Tortolita Preserve-Creosote Bush-Post Rain-11/2/26 The Not-So-Gone-Soon Since the end of the 2026 Monsoon Season (9/30/26), the Tortolita Alliance (TA) has recorded 3.89 inches of rain through 11/1/26! Yesterday (11/1/26), 1.81 inches of precipitation was received at the north end of the Tortolita Preserve. How Much Water Does the Aquifer Get? This extra precipitation is wonderful for our Sonoran Desert but how much really makes it to the aquifer? The University of Arizona-

Sunrise-Tortolita Preserve Trail (10/12/24) The 2026 Monsoon rains have turned the Tortolita Preserve (TP) into a lush Sonoran Desert environment. Lots of grass, ants, butterflies and some wildflowers. The animals are also enjoying the lushness. See that and more below. Grasses Sadly, we are starting to see buffelgrass entering TP. The seed gets flushed down the washes during monsoon rains and it does not take long to establish plants. Another grass that appears in our ar

Hiked the Wild Burro-Alamo Springs & Spur Loop yesterday and found many beautiful wildflowers. The poor wildflower bloom this spring has been redeemed! See collage of wildflowers observed below (click on photos to enlarge). From left to right and down: Trailing Windmills, Tripleleaf Morning-Glory, Trans-pecos Morning-Glory, Slender Goldenweed, Snapdragon Vine, Double Claw, Desert Thornapple, Spreading Fleabane, Slender Janusia, Pink Fairy Duster, Mesa Tansyaster, Chinchwee

Marana Parks & Recreation (MPR) will be holding a Community Meeting on 10/8/26 at 6:00 PM at the MARC to discuss the Parks & Recreation Master Plan Update. Click on the link below to get more of the details and/or see the announcement below. Please note that the Tortolita Alliance Board will be meeting with MPR and their consultant at a future date to have a focused discussion on Natural Resources/Outdoor Recreation/Trails.