhere. She encourages retrofitting buildings for seismic resilience. She suggests a plan for a city-wide, solar powered Wi-Fi as a backup for when cell tow-ers run out of their four-hour backup power, and better management of flood plains and warning systems for tsunamis and hurricanes.

The author indicates that local government may be poorly equipped to manage a natural disaster, and that it should be up to the community members to push elected officials to have a disaster plan in place. She sug-gests engagement with local leaders to lessen the impact of a natural disas-ter, lest it become a catastrophe. The author also suggests building strong neighborhoods as part of a natural disaster mitigation plan. She warns the reader to remember that natural di-

sasters are more than the actual event; we must plan for, respond to and recover from a natural disaster. Finally, the author suggests that an overreli-ance on systems to meet emergency response needs is not a proactive plan. She tells the reader to take responsi-bility for themselves. “Others can give you information, and you could and should do what you can to understand it. But ultimately the action has to be yours.” (pg. 223)

If you enjoy seismology and preparedness, this book is for you. I found it to be a tedious read and felt let down that the main catastrophe focused on was earthquakes, when cli-mate change is the single most impor-tant issue facing humanity at this time.

Kathy is the Chapter Membership Chair and the Palo Verde Group Chair.

Photos by Sandy Bahr.




Hundreds of thousands of visitors each year enjoy the dramatic desert landscapes and biodiversity at Scotts-dale’s 30,500-acre McDowell Sonoran Preserve. The combination of a high volume of visitors and high biodi-versity has generated real challenges for the City of Scottsdale’s Preserve Management Team. How do they provide a great user experience while also preserving the biodiversity of the Preserve?

Biodiversity preservation requires an understanding of the resources be-ing preserved and the implementation of suitable management practices. It is best addressed through continual research, scientific analysis, and moni-toring. To meet the city’s challenges, in 2010 the McDowell Sonoran Conservancy created the McDowell Sonoran Conservancy Parsons Field Institute as its research center. The Field Institute, in turn, developed a citizen science program modeled after the Conservancy’s volunteer program.

The citizen science program sup-ports the Field Institute by recruiting volunteers to participate in scientific

The Power of Citizen Science

research projects led by Field Institute scientists or its partners. A partner can be an academic faculty member, a governmental or private sector scientist, or a subject-matter expert. Research efforts are focused in two main areas: monitoring the effects of urbanization and climate change by assessing species occurrence and composition over time; and establish-ing best practices for the restoration of degraded areas, and for mitigation and removal of the most problematic invasive species.

Science-based management of the Preserve would be impractical with-out the Field Institute and its citizen science program. Multiple aspects of the program make it very appealing to researchers. Citizen scientists:

• have longevity, often remain-ing in the program for years;

By Debbie Langenfeld

“More carbon dioxide will help ev-eryone, including future generations of our families” is just a sample of the many statements from the po-dium and from pamphlets distributed at LibertyCon, a convention of and for climate deniers.

Sponsors of the convention include organizations that one would expect: the Mercer Family Founda-tion, the Charles Koch Institute, the

Google’s Secret Evil: Tech Giant Funds Climate DenialBy Chris Gehlker

• contribute an average of 9000 hours/year to research;

• are trained on basic scientific and ecological concepts followed by focused project specific training;

• gain cumulative knowledge and experience by working on a wide variety of projects;

• work with and learn from multiple scientific partners over time, and the partners become familiar with and confident in their ability;

• develop subject matter exper-tise from their project experience and can deal with ambiguous situations without constant assistance from a scientific partner or staff member; and,

• over time, participate in the full range of scientific work by re-viewing available literature, helping to plan experiments, collecting and ana-

lyzing data, and coauthoring papers and presentations.

With permanent citizen scien-tists experienced in structuring and performing project work, research-ers need to do less project planning, scheduling, and management. They can, instead, focus on the science.

With the help of more than 100 participants each year, the citizen science program has blossomed and evolved into an organized, focused program that can support the chang-ing needs of the Parsons Field Institute and partners. The level of involvement, dedication, and passion of citizen scientists is what makes the program truly unique and successful.

Debbie is the Citizen Science Chair for McDowell Sonoran Conservancy

Heartland Institute and the Heritage Foundation. There were also some unexpected sponsors: Google and Microsoft.

Google chairman Eric Schindler has said of climate deniers “they’re just literally lying,” but Google funds them anyway. Google’s public ex-planation, “Every year, we sponsor organizations from across the political spectrum to promote strong technol-ogy laws,” doesn’t make sense. One would think that preserving tech-

nological civilization in the face of climate change would be in Google’s interest.

Take Action: Google has their corporate finger in many pies but the bedrock of their business is their search engine. A boycott of that will strike at their heart. (1) Change your search engine, not necessarily your browser, to any of the fine alterna-tives. (Do not choose Bing, because Microsoft also donated to that con-vention). (2) Contact Google and let

them know why you are doing this. You might say that when they fix the problem of climate change deniers rising to the top of their searches you will again use their services.

There are many fine alternatives to Google and Bing. One, despite its name, is DuckDuckGo. Instructions are on its website.

Thank you for doing this.

Citizen Scientists collect ground-dwelling arthropod samples to assess the pop-ulation at the urban edge vs. the Preserve interior. Photos by Debbie Langenfeld.

Citizen scientists work with Field Institute research partner Dr. Anita Antoninka of Northern Arizona University to layout plots at Scottsdale Community College for soil crust cultivation experiments.

Chris Gehlker is the Vice-Chair of the Palo Verde Group.



3.

