Sonoran Desert Sanctuary Land Regeneration Project

I have posted many beautiful photos of the Sonoran Desert Sanctuary on the website. What I have not posted and have talked even less about is the amount of damage done to this landscape by the previous tenants: the mining camp that cleared areas of the land, the modern tenants who sold cacti, cut down trees for firewood, and illegally trapped animals. In the past three years, I have watched as a third assault on the land has taken place, hundreds of invasive wild burro have killed or damaged thousands of the remaining Palo Verde trees, leaving little to shade the ground, store water, and provide shelter for birds and other wildlife. Those of you who have visited have witnessed the heart-wrenching destruction firsthand.

Finally, the Bureau of Land Management is stepping up to the plate to relocate the majority of the herd. This is a huge win for the Sonoran Desert Sanctuary. With the burro herd removal scheduled to begin in March, we can begin restoring the land.

Our first job is to harvest and sink rainwater and then plant new trees. This February, a professional hydrologist, who is also trained in permaculture, has offered their expertise and labor to implement a plan for rainwater capture. Our goal is to begin planting trees in February to start shading the land and making way for smaller species of flora to reappear. This is our first step in restoring the land.

In April, we have another retreat planned. These folks are coming all the way from Europe to participate in a large-scale planting of trees, cactus, and desert shrubs, officially establishing the Sonoran Desert Botanical Garden. With this, we will be well on our way to regenerating the land!

We have already been offered generous donations of cactus cuttings and will happily accept more. But right now, we need your help planting trees! Our goal is 100 trees by the end of the year. Right now, we need $2500 to plant the first 25 trees. $100 covers the cost of one tree, a tree guard for protection, and mulch.

Please help us meet our February land regeneration goal by donating a tree!