Rio Vista Natural Resource Park
The Heart of a Neighborhood in Midtown Tucson
by Max Wingert, Communications & Outreach Manager of WMG
WMG’s River Run Network helps people connect to and steward their local rivers, especially in urban areas of Tucson where our rivers and floodplains have been neglected. That’s why we’re thrilled to help guide a restoration initiative along the floodplain of the Rillito River, in the Rio Vista Natural Resource Park, working alongside passionate...
Family Saturday: What are native edible plants?
Gracie Kayko, Environmental Journalism Intern - June 24, 2024
On the third Saturday of the month, Family Saturday is held at Watershed Management Group’s Living Lab.
Family Saturday is a free, educational event that invites families to come learn about a variety of sustainability-focused topics around living respectfully with the resources in the Sonoran Desert. On May 18th, families came to learn about native edible plants.
Starting...
RRN's last trash pickup of the spring
Gracie Kayko, Environmental Journalism Intern - June 17, 2024
The May 22nd Santa Cruz River clean up crew.
Watershed Management Group’s River Run Network hosted its last trash pickup of the spring on May 22nd at Santa Cruz River at Irvington Road. A group of 10 volunteers, newcomers and returners, helped fill eight, construction grade, trash bags for Pima County to come pickup and dispose of.
The trash picked up in the river varied from plastic...
Volunteers hike through flowing rivers and dry riverbeds alike during the 2024 Beaver Survey.
Reviving a Keystone Species: Results from the 2024 Bi-National Beaver Survey
Read the full 2024 Bi-National Beaver Survey report here
Introduction
Beavers, once a keystone species in the rivers of southeastern Arizona, play a crucial role in maintaining watershed health. However, due to over-trapping in the 1800s, they were extirpated from the region. In an effort to revive the species and...
A magical evening along a flowing creek in Tucson
Tanque Verde Flow & Feast 2024
Tanque Verde Flow & Feast 2024 (photo credit: Nicci Radhe)
May 4th was a special night at Tanque Verde Creek.
The River Run Network, a program of Watershed Management Group, held its 7th Annual Flow & Feast event on a beautiful spring evening. 138 people came and were able to walk along the creek, make crafts, participate in a storytime, and eat the deliciously catered food from Tumerico in...
Pedaling For Progress: The PFAS Problem
By: Max Wingert, Communication & Outreach Manager
“Before we begin, I need some volunteers. Three volunteers. Ok, you… you, and you. Now. I have a little test for you. We’ll start with you. Can you pronounce this?”
This question came from Joaquin Murrieta, the Cultural Ecologist Director of Watershed Management Group. He stood, smiling, surrounded by a semicircle of a dozen or so bicyclists, in a small parking lot adjacent to the Santa Cruz...
Beavers and Watershed Management Group: The Mission to Preserve Local Beaver Populations
Beavers are (coming) back, babyyy!
Introduction
In a recent news story from the Herald Times, our dedicated volunteers at Watershed Management Group were highlighted for their exciting mission: to track down evidence of beavers along the San Pedro River. Armed with keen eyes and a passion for conservation, they scoured the tree line for telltale signs of these industrious rodents.
The Importance of...
A volunteer examines the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area for signs of beaver.
The 3rd Annual Binational Beaver Survey[March 2nd & 3rd 2024]
“Beavers are cool.” - Paul Strong, MS Student, WMG Intern, and Lead Organizer of the 2024 Beaver Survey
“Beavers weigh 60lbs? Are you serious? That’s more than my dog!” - Max Wingert, WMG Communications & Outreach Manager, and Amateur Beaver Enthusiast
Do you know how big a beaver is? Just, you know, off the top of...
The piece is an abstract representation of the past, present, and future. There's a lot I depicted within this timeline to showcase all the beautiful minds we have living amongst ourselves and our mother earth. This opportunity gave me the chance to experiment with a concept that the Water has always been here while finding ways to collect, preserve, and share it in a non and native way, so with that in mind I used it as a portal to balance out the elements to create an understanding...
Thank you to the River Run Network Members who wrote in on the One Water 2100 Plan and made restoring rivers and shallow groundwater areas one of the top issues in the public comment period. This caught the attention of long-time environmental reporter, Tony Davis. This article by Davis features WMG's perspective on the plan and what's missing: New Tucson plans lack measures to bring back vanished river flows, critics say.The One Water 2100 plan was approved by the Mayor and Council on...