Debbie McMahon is the fantastic new outings leader of the Flagstaff Northern Arizona Sierra Club group. Since moving back to Flagstaff three years ago, Debbie has been active in the Sierra Club and participating in many other outdoor groups, lead-ing bird walks for the local Audubon Society, the Flagstaff Hiking Club (which has, unfortunately, since dis-banded), and R2R, a local women’s hiking group. With experience and an overall enjoyment of the outdoors, Debbie is the ideal outings leader. After taking several online first-aid classes, Debbie was ready to go: rain or shine, “We’re still going!”

Thus far, Debbie has led two trips: in December a hike through the Strawberry Crater Wilderness area, and in February a snowshoeing adventure to Walker Lake north of Flagstaff. These outings will continue once per month for the next year, and

Exploring New Trails with the Flagstaff/Northern AZ Group

By Amelia Hirsch

hopefully, with the same delight as they have so far.

REI has long been a supporter of the Sierra Club, but its now co-sponsoring these great outings. This partnership began when Debbie put up a flier on the REI bulletin board advertising the potential trips and was told to talk to their Outdoor Expert. This led to a partnership with REI, specifically its Outdoor Program and Outreach Coordinator, Justin Ingles. They have provided some of the ma-terials for the outings, such as snow-shoes and poles, free of charge and are happily continuing to do so. Many times Debbie has emphasized the part REI has played in orchestrating these

outings, and her gratitude of their generosity, information, and support.

Debbie McMahon and Carrie Steele led the hike to Strawberry Crater Wilderness Area on Decem-ber 1, 2018, on what started out as a cold and windy day. At the trailhead, however, it was warm and sunny, and they all enjoyed the 1.1-mile hike, basking in the fantastic views of the San Francisco Peaks, Sunset Crater, the Painted Desert, and the mesas of the Little Colorado River.

By Debbie’s second outing, Febru-ary 16, 2019, snow had fallen, creating a beautiful backdrop for the snow-shoeing adventure. Though it was the first time snowshoeing for many in

the group, everyone enjoyed the snow, the blue skies contrasting the snow-capped San Francisco Peaks, and just being in the great outdoors.

On every hike, Debbie spotlights the importance of respecting Nation-al Parks and Wilderness areas. This includes leaving no trace, treading lightly, and–in our many archaeologi-cally significant sites–leaving behind anything that may have been found. Most importantly however, these out-ings emphasize Debbie’s core mes-sage: “explore, enjoy, and protect our planet.”

Amelia is a member of the Sierra Club Grand Canyon Publications Committee.

Snowshoers on a Sierra Club outing to Walker Lake. Photos courtesy of Debbie McMahon.

El Día del Jaguar is an annual celebration in Alamos Sonora, and a call for the conservation of the jaguar and its native lands. Photos by Bill Hatcher.




The Jaguar Has its Day at “Día del Jaguar”By Dan Millis & Sergio Avila

El Día del Jaguar is an annual celebration in Alamos Sonora, and a call for the conservation of the jaguar and its native lands. Photos by Bill Hatcher.

Jaguar continued on p. 13

Sierra Club has been leading the way for borderlands conservation for more than a decade, which is why we were invited to Alamos, Sonora to celebrate one of the largest, most magical creatures of the region: the jaguar. It was an opportunity for us to share the work we do to stop the border wall and to promote and cel-ebrate vibrant border communities. The people who live here and the jaw-dropping landscapes are the stars of the borderlands, and are front and center in Sierra’s Lens on the Border photography exhibit.

Jaguars are well-known as the big, black-on-orange spotted, elusive cat in the jungles of the Amazon River basin and Central American tropical forests. It may be hard for some to imagine jaguars roaming the dry So-noran Desert, but they do, and they have for thousands of years. People living in Sinaloa, Chihuahua, Sonora, Arizona, and beyond come together every year to celebrate the presence and persistence of this mystical, legendary animal on the Day of the Jaguar – El Día del Jaguar.

Skirting rocky mountain ranges and crossing riparian waterways brim-

ming with vegetation, we paralleled the jaguar’s most northerly move-ment routes on our trip south to Alamos, Sonora. There, Nature and Culture International had invited us to speak and to share the Lens on the Border photo exhibit at the fourth annual event. National Geographic’s Bill Hatcher, one of eight photogra-phers featured in Lens on the Border, joined us for the trip.

Much of the jaguar’s northern habitat lies on both sides of the line in the Mexico-U.S. borderlands. Con-servation in Mexico has a few differ-ences from the United States. There are no public lands administered by government agencies. Natural protected areas, like National Parks or Biosphere Reserves, are in fact private lands managed in coordina-tion with government agencies. The culture of philanthropy differs from that in the United States, which can limit the capacity of landowners and non-governmental organizations to effectively manage and protect the species and its habitat.

U.S. border walls and militarization policies worsen the jaguar’s plight, threatening to end its existence in the U.S. altogether. Día del Jaguar is spe-

cial and important, for jaguar protec-tion, and as a source of information, inspiration, and education.

What we experienced in Alamos was a picturesque colonial town nestled among the arroyos, ravines and mountains of the northernmost deciduous tropical rain forest in the Americas. “Founded” by missionaries and Spaniards in the 1600s as a min-ing and financial hub, the area had already been populated for centuries by Mayo and Guarijío people who have lived in harmony with the land and the enormous sacred cats that have always been there.

During the festival, we were both given the opportunity to acknowledge the land and its people in lectures to the assembled jaguar enthusiasts, and we had the honor of displaying Lens on the Border in one of the city’s most romantic attractions – El calle-jón del beso, an alleyway so narrow that forbidden lovers are said to have stolen a kiss from balconies on either side. There, hundreds of passers-by and event-goers saw the powerful im-ages of Lens on the Border showing the unity of land and communities along the border, and gruesome shots of the enormous, wasteful damages caused by hundreds of miles of walls.

