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TA Tidbits #60-Preserve Pursuits
Baby Strong-Arm Baby Strong-Arm is doing well and has grown about one-inch! This baby saguaro was planted almost one year ago on 1/14/24...
Tortolita Alliance
Feb 81 min read
233 views


TA Tidbits # 59 Giddyap!
Here are some upcoming events in our area by which you can volunteer, enjoy our Sonoran Desert environment and engage! Marana Parks &...
Tortolita Alliance
Sep 6, 20242 min read
305 views


TA Tidbits #57-Transition To Summer
First Light-Alamo Springs Spur Trail (5/19/24) Hiked the Alamo Springs-Spur-Wild Burro Trail Loop very early this morning. The transition...
Mark L. Johnson
May 19, 20241 min read
204 views


TA Tidbits #56-TP Enjoyment
Tortolita Preserve (TP)-Mount Lemon View (3/27/24) TP Trail Counter-First Year Results Tortolita Alliance (TA) contributed $500 to Marana...
Tortolita Alliance
Apr 21, 20242 min read
265 views


TA Tidbits #55 Spring Loaded
Upper Javelina Trail (4/7/24) The wildflowers are now abundant in the Tortolitas and it will get even better in the next few weeks as it...
Mark L. Johnson
Apr 7, 20242 min read
273 views


TA Tidbits #54-TA Reaching Out
Highlands Lifelong Learning Group Tours Tortolita Preserve With Dave Barker (TA Board Member-back left) Tortolita Alliance (TA) is...
Tortolita Alliance
Mar 18, 20241 min read
174 views

TA Tidbits #53-TP Wildlife Cams & The Puma
Mountain Lion (Puma)-Tortolita Preserve (3/14/24) Tortolita Preserve Wildlife Cameras On 3/6/24, two new wildlife cameras were set up in...
Tortolita Alliance
Mar 15, 20241 min read
574 views


TA Tidbits #52-TP Secure & Strong-Arm Still Strong
The Front Tortolita Preserve (1/24/24) TP North Entrance (Brittlebush Drive) Secure Marana Parks & Recreation (MPR) has installed...
Tortolita Alliance
Feb 3, 20241 min read
309 views

TA Tidbits #51-TP Fence Complete & Valentine's-TP Saguaro Planting Day
Tortolita Preserve (TP)-Western Fence Project-North Section TP Western Fence Project Complete Marana has completed the Western Fence...
Tortolita Alliance
Jan 21, 20241 min read
286 views


TA Tidbits #50-Invasive Grasses Too Close To Home
Buffelgrass-Brittlebush Drive-Dove Mountain (11/29/23) On a recent hike, my wife (Shirley) and I noticed a patch of buffelgrass on...
Mark L. Johnson
Dec 10, 20231 min read
256 views


TA Tidbits #47 Litter, Glitter & Critters
Tortolita Preserve (10/28/23) Branch Litter Mulching To Restore Old Cow Path Tortolita Preserve (TP) Projects In The News The TP...
Mark L. Johnson
Nov 19, 20231 min read
276 views


TA Tidbits #46-Trailhead Construction & Rose Kennedy
Tortolita Preserve-New Moore Rd. Trailhead Construction (9/30/23) Tortolita Preserve (TP)-Moore Rd Trailhead Construction The...
Mark L. Johnson
Sep 30, 20231 min read
291 views


TA Tidbits #45-Mr. Big Stuff, Pygmy Owl, Monsoon & More
Mr. Big Stuff Tortolita Preserve (TP) This huge Sonoran Desert Tortoise paid a visit to a property adjacent to TP near Moore Road and...
Mark L. Johnson
Aug 20, 20232 min read
310 views


TA Tidbits # 44-Tortolita Preserve Project Updates
Shades of Purple (TP-4/23/23) Tortolita Alliance (TA ) has been working with Marana Parks & Recreation (MPR) for the last 3.5 years on...
Mark L. Johnson
Jul 16, 20232 min read
351 views


TA Tidbits #43-Blitz & Bitz
The following serves to update some important activities at the Tortolita Preserve (TP) and Upper Javelina Trail. TP Spring Bioblitz The...
Mark L. Johnson
Apr 22, 20232 min read
338 views


