NEWS from the Friends of Buenos Aires
National Wildlife Refuge
Wilderness Volunteers Returning to the Refuge
Wilderness Volunteers will arrive in November for four days working with the Altar Valley Conservation Alliance. They will help build erosion control structures that slow water runoff, hold soil and water on the landscape and encourage vegetation growth to stabilize even more soil. The mission of Wilderness Volunteers, a nonprofit organization, is to engage people in meaningful service that conserves and protects America’s wild places.
Fall Natural History Programs
Come join us for three natural history presentations that will be held this fall in Arivaca at 11:00am at the Arivaca Dance Hall, 17271 W 5th Street. We look forward to seeing you! For an exciting option, we are recording all the presentations and will post them on our new YouTube Channel :https://www.youtube.com/@FriendsofBANWR . There will also be a link on our website www.friendsofbanwr.com that will take you to the programs. We hope you enjoy them.
October 12, 2024
Native Plants for Habitat Gardens
By Charlene Westgate, owner Westgate Garden Design
Learn why native plants are important for wildlife and how you can create a beautiful landscape to attract wildlife.
November 9, 2024
Butterflies of BANWR and Environs
by Mary Scott
Mary will share photos of butterflies from Arivaca Cienega and Brown Canyon including a discussion of butterfly migrations and irruptions.
December 14, 2024
Thorns, Stingers & Fangs-Welcome to Arizona!
by Vincent Pinto, Wildlife Biologist and Naturalist
Using a combination of a slideshow, live creatures, and preserved specimens, Vincent will show you which plants and animals are truly dangerous versus those that we unjustly fear.
Save the Dates for Natural History Programs
In 2025, to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge, the Friends group will present natural history programs in Arivaca on the second Saturday of every month (except July and August) at 11:00am. They will be held at the Arivaca Dance Hall, 17271 W 5th Street, Arivaca, AZ.
January 11, 2025
Paton Center for Hummingbirds by Tom Brown
February 9, 2025
Sustainable Gardening Design by Emily Bishton
March 8, 2025
Wildlife at the Wall by Eamon Harrity, Sky Island Alliance
April 19, 2025
Arivaca Butterflies & the Pollinator Pathway Project by Mary Scott and Emily Bishton
May 10, 2025
Cats and Sky Islands by Megan Bethel, Sky Island Alliance
June 14, 2025
Habitat for Wildlife and Making Death Pipes Safe for Wildlife, by Olya Weekly and Kim Matsushino, Tucson Audubon
September 13, 2025
Rain Gardens and Capturing Rain by Joaquin Murrieta, Watershed Management Group
October 11, 2025
Archeology in the Altar Valley by James Vint, Archeologist
November 8, 2025
Desert Purple Martins by Jennie McFarland, Tucson Audubon
December 13, 2025
Non-venomous snakes in southern Arizona by Dave Vleck
It’s the 40th Anniversary of the founding of Buenos Aires NWR!!!
The year 2025 marks the 40th anniversary of the establishment of Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge (BANWR). On February 20, 1985, Secretary of the Interior Donald Hodel announced that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service would purchase the Buenos Aires Ranch as a national wildlife refuge for the endangered masked bobwhite. At that time, Secretary Hodel expressed the agency’s belief that the Buenos Aires Ranch was the only place in the United States providing suitable habitat for the masked bobwhite.
In the intervening 40 years, refuge staff, wildlife biologists, volunteers and many partners have worked together to restore the original landscape of open, semidesert grasslands and bring back the masked bobwhite and other native wildlife. Today, there are 350 masked bobwhite in the captive breeding program at BANWR. The Refuge plans a winter survey to determine the number of quail on the landscape. Other wildlife includes mountain lions, bobcats, javelinas, ringtails, Gila monsters, coyotes, Sonoran desert tortoises, four kinds of skunks and two species of jackrabbits.
Santa Margarita Ranch Becoming a Wildlife Oasis
The owners of the Santa Margarita Ranch, just west of BANWR, are now encouraging wildlife instead of focusing on livestock. They are removing 75 percent of their cattle and taking down barbed wire fences to open up a corridor for wildlife to move freely across the Altar Valley. They are also doing erosion control to keep water and soil on the land.
They have hired Luis Solorzano, a conservation scientist, to oversee these efforts. Among other projects, Luis will join the Wilderness Volunteers in November to learn erosion control techniques with the Altar Valley Conservation Alliance that can be applied on the ranch. Luis approached the Friends to ask for help with the projects they have planned. We are working with him to do some of the same work we have done on the Refuge.
“It’s a pretty exciting step to have a mini-refuge adjacent to BANWR,” says Reta Rutledge, vice president of the Friends board of directors.
Pollinator Project Underway in Arivaca
By Emily Boston and Mary Scott
Climate change, pesticides, and the loss of pollinator habitats over the last 100 years has led to an alarming decline in the numbers of butterflies, bees, bats, and other native pollinators.
The Arivaca Pollinator Pathway Project is a volunteer-driven project with a mission to:
• Build public gardens in Arivaca providing a linked pathway of healthy habitat for pollinators, adjacent to the pollinator-rich Arivaca Cienega unit of Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge;
• Encourage and assist local residents in growing pollinator-friendly plants through the Home Gardener Program;
• Grow local knowledge about pollinators through free classes, special events, online resources, brochures, and colorful murals.
Since April 2023, Arivaca volunteers have created new public gardens at nine local businesses and non-profit organizations, and have enhanced existing gardens at the Arivaca Dancehall, the Caviglia – Arivaca Library, and the Arivaca Early Learning Center. Within the next year, at least two more public gardens will be built. In addition, 27 Arivaca households have registered in the Home Gardener Program, and are growing a wide variety of pollinator plants in their own gardens.
The Arivaca Pollinator Pathway Project is sponsored by the Endangered Species Coalition’s Pollinator Protector Program, and by generous Arivaca community members. It is co-led by a team of local volunteers that includes the Caviglia – Arivaca Library Teen Advisory Board (TAB), and dozens of community youth as well as adults have participated in the project.
Desert Fence Busters
Friday, November 1st, 7:30am – 3:30pm
GET YOUR WIRE CUTTERS READY!
Help the Desert Fence Busters to remove outdated barbed wire fencing for wildlife. This is important work to remove barriers to wildlife movement, particularly between large intact habitat blocks. You will be helping accomplish a positive and lasting improvement to the landscape and directly help wildlife by increasing connectivity between protected open spaces!
RSVP here:
https://volunteer.azgfd.gov/need/detail/?need_id=990211
Please Renew Your Membership!
As you can see from our newsletter thus far, Friends are involved with on the ground conservation work and providing educational programs for the public free of charge.
The Friends of Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge need you! When you renew your membership, it allows us to help the refuge with many activities, including various projects that benefit the wildlife on the refuge. Memberships are good for one year. You can also get a lifetime membership for $1,000. Please consider renewing your membership soon! Go to this link to renew online or via mail. https://friendsofbanwr.com/join-renew-donate/
Categories of membership are:
Gila Monster $25
Jackrabbit $50
Jaguar $100
Pronghorn $500
Masked Bobwhite, lifetime membership $1000
To join, you may send a check, payable to Friends of BANWR to:
Friends of BANWR
PO Box 81
Green Valley, AZ 85622