The participants at Día del Jaguar underscore the diversity of stake-

holders in the effort to conserve the mighty cat. Officials from fed-eral, state and municipal govern-ment agencies, ranchers showing off remote camera photos of jaguar families at their watering holes, the artists who paint at least one new jag-uar mural each year in Alamos, local residents and visitors from both sides of the border - the festival gives a voice to diverse expressions of value for Nature and for jaguars.

One thing that has changed for jaguars in the last twenty years in the borderlands is human awareness. Landowners, researchers, conserva-tion groups, and citizen scientists use improved remote camera technology to set up monitoring stations, look for tracks and collect observations. Groups on both sides of the border have started systematic monitoring in large tracts of land, some compen-sating land owners who protect the cats or support alternative economic activities that don’t affect jaguars or their prey. From 1996 to 2017 there is at least one record of a jaguar each year in the borderlands of Arizona, New Mexico and Sonora; at least ten different male jaguars in more than twenty years. No female jaguar has been confirmed in the U.S. since 1963; but females could be present



Happenings Around the StateSix groups make up the Grand Canyon Chapter. All events and meetings listed below are open to members interested in learning more about Sierra Club. You can find out more at http://www.sierraclub.org/arizona/events-activities. Schedules are subject to change. (x) Group ExCom members

Rincon Group (Tucson)http://sierraclub.org/arizona/rincon

Chair: Meg Weesner (x) 520-576-2083 [email protected]: Catalina Ross (x) 520-312-2849 [email protected]: Ken Bierman 520-882-2708 [email protected]: Susan Thomas (x) [email protected]: Keith Bagwell (x) 520-623-0269 [email protected]: Russell Lowes (x) 520-321-3670 [email protected]: Thomas Hatfield (x) 802-448-0753 [email protected]: Mitch Stevens 520-991-1199 [email protected]: Kyle Kacerek 520-878-7191 [email protected]: Lee Oler 520-791-9246 [email protected]: Joy Herr-Cardillo 520-622-1752 [email protected] (At-Large): Marie Swanson (x) 520-977-0678 [email protected]

Palo Verde Group (Phoenix)http://sierraclub.org/arizona/palo-verde

Chair/Membership: Kathy Mohr-Almeida (x) 480-329-8503 [email protected]: Chris Gehlker (x) 602-370-0128 [email protected]: Michael Brady (x) 480-990-9165 [email protected]: Bettina Bickel (x) 602-246-5739 [email protected]: Jerry Nelson (x) 602-550-0282 [email protected]/Wilderness: Jim Vaaler (x) 602-553-8208 [email protected]: Lisa Vaaler 602-468-4158 [email protected]: Don Steuter (x) 602-956-5057 [email protected]: Rebecca Hinton (x) 602-405-1779 [email protected] (At-Large): Tom Krepitch 602-625-2087 [email protected]

The Palo Verde Group meets 6:30 p.m. most Thursday evenings. Our Conservation Committee meets on the first Thursday, Executive Committee on the second Thursday, monthly programs on the third Thursday and Political Committee on the fourth Thursday most months. Check the Grand Canyon Chapter online calendar for more details. For the most up-to-the-minute details and information, register on our Palo Verde Group Meetup page at https://www.meetup.com/paloverdegroup/.

Contact Mike Brady for more information at [email protected] or (480) 990-9165

The Rincon Group Conservation Committee meets at 6 p.m. in the first floor conference room of The Historic Y, 738 N. Fifth Avenue, in Tucson. The Rincon Group Executive Committee meets at the end of the Conservation Committee meetings, at about 7:15 p.m. The meetings are open to the public. Sierra Club members, in particular, are urged to participate in the Conservation Committee meetings. The meeting dates this quarter are Thursday April 25, Thursday May 23, and Thursday June 27.. We hope to see you there!

Rincon Group programs are from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on the second Thursday of the month, except February. They are in the Ward Three Tucson City Council Office, 1510 E. Grant Road. They are free and open to the public. Refreshments are served.

Thursday, April 11. Organizing to Reject an Interstate 11 through Avra Valley. Caro-lyn Campbell of the Coalition for Sonoran Desert Protection will provide an update on the proposed Interstate 11 through Pima County. She will discuss organizing efforts to stop a proposal to locate this I-10 Bypass in Avra Valley.

Thursday, May 9. The Santa Cruz River and Western U.S. Water Quality. Julia Fon-seca, a Pima County expert on water issues, explores the changing scope of the vital Clean Water Act under the Donald Trump and Doug Ducey administrations. She will focus on recent federal and state decisions affecting pollutant discharges into water-ways, the Santa Cruz in particular. The Santa Cruz is very representative of the complex-

Contact Keith Bagwell for information about the following events.

Yavapai Group (Prescott)http://sierraclub.org/arizona/yavapai

Chair/Web: Gary Beverly (x) 928-308-1003 [email protected]/Conservation: Tom Slaback (x) 928-778-4233 [email protected]/Outings: Jenny Cobb (x) 928-925-1320 [email protected]: Joe Zarnoch (x) 928-273-9092 [email protected]: Stephen Cook (x) 575-418-9027 [email protected]

Yavapai Group Executive Committee Meetings will be held on the first Wednesday of each month at 6 p.m. All members are encouraged to attend and participate in our discussions and planning decisions about our local issues. We meet at the Granite Peak Unitarian Universalist Congregation Education Center, 885 Sunset Ave., Prescott.

For additional information contact Gary Beverly.

