Habitat Restoration with the Audubon Society

One of my goals for the winter is:  GET INVOLVED and GIVE BACK.   So I scoured the internet for opportunities to participate in community volunteer activities, especially ones that are drop in or short term durations.  As luck would have it, the Tucson Audubon Society held their monthly habitat restoration work day on Saturday.  OFF we go!

Tucson Audubon Society has a long term funding to restore and monitor a small watershed on the east side of Tucson, a place called Atterbury Wash.   To date, the project has planted hundreds of desert trees and shrubs but our assignment was building small rock structures to help manage the rainfall -- when it rains.  And when it rains around here, I gather it pours!  The rock structures are designed to help slow down the run off and allow more of the water to spread across the landscape and soak in.  There is quite a science to building these rock structures, based in theory on how the Ancient Peoples managed the water in this region.

And in a few hours a group of volunteers had built several structures!  A great feeling of being part of a team doing valuable work.

My team & team lead adding an "apron" to an existing one rock damn.

Alan's team built a media luna.  See behind him to other rock structures to help restore this small runoff area.