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

This summer (June, July & August, 2026) was very warm: The average low temperature this summer was 75.47 F compared to the normal (1991-2020) low temperature of 72.7 F (+2.77 F). The average high temperature this summer was 100.00 compared to the normal high temperature of 98.82 F (+1.17 F). There was reduced wildlife activity in the Tortolita Preserve (TP) this summer with some animals moving up to cooler, higher elevations. However, despite the heat, there was wildlife act

Tortolita Preserve and Fan-From Upper Javelina Trail On November 14, 2025, the Tortolita Alliance (TA), Town of Marana (Marana) and the Arizona State Land Department (ASLD) met at the Municipal Complex to discuss the Tortolita Preserve and surrounding lands. See TA Meets With Arizona State Land Department & Marana for more details. Since that meeting, Marana and ASLD have been working together to develop a Land Use Plan (aka Tortolita Land Use Plan) for the Tortolita Preserv

Marana Parks & Recreation Department (MPR) is updating the the 2020-2030 Parks & Recreation Master Plan (click on link below). Tortolita Alliance (TA) participated in this plan and many of our suggested Tortolita Preserve improvements were implemented. Now is the time to provide input to the Parks & Recreation Master Plan Update (Master Plan Update). Click on the button below and you will be directed to the Master Plan Update Website page where you can learn more about the

The National Weather Service (NWS) has produced a very informative video presentation on monsoons and the precipitation prediction for the 2026 Monsoon Season (June 15-September 30). NWS is forecasting an above normal precipation for the 2026 Monsoon Season with the possibility of El Niño impacts from Pacific storms. Get those stormwater channels cleaned out and ready for action! Click on the link below to view the video:

Hiked the Wild Burro-Alamo Springs & Spur Loop early this morning. Have not been up there in a few months, as we had a poor wildflower bloom. However, despite the dryness, there are lots of great sights and sounds. Play the audio recording as you take a look at the photos: Panorama Looking Towards Marana, Desert Spoon in bloom, Saguaro flowers galore, but no fruit yet, Black-tailed Jackrabbit, and Red-tailed Hawk (click on photo to enlarge).

Dave and Ethan (authors of Animals & Plants of the Tortolita Preserve) let me know on 5/13/26 that one of the Queen of the Night cacti on the south side of the Tortolita Preserve (TP) was about ready to bloom. We all visited the Queen to try to catch the bloom, but we could not be there every night, and, unfortunately, we just missed it. Below are photos from the early morning of 5/17/26 showing the spent bloom, which is now forming the bright red fruit. Note how the Queen o

Happy Mother's Day from the Tortolita Preserve. About 2 weeks ago, the Tortolita Alliance (TA) North Camera picked up Mrs. Mule Deer on video and photo. She appears to be quite pregnant and may have given birth in time for Mother's Day 2026! Mrs. Mule Deer Expecting Fawn-Photo A-Tortolita Preserve-TA North Camera Mrs. Mule Deer Expecting Fawn-Photo B-Tortolita Preserve-TA North Camera Mrs. Mule Deer Expecting Fawn-Video-Tortolita Preserve-TA North Camera

Tortolita Alliance (TA) had a nice conversation with Wayne Barnett [Marana Parks & Recreation (MPR) Director] on 4/8/26. We discussed some of the key TA Strategic Plan items, with this important update: Tortolita Preserve (TP) Convert Barbed Wire Fence (north side) With Wildlife Friendly Wire -MPR will do conversions in conjunction with other projects on the north side. TP Trail Expansion -MPR has proposed $70,000 in the FY 26/27 Budget (starts July 2026), for designing and

Tortolita Alliance has placed a new wildlife camera at an unknown wash on the north side of the Tortolita Preserve. There is plenty of wildlife activity, especially at night. These photos and videos demonstrate how wonderfully the Tortolita Preserve serves as pristine wildlife habitat and a wildlife corridor for movement to and from the Catalina Mountains, Tortolita Mountains and Tucson Mountains. Coyote Coyotes Do Sleep At Night! Javelina Family Outing Big Boy! Mule Deer

Tortolita Preserve Horseback Ride-1/7/26 Went on a 2-hour horseback ride in the Tortolita Preserve (TP) last Saturday! I have been wanting to do this for some time, and so glad I did it. My horse was Trisha, and she was fabulous. On this horseback ride, you can really experience the wild, wild west. Just like it was 175 years ago when the pioneers traveled through our beautiful Sonoran Desert. What a treat! The horseback trip was sponsored by the Marana Parks & Recreat

The Tortolita Preserve is experiencing a subtle, micro superbloom right now — one that's easy to miss if you're not paying close attention. From a distance, the landscape looks like its usual green expanse of desert shrubs and annuals after the good winter rains we’ve had, with no dramatic carpets of color stretching to the horizon. But get down low along the trails, especially from the Moore Road Trailhead heading west to the north-turning corner, and you'll discover blanke

An introduction to dodder, a unique parasitic vine that thrives in the Tortolita Mountains area

Saguaro Research-Tortolita Preserve Tortolita Alliance (TA) has proposed to conduct a Saguaro Survey/Inventory within the Tortolita Preserve. TA worked with scientists from the Tumamoc Desert Laboratory to develop a preliminary plan, which has been submitted to Marana Parks & Recreation for consideration. We await their response. A Saguaro Survey/Inventory project is an excellent way for our citizen scientists to participate in a very important, long-term saguaro study. Sa

ASLD Land In Marana-Tortolita Preserve (Leased) In Pink Tortolita Alliance (TA) Board members met with representatives from the Arizona State Land Department (ASLD) and the Town of Marana (Marana) this morning (11/14/25) at the Marana Municipal Complex. The purpose of the meeting was to: (1) inform ASLD about TA and all we have done to support the Tortolita Preserve, (2) learn more about the ASLD land lease and sale process, (3) learn more about the potential sale of the Tor

Jim Conroy-Director-Marana Parks & Recreation (MPR)-Photo provided by MPR Jim Conroy Retires Jim Conroy served as Director of the Marana Parks & Recreation Department (MPR) for the last 8 years and retired on 10/10/25. Jim was responsible for several achievements for the Town of Marana, including: (1) Parks & Recreation Master Plan (2020-2030), (2) Marana Aquatic & Recreation Center, (3) numerous park and trail improvements, and more. Tortolita Alliance (TA) worked closely w

Dove Mountain & Marana From Upper Javelina Trail (3/5/23) Tortolita Alliance (TA) attended the Marana Community Conversation Meeting at the Dove Mountain CSTEM K-8 School on 10/8/25. The topics included: (1) Marana Growth, (2) Transportation, and (3) Data Centers. Marana utilized a new approach for these meetings. Attendees are not allowed to raise their hands and ask verbal questions. Attendees can fill out a question card, and the presenters will answer the question duri

2025 Monsoon Stats It's official, the 2025 Monsoon (June 15-September 30) total precipitation was 2.82 inches, which is the 12th driest...