Additionally, we always need volunteers to help in monitoring the flow in the upper Verde River (contact Tom Slaback). We also need help on the ground monitoring of the Prescott National Forest’s plan to “manage” (remove) vegetation on more than half of their 1.2 million acres (contact Jenny Cobb).

For information about activities in the Sedona/Verde Valley area, contact Brian Myers.

Sedona/Verde Valley Grouphttp://www.reliablescribe.com/svvg

Chair: Brian Myers (x) 928-300-7734 [email protected]: Anne Crosman (x) 928-284-9252 [email protected]: Tina Myers (x) 928-204-1703 [email protected]: Paul Rauch (x) 928-821-4215 [email protected]: John Sheffield 928-204-1517 [email protected] (At-Large): Rebecca Hydock (x) [email protected]

Flagstaff-Northern AZ Grouphttp://sierraclub.org/arizona/plateau

Chair: Joe Shannon (x) 928-380-9537 [email protected]/Political: Kathy Fraser 928-853-6763 [email protected]: Margie Goulden 928-440-3637 [email protected]: Marcia Burns (x) 928-853-3132 [email protected]: Marty James 940-390-6258 [email protected]: Bob Baldwin (x) 928-607-7256 [email protected]

Contact Joe Shannon for information about events in Flagstaff/Northern AZ.

Flagstaff Group programs are from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on the second Thursday of the month (April 11, May 9). They are in the JCM Adult Center Thorpe Park, 245 N Thorpe Rd, Flagstaff. They are free and open to the public.




Saguaro Group (North Maricopa County)http://sierraclub.org/arizona/saguaro

Chair/Website: Doug Murphy (x) 602-329-3690 [email protected]:Secretary: Sally Howland (x) 602-663-2889 [email protected]: Ehrick Howland 602-663-4479 [email protected]: Bev Full (x) 480-221-2554 [email protected]: Peter Weinelt (x) 623-388-2209 [email protected] Projects: Urb Weidner 602-595-3301 [email protected]

Apr. 6th (Sat.) 8:15 Monthly meeting. Barbara Sylvester will talk about protecting the ground water one landfill at a time at the Holland Community Center 34250.N. 60th St. #B, Scottsdale. Following the meeting an easy 3 mile hike (D) to Granite Mountain Trailhead in Scottsdale.

May 4th (Sat.) 8:15 Monthly meeting. Shelly Gordon will talk about Citizens Climate Lobby’s approach to building political will and getting results at the Holland Community Center 34250.N. 60th St. #B, Scottsdale. Following the meeting an easy 3 mile hike (D) Camp Creek Fall

For more information on Saguaro Group happenings, see the online calendar or contact Sally Howland at [email protected] or (602) 663-4479.

Ex-Com (At-Large): Dianne Leis (x) 480-432-9181 [email protected]: Jim Wilkey (x) 480-649-2836 [email protected]

ity of water issues in the western United States and how it fares is a key bell-weather of how surface water quality and groundwater protection unfolds here and throughout the West.

Thursday, June 13. The Nexus of Environmental Conservation and Social Justice. Sierra Club envisions a just, equitable and sustainable future where all people benefit from a healthy thriving planet and a direct connection to nature. We are on a path to break the paradigm of environmental conservation and social justice as separate is-sues. In this talk Sergio Avila, Sierra Club Outdoors Coordinator for the Southwest,, addresses the connection between conservation advocacy and outdoor recreation, and dismantles the incomplete and limiting ways that mainstream conservation organiza-tions separate issues, using local examples.

Earth Day is Monday, April 22!

Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community Earth Day Saturday, April 6, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. 10005 E. Osborn Road, Scottsdale

Earth Day at South Mountain Community College Thursday, April 18, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. 7050 S 24th St, Phoenix

City of Flagstaff Earth Day Saturday, April 20, 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. 3150 N Alta Vista Dr, Flagstaff

Earth Day at Glendale Community College Wednesday, April 24, 9:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. 6000 W Olive Ave, Glendale, AZ 85302

Stop by the Sierra Club booth at these fun events. If you’re interested in volunteering to help with the Sierra Club table, pleasecontact Lydia Wilson at [email protected] or 602-253-9140.

Jo Sylvester 602-595-6170 [email protected]

Subscribe to Current News & Action Alerts

http://bit.ly/gcchapter

http://bit.ly/borderemail

http://bit.ly/grandcanyonemail

http://bit.ly/wildlifeemail

http://bit.ly/azwateremail

http://bit.ly/azenergyemail

http://bit.ly/legislativeemail

We send 2 Chapter email updates per month, including upcoming events and activities, action items, and more.

Borderlands email updates are sent once every month.

Grand Canyon Protection Campaign email updates are sent once every other month.

Arizona Water Sentinels email updates are sent once every other month.

Wildlife email updates are sent once every other month.

Energy email updates are sent every month.

Legislative email updates are sent weekly during the legislative session.



Environmental Day at the Capitol Delivering Five Cs for a Sustainable Future

On February 13th , more than 375 people from nearly every legisla-tive district in Arizona participated in Environmental Day at the Capitol where participants promoted Five Cs for a Sustainable Future including the following.

1. Climate Preparedness – Develop and implement plans to reduce emissions and protect those most affected by climate change.

2. Clean Air and Water for All Arizonans – Eliminate bad air days and ensure safe drinking water for everyone.

3. Conservation of Lands, Waters, and Wildlife – Protect public lands, rivers and streams, plants and animals.

4. Commitment to Efficient and Renewable Energy. 5. Cultural Inclusiveness and Diversity – Create a healthy environ-

ment that includes environmental justice, equitable access to nature and resources, and respect for all people.

