As you may remember we gave spent the last 6 months at the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area. According to Wikipedia: A riparian zone or riparian area is the interface between land and a stream or river. Plant communities along the river margins are called riparian vegetation, characterized by hydrophilic plants. Riparian zones are significant in ecology, environmental management, and civil engineering because of their role in soil conservation, their biodiversity, and the influence they have on aquatic ecosystems. Riparian zones occur in many forms including grassland, woodland, wetland or even non-vegetative. In some regions the terms riparian woodland, riparian forest, riparian buffer zone, or riparian strip are used to characterize a riparian zone. The word "riparian" is derived from Latin ripa, meaning river bank.
The San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area (SPRNCA) contains nearly 57,000 acres of public land in Cochise County, Arizona, between the international border and St. David, Arizona. The riparian area, where some 40 miles of the upper San Pedro River meanders, was designated by Congress as a Riparian National Conservation Area on November 18, 1988. The primary purpose for the special designation is to protect and enhance the desert riparian ecosystem, a rare remnant of what was once an extensive network of similar riparian systems throughout the American Southwest. One of the most important riparian areas in the United States, the San Pedro River runs through the Chihuahuan Desert and the Sonoran Desert in southeastern Arizona. The river’s stretch is home to 84 species of mammals, 14 species of fish, 41 species of reptiles and amphibians, and 100 species of breeding birds. It also provides invaluable habitat for 250 species of migrant and wintering birds and contains archaeological sites representing the remains of human occupation from 13,000 years ago.
This area is located between Sierra Vista to the west and Bisbee to the south east and not far from Tombstone to the east. This will give me an opportunity to explore these areas, learn some of the natural history and geology of the region and just have fun. When my father and I were making jewelry, we were very partial to the turquoise from the Bisbee mines.
Basically all I do is unlock the gates to the three sites in the morning and lock them at sunset. I am to check the trails periodically and do maintenance as needed, raise and lower the American flag at applicable times. Easy and fun meeting and learning from the volunteers here. I have met several of the Friends of the San Pedro River (FSPR) volunteers and have been invited to join on the 'Interpretive Walks' and other educational activities. I have yet to become proficient in naming birds and other creatures or rock formations, but at least I try.
The biggest attraction here are the birds. The combination of deserts and sky of southeastern Arizona, at the northern edge of the Sierra Madre mountain range, makes for one of the best places to watch birds in North America. In the winter when much of North America is covered in snow and ice many of the sparrows, blackbirds, hawks, ducks, owls, and other species come here to nest. In the Spring and early summer, thousands of neotropical migrants from Central and South America travel along the San Pedro River flyway to settle in this valley between the Huachuca, Patagonia and Santa Rita mountains to breed and nest. It has been fun, but I haven't been successful in taking good photos.
Below are a few photos of some of the sights we've enjoyed during our time in the Sierra Vista area.
Basically our weather has been getting progressively warmer since mid February. Molly and I are happy that we can spend a little more time outside. We did have a few days in the high 70's last week, but we expect only low 70's for the rest of the month.
The old town of Tombstone is still a living community, but mostly lives on tourism for its existence. The town has been preserved but now looks like a movie set except for the admission charges for nearly everything. It was disappointing.
I hope to learn how to take better photos of the flora and fauna. I also am planning to visit the Ice Age Mammoth burial site as well as the ancient petroglyphs and ghost towns around the area. We will be here until April, 2009 and I should have plenty of time to make some more tours. I hope to make the next travel log filled with interesting photos and descriptions. And so the saga continues.
Bye for now.
Bruce and Molly
Link back to my "Bruce The Nomad" page.