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WILDLIFE IN MOTION WILDLIFE IN MOTION WILDLIFE IN MOTION

PRESERVINGTHENATURALBEAUTYAND

BIODIVERSITYOFDIVERSELANDSCAPES

ACROSSTHESOUTHERNUNITEDSTATES

ANDNORTHERNMEXICO,OURWORK

FOCUSESONHABITATRESTORATION, WILDLIFEPROTECTION,ANDCOMMUNITY

ENGAGEMENTTOPROMOTE

SUSTAINABLELANDUSE.

THE SKY ISLANDS

THE SKY ISLANDS RISE FROM THE SONORAN AND CHIHUAHUAN DESERTS, FORMING STEPPINGSTONE HABITATS BETWEEN THE SIERRA MADRE OCCIDENTAL AND THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS.

THIS CORRIDOR SUPPORTS ONE OF THE MOST BIOLOGICALLY DIVERSE REGIONS IN NORTH AMERICA. FOR WILDLIFE TO PERSIST IN A CHANGING CLIMATE, THESE MOUNTAIN RANGES MUST REMAIN CONNECTED. BIODIVERSITY LIFEBOATS ARE NOT SINGLE PLACES. THEY ARE NETWORKS OF LAND, WATER, AND PEOPLE WORKING TOGETHER ACROSS LANDSCAPES.

WHAT WE SET OUT TO DO

OVER TWO YEARS, THE BIODIVERSITY LIFEBOATS INITIATIVE WILL:

DEPLOY THE LARGEST WILDLIFE MONITORING NETWORK WITHIN THE SKY ISLANDS

CONDUCT TARGETED HABITAT RESTORATION

ENGAGE LOCAL COMMUNITIES THROUGH WORKSHOPS, OUTREACH EVENTS, AND BIoblITZES

SINCE JUNE 30, WILDLIFE IN MOTION HAS FOCUSED ON LAYING THE FOUNDATION REQUIRED TO DELIVER ON THESE COMMITMENTS— ESTABLISHING PARTNERSHIPS, INITIATING FIELDWORK, AND BUILDING THE SYSTEMS NEEDED FOR LONG-TERM CONSERVATION SUCCESS.

SCIENCE AND MONITORING

DEPLOYED AND MONITORED 130 CAMERA TRAPS ACROSS STRATIFIED HABITATS

USED SPATIAL ANALYSIS TO GUIDE SITE SELECTION

INITIATED ENVIRONMENTAL DNA (EDNA) SAMPLING TO SUPPORT SPECIES DETECTION

REHABILITATED AND RELOCATED KIT FOXES TO THE AREA

USED TELEMETRY TO MONITOR MOVEMENT OF ANIMALS THESE TOOLS HELP US UNDERSTAND HOW WILDLIFE MOVES, WHERE CORRIDORS FUNCTION, AND WHERE RESTORATION MATTERS MOST.

HABITAT RESTORATION: ACTIONS UNDERWAY

RESTORING FUNCTION ACROSS THE LANDSCAPE

HABITAT RESTORATION EFFORTS DURING THIS PHASE FOCUS ON IMPROVING ECOLOGICAL FUNCTION RATHER THAN ISOLATED INTERVENTIONS.

ACTIONS TO DATE INCLUDE:

MESQUITE GRUBBING IN COLLABORATION WITH U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE TO RESTORE GRASSLANDS AND IMPROVE WATER AVAILABILITY

POLLINATOR PLANTINGS, INCLUDING RARE AND SENSITIVE SPECIES

ORCHID SURVEYS CONDUCTED WITH DESERT BOTANICAL GARDEN TO IDENTIFY & PROTECT VULNERABLE PLANT POPULATIONS

COMMITMENT TO PLANTING 2,000 AGAVES TO SUPPORT ENDANGERED BAT MIGRATION

THESE EARLY ACTIONS GUIDE LARGER RESTORATION EFFORTS PLANNED FOR THE COMING YEAR.

EARLY SPECIES WORK

KIT FOX RELOCATIONS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH SOUTHWEST WILDLIFE

CONSERVATION CENTER

CHIRICAHUA LEOPARD FROG SURVEYS WITH ARIZONA GAME AND FISH DEPARTMENT

ORNATE BOX TURTLE SURVEYS TO ESTABLISH BASELINE DATA

AGAVE RESTORATION TO SUPPORT THE ENDANGERED MEXICAN LONG-NOSED BAT IN PARTNERSHIP WITH BAT CONSERVATION

INTERNATIONAL AND BORDERLANDS RESTORATION NETWORK TOGETHER, THESE EARLY EFFORTS SUPPORT SPECIES RECOVERY, WORKING LANDS CONSERVATION, AND LANDSCAPE CONNECTIVITY ACROSS THE SKY ISLANDS.

COMMUNITY & CAPACITY BUILDING

PEOPLE ARE CENTRAL TO CONSERVATION

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IS A CORE COMPONENT OF THE BIODIVERSITY LIFEBOATS INITIATIVE. SINCE JUNE 30, WILDLIFE IN MOTION HAS BEGUN HOSTING OUTREACH ACTIVITIES AND DEVELOPING TRAINING

OPPORTUNITIES THAT CONNECT PEOPLE DIRECTLY TO CONSERVATION WORK.

EARLY EFFORTS INCLUDE: WORKSHOPS AND OUTREACH EVENTS

BIOBLITZ PLANNING AND COORDINATION

INTERNSHIPS WITH ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY, PROVIDING HANDS-ON FIELD EXPERIENCE

THESE ACTIVITIES BUILD LOCAL CAPACITY AND FOSTER LONG-TERM STEWARDSHIP ACROSS THE SKY ISLANDS.

PARTNERSHIPS & COLLABORATION

CONSERVATION IN THE SKY ISLANDS REQUIRES COORDINATED ACTION ACROSS AGENCIES, ORGANIZATIONS, AND DISCIPLINES.

KEY PARTNERS DURING THIS PHASE INCLUDE:

ARIZONA GAME AND FISH DEPARTMENT

U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE

U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

DESERT BOTANICAL GARDEN

BORDERLANDS RESTORATION NETWORK

BAT CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL

SOUTHWEST WILDLIFE CONSERVATION CENTER

ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY

EACH PARTNERSHIP BRINGS SPECIALIZED EXPERTISE THAT STRENGTHENS COLLECTIVE IMPACT.

PRIVATE LANDS AS LIFEBOATS

PRIVATE LANDS ANCHOR BIODIVERSITY LIFEBOATS IN THE SKY ISLANDS. WILDLIFE IN MOTION WORKS CLOSELY WITH CONSERVATION-MINDED LANDOWNERS TO INTEGRATE WILDLIFE MONITORING, RESTORATION, AND STEWARDSHIP INTO WORKING LANDSCAPES.

COLLABORATING PROPERTIES INCLUDE:

CIENEGA RANCH

HYL RANCH

YE RANCH

REDWING RANCH

CUENCA LOS OJOS

BLM

THESE PARTNERSHIPS ENABLE CROSS-BOUNDARY CONNECTIVITY ESSENTIAL FOR WILDLIFE MOVEMENT AND CLIMATE RESILIENCE.

ALL THINGS BIG AND SMALL

FROM FAIRY SHRIMP THAT BLOOM AFTER DESERT RAINS TO BLACK BEARS MOVING ACROSS MOUNTAIN CORRIDORS— EVERY SPECIES DEPENDS ON CONNECTED, LIVING LANDSCAPES.