A student-led news conference involved each high school delivering one of the sustainable Cs and the students making strong statements for action on climate, water, wildlife and more. There was a great line-up of speakers, including Representatives Fernandez and Gabaldon, and Senator Dalessandro, as well as Raeanna Johnson from Flagstaff High School and To Nizhoni Ani. Arizona Interfaith Power and Light hosted an inclusive spirit circle with stories of places in Arizona that are special. Thank you to everyone who participated and who met with or tried to meet with legislators. If you missed this year’s Environmental Day, but are interested in joining next year, be sure to get on the Legislative Up-date mailing list. We look forward to helping connect more Arizonans with their legislators on important environmental matters.

ATTENTION, CURRENT AND POTENTIAL

OUTINGS LEADERS!

Are you interested in leading outings for Sierra Club? Or are you a current leader who needs to update your first aid or outings leader certification?

Scholarships are available. First aid and OLT 101 are required of all Sierra Club outing leaders. First aid training is required every three years, and OLT 101 is

required every four years. CPR training is optional.

To sign up or for more information, contact Jenny Cobb at [email protected] or 928-925-1320.

More than 375 people attended Environmental Day 2019. Photo by Gary Beverly.

Rep. Michelle Udall met with her constituents. Photo by Gary Beverly.

Sen. Dalessandro, Rep. Fernandez, and Rep. Gabaldon spoke at the Capitol. Photo by Gary Beverly.

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Classified AdsTo inquire about advertising, contact 602-253-9140 or [email protected]




Over the past year I have been attending regular Salt River Proj-ect (SRP) board and committee meetings. I personally became interested in SRP as it is my utility provider and I learned that I could not vote in its elections as I live outside the voting boundaries. In addition, when I obtained esti-mates on installing solar panels on my home’s rooftop, I discovered that the former SRP solar rate plan, E-27, with its high monthly charge, demand charges and 7-hour peak-time-of-use charges, solar is uneconomic.

SRP is not regulated by the Arizona Corporation Commis-sion, and so its board of directors makes very important decisions, such as the rates for all custom-ers and the amount of renew-able energy it will generate. The monopoly utility does not have to comply with the state of Arizona’s renewable energy standard and so customer input as well as the election of board members is vital to SRP transitioning toward clean energy.

The meeting where decisions are made is the District Board meeting, which occurs usually the first Monday of the month at 9:30 a.m. The agenda and supporting material are posted on SRP’s web-site, usually 24 hours before the meeting (to comply with Arizona’s open meeting law). The utility does not make it easy to find the agenda; go to srpnet.com, About Us, Leadership, Public Meeting Agendas.

Anyone can attend these meet-ings, but you must get a visitor’s badge, which requires a photo

Keeping an Eye on Salt River Project

By Karen Contos

ID and the willingness to go through a metal detector. The board room is imposing and many times SRP staff will sit right next to visitors–but don’t let that intimidate you. If you have ever attended a city council meeting, SRP meetings are different in that usually no public comment is allowed.

SRP also has many com-mittee meetings that are open to the public. They are also listed under the Public Meet-ing Agendas tab on their web-site. The governance meeting interests me as I want to help change the voting policies.

SRP just completed a pric-ing process to change its rates. During this pricing process, there were several oppor-tunities for customers and stakeholders to express their praises and concerns about the proposed rates. Interested parties could go online and submit a public comment, speak at one of their public comment meetings, and, of course, write a letter to the editor.

Being a watchdog is meaningful, an excellent learning experi-ence, and can be entertaining. SRP Board meetings can get a little heated and this is fun for me!

If you are passionate about an en-vironmental issue, consider being a watchdog! You can make a difference, learn something new, make like-minded friends, and have fun!

Karen is a former Clean Energy Organizer, and the current Energy Chair for Sierra Club Grand Canyon.

in the region. The presence of males indicates the existence of breeding females - their mothers. Females roam less than males and are gener-ally more careful, raising cubs or avoiding conflict with other jaguars or large predators such as mountain lions and black bears. It is the nature of the jaguar to live as a secretive species that moves, travels, hunts and breeds in remote, isolated ranges of our region.

The jaguar may be hidden and secretive, but it made its presence known at Día del Jaguar. Sure, the cat dancing to trap music on the stage for the kids was just a guy in a big

fuzzy costume. But the indigenous dances we saw were influenced by the jaguar. The experimental musician who performed was inspired by it. And during the callejoneada, a tradi-tional procession through the streets led by a band of musicians and a burro with a barrel of wine strapped to its back, those of us who will never see a jaguar in the wild took furtive glances over our shoulders, feeling its piercing stare.

Sergio Avila is the Sierra Club Local Outings Coordinator in the US Southwest.

Dan Millis is the Borderlands Program Manager for the Grand Canyon Chapter.

Jaguar continued from p. 9

Submitted by David Chorlton



Learn about our efforts to protect these wildlands. The trail is steep and rocky. We will lunch at the top. Contact Jenny Cobb at 928-925-1320 or [email protected]. Yavapai County

APR 14 (SUN) “C” Saguaro National Park East Hike (5 miles, 1000’ EC). We’ll look for late spring flowers on this loop route that includes the Three Tanks Trail. We’ll talk about efforts to protect this na-tional park and others, including recently designated national monuments. Limit 18. Contact Meg Weesner for details at [email protected] or 520-576-2083. Tucson

APR 22–27 Annual Green River Labyrinth Canyon Canoe and Kayak: This is an em-battled area the Sierra Club and Southwest

Wilderness Alliance are struggling to pro-tect from mining and ORV damage. Carpool to Green River, UT to camp at Green River State Park. Leave cars safely in the park and launch canoes to begin the 50-mile paddle to Mineral Bottom. Cost will be $300, which includes canoe rental, camp permits, shut-tles, river permits, and meals in camp. Limit is 10. Contact Bev Full for information at [email protected] or 480-441-2554.

