ASK THE WATERS TO STAY

Native Plants, Crop Wild Relatives, and Wild Utilized Species: What Are They and Why Should We Care?

Perin McNelis Native Plant Program Manager, Borderlands Restoration Network

Borderlands Restoration Network’s Native Plant Program Manager, Perin McNelis, will discuss what a native plant is versus a crop wild relative, versus a wild utilized species, and make a case for why we should devote our collective effort towards the protection and conservation of all three.

Working the Landscape with Whatever Works

Josiah Austin Rancher, Ranch Land Conservationist

Josiah Austin is a local rancher for 40-some years, and he’s still here. He’s a firm believer in creatively working the landscape to establish and maintain a healthy ecosystem, and restoration is a large component. He’ll talk about how he started his stewardship with loose rock dams and swales and cement and stone, but basically it comes down to exploring whatever works.

Creating Instruments with Native Plants

Zach Farley MLA Masters in landscape architecture, PDC Permaculture designer with Geoff Lawton and the Sonoran Permaculture Guild, on humans and nature working together.

Zach will share the process of chosing material and creating an instrument from nature. Learn a new way of living in harmony wiht the land.

WILD Earthworks and Water Catchment

Rudy Poe MLA Masters in landscape architecture, PDC Permaculture designer with Geoff Lawton and the Sonoran Permaculture Guild, on humans and nature working together.

Rudy Poe is the Founder of Water Is Life Design (WILD), an ecological land design company focused on unlocking the greatest potential of ecosystem development and maintenance through the “harmonious integration of landscape and people” (Bill Millison). Rudy will introduce landowners to common sense techniques to become better stewards of their land. Whether developing raw land or retrofitting an existing site, Rudy will talk about regenerative site designs that are based on existing site features and natural systems, alongside the vision that the landowner has for the property. Then he’ll talk about how to promote the health of the watershed through earthwork features that slow and direct waterflow, as well as soil health and fertility with techniques such as mulching, native seeding, rotational grazing, and plant guilds. “What we design is not complicated, it’s common sense.

Where are we, and how the Sam Hill can any plants live here?

Jim Koweek Author and revegitation specialist

An introduction to Southeastern Arizona featuring unique stories of plant survival. For over 40 years Jim has worked with plants, seed, rocks, and dirt in Southeast Arizona. Results are not always pretty. In addition to running his business, Arizona Revegetation & Monitoring Co, he is the author of 3 books: Just Add Water, Grassland Plant ID for Everyone – Except Folks That Take Boring Technical Stuff Too Seriously, and Sonoran Desert Plant ID For Everyone. When not working, Jim can be found playing mandolin at local watering holes in Sonoita and Patagonia, AZ

Restoration challenges and successes in the southwestern US

Elise S. Gornish Cooperative Extension Specialist in Ecological Restoration The University of Arizona, School of Natural Resources and the Environment

A discussion of some of the major challenges associated with southwestern ecological restoration and new approaches to address these challenges.

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Pollinator Corridors in the Madrean Archipelago

Francesca Claverie Native Plant Program Director, Borderlands Restoration Network

Borderlands Restoration Network is working for the next two years on the project Expanding Seed Sources and Creating Pollinator Corridors in the Madrean Archipelago. The project will improve the habitat for the endangered monarch butterfly along its migratory route through the Arizona/Sonora borderlands. This two-year project establishes a one-acre milkweed seed amplification plot at the Borderlands Restoration Farm, restores milkweed and pollinator nectar species at the Borderlands Wildlife Preserve, and engages the community in milkweed for monarch butterfly restoration through free workshops, hikes, and volunteer opportunities.

Ecological Restoration in the Semi-Arid Southwest: Soil Amendments & Soil Carbon

Ariel Léger CART Co-Principal Investigator, Researcher III – University of Arizona

Ariel will talk about their research and experience with ecological restoration using soil amendments in Arizona, and implications for soil carbon. The presentation will share promising techniques for restoration, such as the use of branch mulch, as well as discussions of soil carbon dynamics in the semi-arid southwest, soil carbon sequestration, and carbon markets.