All Eyes On: San Rafael Valley (Arizona-Sonora)
They say when you see this place for the first time, you fall in love. Here, you find some of the last and most critical remaining unfragmented grasslands in the United States. In these lands, you encounter more wildlife than humans—with populations of pronghorn, mule deer, black bears, and jaguar moving through the Sky Island mountain ranges that frame this valley on either side. With a long history of ranching, these lands have always been connected to humans here. As the headwaters for the Santa Cruz River, this is a vital source of water for humans and wildlife alike. A continental flyway for migratory birds, grassland species depend on this valley in their wintering migrations. As sacred homeland, the San Rafael Valley is connected to human histories throughout time, including the Tohono O’odham, Apache, Hopi, and Zuni peoples.
And yet, a looming border wall construction project threatens precisely this area.
photo courtesy of Krista Schlyer
The San Rafael Valley is slated for 27 miles of border wall. Construction has already begun.
Arguably, nowhere else in the US-Mexico borderlands is as important as the San Rafael for wildlife connectivity. Border construction and militarization threaten this connectivity. Act now and stand with the Valley!
Follow this “Rally for the Valley” Instagram Page here for construction, conservation, and on-the-ground action updates.
900 Days/900 Photos
We are rallying around the Valley and documenting the destruction and military invasion of this majestic and vital landscape for the next 900 days of proposed border wall construction (and beyond).
Follow our “900 Days/900 Photos” Campaign here.
About the San Rafael Valley
Ecology of the Valley
Get to know the flora, fauna, landscapes, and human connections to this majestic place—a place we are set to lose if border construction continues.
Media, Links, and Resources
Follow the latest on the San Rafael Valley in the news. Read several of the scientific reports and articles that speak to why this place is so special.
Art + Stories
The story of this place cannot be told through science or journalism alone. For a complete picture, we turn to the arts. Experience the San Rafael Valley through stories + art.
Wildlife + The Wall
How does the Wall and border construction impact wildlife on the move?
The answer is: Irrevocably.
Follow here for the latest updates on borderlands wildlife migrations.
videos and photos courtesy of Sky Island Alliance
“The tranquility of the valley will be
The San Rafael Valley: Wildlife, Water, and a Way of Life at Risk (Sky Island Alliance)
shattered.”