APR 27 (SAT) “C+” Buffelgrass Removal and Sustainable Home Tour: 3–4 miles. 500-foot elevation gain. See pg. 16 for full description. Contact: Frank Staub at 520-260-1400 or [email protected]. Tucson

APR 29–MAY 2 (MON–THURS) “C” Chir-icahua Camp and Hikes: We’ll be looking to carpool down to the National Monu-

APR 6 (SAT) “B+” Arizona Trail: Mormon Grove Trailhead to Cross F Trailhead Day-hike: This challenging 9-mile exploratory hike will follow the Arizona Trail and other trails and roads in the Mazatzal Mountains near Mt. Ord. We’ll pass through canyons and wind around mountains, generally be hiking south and downhill. But we’ll begin at 3800 feet of elevation, climb to 5200 feet, and end at 3650 feet. Drive 50 miles from Scottsdale. Call Ken McGinty at 602-265-2854. Phoenix

APR 9 (TUE) “C” Deem Hills Park Hike (3.5 miles loop trail, 600’ EC) We’ll start on the Circumference Trail, then take the Ridgeline Trail (1.5 miles) over the west-ern ridge of the park back to the Circum-ference Trail looping around back to the parking area. This hike offers some nice elevated views, and some good, but not too steep, up-hills. Contact Pete Weinelt at 623-388-2209 or [email protected]. Phoenix

APR 13 (SAT) “B” Beyond Bushnell Tanks Dayhike: This 10- to 12-mile hike will explore old roads and trails in the Mazatzal Mountains near Sunflower. This is interesting and scenic country with a variety of geology and plant communities. The absolute elevation gain will be about 1400 feet, and the roads and trails will be rocky and steep. Drive 45 miles from Scottsdale. Call Ken McGinty at 602-265-2854. Phoenix

APR 13 (SAT) “B” Hyde Mountain Day-hike Not many miles–about 2.2 (4.4) (of-ficial) or 2.8 (5.6) (pedometer)–but with an elevation gain of 1500 feet to the high-est point (7272 feet) in the Santa Maria Mountains northwest of Prescott. Hike is about 5 hours round-trip. We will carpool in high-clearance vehicles to the trail-head. The trail climbs gradually through oak, juniper, and small Ponderosa pine with views improving as we climb to a saddle. At the saddle we climb steeply to the usually-windy summit where there is an out-of-service lookout tower. The 360-degree view includes a panorama of more than 20,000 square miles peppered with National Forest grazing pastures, two Wilderness areas, and private ranchland.

ment on Monday, setting up camp and doing a short hike before dinner. We’ll ex-plore the drives and multiple hikes in the monument over the next two days. Hikes should not be harder than “C” rated hikes. 3 nights camping. We’ll break down camp after breakfast on Thursday. Contact Pete Weinelt at 623-388-2209 or [email protected].

MAY 4 (SAT) “A+” Arizona Trail–Passage: 9 (25 mi, 4600’ AEG). This long day hike starts at the Italian Spring trailhead on Redington Pass Road and climbs the north side of Mica Mountain. At the top a brief side trip to Spud Rock is planned, followed by a stop at Manning camp. The hike con-tinues on the Manning Camp Trail, Quilter Trail, and Hope Camp trail, and completes the journey at Hope Camp Trailhead. Par-ticipants must be in excellent physical condition and have completed hikes of similar difficulty and length. Contact Don-ald Smith at [email protected] or 520-591-9938. Tucson

MAY 4 (SAT) “C” Balancing Rock Trail Granite Basin Dayhike. 4.2 miles. Eleva-tion gain 220 ft. 3 hours. Bring your lunch. We will hike a loop of trails 349, 350, and 351. Splendid views of the topography of the entire basin along with panoramic views including Bill Williams Mountain, Kendrick Mountain, and theSan Francisco Peaks. Contact Jenny Cobb at 928-925-1320 or [email protected]. Prescott.

MAY 7 (TUE) “C-” Lake Pleasant Hike, Picnic and Swim: We’ll hike the Pipeline Canyon Trail 3.8 miles RT, 250’ EC then we’ll have a picnic lunch, (bring your own). After lunch, we’ll head for the visitors center and do the short Roadrunner Trail (1.2 miles RT) on the lake’s shore by the dam. We can do some swimming from the Roadrunner trail. You’re welcome to do some or all of this. Contact Pete Weinelt at 623-388-2209 or [email protected]. Phoenix

MAY 11 (SAT) “A” Hotspring Canyon (12 mi RT, 600’ AEG) This is a fun, non-technical canyoneering adventure (Can-yon rating 1-A-III). The hike begins at the

Explore and Enjoy ArizonaFind more events and opportunities on our online calendar at http://www.sierraclub.org/arizona/outings.

Grand Canyon View. Photo by Patricia Watkins.




Muleshoe Ranch NW of Wilcox and pro-ceeds round trip down Hotspring Canyon and back. Traveling in the slot canyon re-quires participants to walk, wade, or swim the various sections. Participants should have similar canyon experience. Contact Donald Smith at [email protected] or 520-591-9938. Tucson

MAY 18 (SAT) “B” Wilderness of Rocks: We will escape the heat while hiking and soaking at Lemmon Pools in Mt. Lem-mon’s Wilderness or Rocks. We will hike the Marshall Gulch Trail to Marshall Sad-dle and walk approximately 4 miles each way to the pools. Some us may want to swim in the cool water. At lunch we will discuss the geology of the high reaches of the Santa Catalina Mountains. Con-tact Mitch Stevens for details at [email protected] or 520-991-1199. Tucson

Keep Up to Date with Our Chapter!