TA Tidbits # 41-Tortolita Preserve Project Updates
Tortolita Dawn (TP-9/25/22) Tortolita Alliance (TA ) attended a presentation by Marana Parks & Recreation (MPR) on 2/23/23 at the...
Mark L. Johnson
Feb 25, 20232 min read
455 views

TA Tidbits # 40-Water, BioBlitz and Crime & Planes
Water Year 2022 Update Tortolita Alliance (TA) attended the Local Drought Impact Group (LDIG) Meeting via Microsoft Team on November 8,...
Mark L. Johnson
Nov 26, 20222 min read
259 views


TA Tidbits #39-Saguaros, BioBlitz & H2O
Tortolita Preserve-Fiery Monsoon Skies Old Growth Sagauro Deaths-Bacterial Infection & Climate Change Strong-arm passed on 8/4/22 and is...
Mark L. Johnson
Oct 20, 20223 min read
363 views

TA Tidbits # 38-Strong Arm & TP Update
The Mighty Strong-Arm Strong-Arm was host to another Great Horned Owlet this Spring which has now fledged the nest and is hopefully doing...
Mark L. Johnson
Jun 1, 20221 min read
303 views


TA Tidbits #37- Ridgeline Revival & More
Recovery From 2020 Wildfire-Ridgeline Trail Ridgeline Revival TA Members Joe Thomas and Kit Nidever hiked the Ridgeline Trail on April 5...
Mark L. Johnson
Apr 24, 20221 min read
246 views


TA Tidbits # 36-Tortolita Red & TP Update
Tortolita Red Ocotillo Blooming & Pyrruloxia (Desert Cardinal) TA has been working closely with Marana Parks & Recreation (MPR) and...
Mark L. Johnson
Apr 6, 20221 min read
392 views


TA Tidbits #35 Petitions, Owls & New Water Agency
Town Council Candidates Need More Signed Petitions Thanks to everyone who have signed the Non-Partisan Nomination Petitions for Patrick...
Mark L. Johnson
Feb 26, 20222 min read
370 views

TA Tidbits #34 Petitions & More
Meet The Change4Marana Candidates-Sign Petitions Patrick Cavanaugh, Mark Johnson and Tim Kosse are running for Marana Town Council as the...
Tortolita Alliance
Feb 16, 20222 min read
299 views


TA Tidbits #33 Elections & Reflections
Wild Burro-Alamo Springs Spur Hike (1/30/22) Wild Burro Upper Valley At Dawn Desert Spoon Making A Comeback Chuparosa-First Spring Wild...
Mark L. Johnson
Jan 30, 20221 min read
300 views

TA Tidbits #32-2021 Wrap Up
Night Watch Great Horned Owl keeps watch over the Tortolita Preserve! Tortolita Preserve-Trail Counter Update The Marana Parks &...
Mark L. Johnson
Dec 18, 20212 min read
320 views


TA Tidbits #31 BioBlitz & More
Tortolita Preserve-Natural Resource Survey (BioBlitz) TA met with representatives from Marana Parks & Recreation (MPR), Arizona Game &...
Mark L. Johnson
Dec 4, 20212 min read
283 views

TA Tidbits #30 Grass, Planes & Trails
"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I---I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference."--Robert Frost Just back...
Mark L. Johnson
Nov 4, 20212 min read
290 views

TA Tidbits # 29 Gone-Soon
Monsoon 2021 Remnants-Wild Burro Wash Monsoon season is gone ("Gone-Soon"). If Marana passes the half-cent sales tax, some of your hard...
Mark L. Johnson
Oct 17, 20212 min read
316 views


TA Tidbits # 28 Save The Happy Habitat
Tortolita Mountains Photo by Nancy Major Huge Sonoran Desert Tortoise Found In Tortolita Preserve Marenis Kansfield (TA member) came upon...
Mark L. Johnson
Oct 10, 20212 min read
293 views

TA Tidbits #27 Stormy Times
End Of Monsoon Season Storm Upper Javelina Trail (9/26/21) Lake Mead Elevation Projections Worsen The United States Bureau of Reclamation...
Mark L. Johnson
Sep 29, 20211 min read
178 views
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