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.

Monsoon Storm (8/19/26) Tortolita Preserve (North Side) This video records a monsoon storm that came through the Tortolita Preserve on August 19, 2026. Wind-Lighting-Rain! The 2026 Monsoon Season started on 6/15/26 and ended on 9/30/26. The data shows there is much monsoon precipitation variability across Southern Arizona. Tucson Airport precipitation data is sometimes referred to as the "official" precipitation/monsoon data for the region. The Haywood Plot below shows the