Chapter – bit.ly/gcc_meetupPalo Verde Group - bit.ly/pvg_meetupRincon Group - bit.ly/rincon_meetup

Chapter – bit.ly/gc_instaBorderlands Campaign - bit.ly/scb_instaGrand Canyon Campaign – bit.ly/protectgc

Chapter – twitter.com/SierraClubAZSandy Bahr – twitter.com/SLBahrBorderlands Campaign – bit.ly/scb_twitterGrand Canyon Campaign – bit.ly/protectgc_twitter

Chapter – bit.ly/gcc_fbAZ Water Sentinels – bit.ly/azsentinels_fbBorderlands Campaign – bit.ly/border_fbGrand Canyon Campaign – bit.ly/protectgc_fbRincon Group - http://bit.ly/rinconfbFlagstaff/N AZ Group - http://bit.ly/flagstaff_fbYavapai Group - http://bit.ly/yavapai_fbSaguaro Group - http://bit.ly/saguaro_fb

The Sierra Club is a nationwide organization with active local outings for members and non-members. Please join us as we make friends and explore life-enriching in-terests. Simply find an outing by date and contact the leader for directions, reserva-tions, time, and additional information. RESTRICTIONS: NO FIREARMS, RADIOS, OR PETS (unless noted otherwise). Outings are by reservation. Call early (group limit 20). Each hike is rated for degree of difficulty and risk by the leader.

“A” >16 miles or >3,000 ft. elevation change (EC)“B” 8–16 miles and 1,500–3,000 ft. EC“C” 3–8 miles, 500–1,500 ft. EC RT Round Trip“D” <3 miles and 500 ft. EC OW One Way

The trip leader has absolute authority to question trip participants as to their equip-ment, conditioning, and experience before and during the trip. All participants on Sierra Club outings are required to sign a standard liability waiver. If you would like to read the liability waiver before you choose to participate in an outing, please go to http://content.sierraclub.org/outings/ local-outdoors/resources or contact the Na-tional Outings Dept. at 415-977- 5528 for a printed version. Sierra Club liability cov-ers leaders only. Each person is responsible for his/her own first aid equipment. If you are injured, notify the leader immediately. If you leave the trip, with or without the leader’s permission, you are considered to be on your own until you rejoin the group. Hikers are encouraged to carpool and share the driver’s fuel expense. Donations are accepted from all participants at $1 (member) and $3 (nonmember). Money is col-lected by the leader and deposited with the group treasurer. For more information, contact the Sierra Club Grand Canyon office at 602-253-8633. Hikes and outings are also listed online at https://www.sierraclub.org/arizona/events-activities. CST 2087766-40. Registration as a seller of travel does not constitute approval by the State of California.

Hiking Guidelines

MAY 21 (TUE) “C” Hike Brins Mesa: Hike in Sedona 5.2-mile loop trail with 800’ to-tal EC. This popular route takes us through some of Sedona’s red rock canyons and up to Brins Mesa, and miles of open red rock desert. Then we loop around and gradually down again passing through some unique geological features. (Sev-en Sacred Pools and Devils Kitchen–a unique sinkhole). We’ll look to car pool. Contact Pete Weinelt at 623-388-2209 or [email protected]. Phoenix

MAY 30–JUNE 2 (THURS–SUN) “B” Escape-the-heat White Mountain Back-pack: We’ll take the Indian Springs (627), West Fork (628), West Fork Loop (630), and Thompson (629) Trails on a mostly out-and-back two-night backpack along mostly easy grades (car camp the first night). We’ll traverse along some of the most beautiful sections of the West Fork

of the Black River and its surrounding meadows and wildflowers, discuss the local wildlife, and plan to do some pho-tography. Subject to possible fire season restrictions. Approximately 20 miles. Limit of 8. Contact Eric Morrison for details at [email protected] or 520-248-5149 (text/voice). Tucson

JUNE 1 (SAT) “B” Yeager Cabin Loop Min-gus Mountain Dayhike. 6 miles plus with elevation gain of approx. 1300 feet. We will hike trail 28 up, across on trail 111, and 533 down. Hike is about 5 hours withmany photo ops. Bring your lunch. Great views and interesting tales of the local his-tory of mining in the area. Contact Jenny Cobb at 928-925-1320 or [email protected]. Yavapai County.

JUNE 15 (SAT) “C” Mt. Lemmon, Aspen Loop Trail Hike (4-mile loop, 900’ EC). We

will start early and drive to Marshall Gulch high in the Santa Catalina Mountains. The hike is a 4-mile loop with 900 feet eleva-tion gain. During a snack break, we will discuss the Pusch Ridge Wilderness, the effects of the Bullock and Aspen Fires (2002 and 2003) and the role of natu-ral fire in southern Arizona’s Sky Islands. Limit 15. Contact Meg Weesner for details at [email protected] or 520-576-2083. Tucson

JULY 14–19 Flaming Gorge Rafting: Car-pool to Green River State Park, and next day drive to Flaming Gorge Dam to launch rafts on the Green River. We’ll paddle through 10 named rapids, look for wildlife in the Browns Park National Wildlife Refuge, visit historical sites, and camp along the river. Cost is $300, which includes raft rentals, shuttles, and meals in camp. Contact Bev Full at [email protected] or 480-221-2554.

Explore and Enjoy ArizonaFind more events and opportunities on our online calendar at http://www.sierraclub.org/arizona/outings.



