Project Location: Sonora
Species Group: Landbirds
Habitat: Riparian, Grasslands
Grantee: Sky Alliance
Project Award: $14,974

Sky Island Alliance was awarded $14,974 to support Rangeland Conservation through Regenerative Ranching in the Sierra los Ajos Sonora, Mexico. Cattle ranching is one of the primary land use practices throughout the Sonoran Desert Ecoregion and in many places, the impacts to the ecosystem have been severe. Inappropriate ranching practices can increase erosion risk, compact soils, degrade plant communities, and encourage the spread of invasive grasses. Such impacts negatively affect native wildlife, including birds. However, the impacts of cattle ranching on native ecosystems can be mitigated through sustainable ranching practices and community education.

Sky Island Alliance will work with local land stewards and ranchers to protect grasslands, oak-grasslands, and riparian areas through sustainable ranching practices in the Upper Rio Sonora watershed in Sonora, Mexico. Through collaborative efforts with community members, they will exclude cattle from riparian areas, set aside pasture for native grass seed production and bird habitat, and install erosion control structures in degraded drainages. They will host on-site workshops to target educators and other land stewards in the region. To track progress, they will monitor the avian community through annual breeding bird surveys and measure the impact of the restoration activities through pre/post vegetation assessments.

To learn more about this project, contact Zach Palma.