top of page


Tortolita Alliance
Feb 81 min read
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...
230 views


Tortolita Alliance
Sep 6, 20242 min read
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 &...
305 views


Mark L. Johnson
May 19, 20241 min read
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...
204 views


Tortolita Alliance
Apr 21, 20242 min read
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...
265 views


Mark L. Johnson
Apr 7, 20242 min read
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...
273 views


Tortolita Alliance
Mar 18, 20241 min read
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...
174 views

Tortolita Alliance
Mar 15, 20241 min read
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...
574 views


Tortolita Alliance
Feb 3, 20241 min read
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...
309 views

Tortolita Alliance
Jan 21, 20241 min read
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...
286 views


Mark L. Johnson
Dec 10, 20231 min read
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...
256 views


Mark L. Johnson
Nov 19, 20231 min read
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...
276 views


Mark L. Johnson
Sep 30, 20231 min read
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...
291 views


Mark L. Johnson
Aug 20, 20232 min read
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...
307 views


Mark L. Johnson
Jul 16, 20232 min read
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...
351 views


Mark L. Johnson
Apr 22, 20232 min read
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...
338 views


Mark L. Johnson
Feb 25, 20232 min read
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...
455 views

Mark L. Johnson
Nov 26, 20222 min read
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,...
259 views


Mark L. Johnson
Oct 20, 20223 min read
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...
361 views

Mark L. Johnson
Jun 1, 20221 min read
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...
303 views


Mark L. Johnson
Apr 24, 20221 min read
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...
246 views


Mark L. Johnson
Apr 6, 20221 min read
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...
391 views


Mark L. Johnson
Feb 26, 20222 min read
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...
370 views

Tortolita Alliance
Feb 16, 20222 min read
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...
299 views


Mark L. Johnson
Jan 30, 20221 min read
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...
300 views

Mark L. Johnson
Dec 18, 20212 min read
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 &...
320 views


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

Mark L. Johnson
Nov 4, 20212 min read
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...
290 views

Mark L. Johnson
Oct 17, 20212 min read
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...
316 views


Mark L. Johnson
Oct 10, 20212 min read
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...
293 views

Mark L. Johnson
Sep 29, 20211 min read
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...
178 views
bottom of page