Hands-on Assistance as Stewards of New Maricopa Trail Section Spear S Ranch Trailhead at New River Rd & Linda Ln, Phoenix, 85086

Saturday, Apr. 13, 2019 - 8:30 a.m.

Join us as we serve as Stewards of a section of the newly completed Maricopa Trail. The trail winds through Maricopa County connecting the county’s regional parks with a 315-mile scenic and diverse route.

Assistance will take the form of the assessment of necessary work, clearing of water runoff channels, removal of small rocks, and erosion prevention. The work will be light with no bush-whacking required. We will cover no more than 1 1/2 miles com-ing from the west side. A second event, starting on the east side, will be announced in a separate Meetup. This is a section of the trail, which you may not have experienced; therefore, this should be an interesting event.

Bring drinking water, sun screen, work gloves, and a hat. Required tools will be pro-vided. It’s expected the activity will run approximately 2 ½-3 hours.

Contact: Urb Weidner at 602-300-8505 or [email protected].

Sierra Service OpportunitiesGet involved and make a difference.

Please join us for these exciting service outings!

Hands-on Assistance to Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center 27026 N. 156th St., Scottsdale, AZ 85262

Tuesday, April 2, 2019 - 10:00 a.m.

Join the Saguaro Group as we provide hands-on help to the Southwest Wildlife Con-servation Center (SWCC). SWCC rescues native wild animals that have lost their homes to development, or are found injured, orphaned, or abandoned

Recently, snow and cold weather caused an estimated $50K in damage to the Wild-life Center. Therefore, they could really use some help. Assistance will take the form of general cleanup in preparation for a planned fundraiser the following Sunday. Bring drinking water, sun screen, work gloves, and a hat. Required tools will be provided.

Contact: Robyn Moul at [email protected] or 480-471-3621.

Support of U.S. Forest Service - Tonto Nat’l Forest’s Riparian PhotoPoint Program (Cave Creek)Saturday, May 18, 2019, 9:00am

Come out and learn how you can help the Forest Service by doing this fun activity! This project has a history of nearly 30 years -- The first Riparian Specialist hired by the Tonto National Forest knew the value of repeat photography in documenting resource conditions. He initiated the riparian PhotoPoint Program in 1988 - finding important reaches of streamside vegetation and taking clear photographs, annually if possible, at the same exact sites. The Forest Service and ecologists, who do research on the Tonto, have come to depend upon information these photos provide - impacts by livestock, or improvement in conditions through livestock management, wildlife impacts, and results of flooding, fire, and drought. These photos provide documentation, which is used for natural resource management decisions.

You do not need a special camera or GPS, you can use your smart phone. Even if you don’t have a smartphone, come anyway as we will work in teams. In order to receive the maps, coordinates, and instructions, plan to meet at the Grotto Cafe (6501 E. Cave Creek Rd in Cave Creek) at 8:00am in the backroom area. We can carpool from the Grotto at 8:40am. Email [email protected] to confirm you will be coming. Include your cell phone #.

Or, you can go directly to the first location in Tonto National Forest, which is 33.87847 N Lat, 111.81564 W Long (UTM 424569 E & 3748980 N) on N. Cave Creek Rd about a 1/2 mile after you enter Tonto National Forest and a little before you get to Sears-Kay ruins. Contact: Urb Weidner at 602-300-8505 or [email protected].

Buffelgrass Removal and Sustainable Home Tour Saguaro National Park (West), Tucson, AZ

Saturday, April 27, 2019

(3-4 miles. 500 foot elevation gain. C+ because of hard physical labor) Help us eliminate at least one patch of buffelgrass in a remote and beautiful part of Sa-guaro NP (West). Park personnel will come with us and provide instructions, gloves, and your choice of tool. Bring several liters of liquid, protection from the sun (hat and sunscreen), and lunch. Sturdy footwear is vital, as we will frequently be hiking off-trail and working in rough terrain. Long pants and sleeves are a good idea but not required.

The morning hike will begin at Frank Staub’s house in a dramatically beautiful location on the northwest border of the National Park. After the hike we’ll eat lunch on Frank’s porch. Then he’ll give a tour of his house – a post and beam structure with straw bale infill, off-the grid solar electricity, passive solar heating, composting toilets, and rainwater harvesting for all the home’s water needs. The house was built to minimize its visual impact on the stunning landscape where it sits. Contact: Frank Staub at 520-260-1400 or [email protected].

Water Sentinels Water Quality Monitoring TrainingApril 13, 15, & 24, 2019 - 8:00 a.m.

Mark your calendars for water quality monitoring training. We will hold three trainings in advance of our May through October monitoring season. We will hold a training in Cottonwood on April 13th, at the San Pedro House in Sierra Vista on April 15th, and at Needle Rock near North Scottsdale on April 24th. No prior experience is needed. Trainings are helpful, but you can still participate during the season even if you can't make one of these dates.

Contact: [email protected] or 602-254-8362.

Rio Saladao Habitat Restoration April 14, May 26, 2019 - 8:00 a.m.

Help us restore habitat! Join us for an invasive weed pull and clean-up at the RioSalado Habitat Restoration Area, just south of downtown Phoenix. Once a dumpsite, the area is now a lush riparian corridor that supports a variety of wildlifeand recreation opportunities. We will remove trash and buffelgrass, a non-native,invasive species that alters habitat and increases fire risk. Snacks, drinks, gloves,and tools provided. Please RSVP to Jennifer so we have enough tools and materials

Contact: [email protected] or 602-254-8362.

volunteers work together to protect & preserve sierra ......canyon echo mailing party....

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