Mark L. Johnson
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 19
- 1 min
BioBlitz Bonanza!
The first ever Tortolita Preserve Fall BioBlitz was a huge success with 683 observations by 46 observers and 73 identifiers with 136...
231 views
Mark L. Johnson
- Nov 12
- 1 min
TP BioBlitz (11/19) Sign-Up Reminder
A BioBlitz is an event to inventory as many species as possible in a specific area during a specific time frame. Using the smartphone app...
142 views
Mark L. Johnson
- Oct 29
- 2 min
TP BioBlitz Sign-Up
A BioBlitz is an event to inventory as many species as possible in a specific area during a specific time frame. Using the smartphone app...
238 views
Mark L. Johnson
- Oct 20
- 3 min
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...
291 views
Mark L. Johnson
- Oct 8
- 6 min
Tucson Water-One Water 2100 Analysis
Tucson Water (TW) is preparing an 80-year Water Master Plan called One Water 2100. This is an update to their previous Water Plan...
266 views
Jill Kismet
- Aug 28
- 4 min
A Keystone Of The Sonoran Desert: Why Old Saguaros Matter
When I stand beside a truly massive saguaro, I am in constant awe of their magnificence – as I’m sure you are. I reflect on its...
504 views
Jill Kismet
- Aug 21
- 4 min
Sky Ranch Reserve: A Critical Home To Marana’s Wildlife Is Under Threat
Did you know the residential community of Sky Ranch, near Tangerine Road and Camino de Manana, is home to a 409-acre Reserve? Yep, for...
643 views
Mark L. Johnson
- Jul 31
- 3 min
Storm-Water-Shed
Upper Wild Burro Canyon Watershed (7/31/22) Hiked the Wild Burro Trail and Alamo Springs Loop Trail early this morning after nice...
336 views
Mark L. Johnson
- Jul 3
- 1 min
Upper Javelina Monsoon Watch
Hiked the Upper Javelina Trail very early this morning. Two javelina observed. No hikers seen. A few saguaro cactus flowers. Nice...
195 views
Mark L. Johnson
- Jun 15
- 1 min
Water Woes XVII-Disaster Looming
The Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) issued a press release in response to yesterday's Senate Committee on Energy and Natural...
417 views
Mark L. Johnson
- Jun 5
- 1 min
Tortolita Wild Horses & More
TA Members Kit Nidever and Joe Thomas hiked the Ridgeline Trail on May 31 and saw a herd of wild horses. See photo by Kit above. A herd...
321 views
Mark L. Johnson
- Jun 1
- 1 min
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...
276 views
Mark L. Johnson
- May 1
- 1 min
May Day! May Day! May Day!
The Conjunction Moon, Jupiter & Venus line up early Wednesday (4/27/22) morning over the Tortolita Preserve. Good things come in...
187 views
Mark L. Johnson
- Apr 17
- 1 min
Sunrise Service
Hiked the Upper Javelina to Wild Mustang to Wild Burro to Alamo Springs Spur Loop Trails early this morning. A nice 9-mile, peaceful...
285 views
Mark L. Johnson
- Apr 6
- 1 min
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...
357 views
Mark L. Johnson
- Mar 27
- 1 min
Trail Sights & Sounds
Hiked the Wild Burro to Alamo Springs Loop Trail this morning. Stopped for a rest at the top of the Wild Burro Trail and quietly listened...
356 views
Mark L. Johnson
- Mar 13
- 1 min
Zoom Or Bloom?
Coulter's Lupine-Upper Javelina Trail Tired of COVID-19 Zoom calls? Time to get out for a hike and see the wildflowers. The Bloom has...
195 views
Mark L. Johnson
- Mar 6
- 1 min
Freedom!
Strong-Arm Saguaro At Daylight Went for a 7.5 mile hike in the Tortolita Preserve (TP) this morning. I had to. The events in Europe are...
270 views
Mark L. Johnson
- Feb 26
- 2 min
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...
362 views
Tortolita Alliance
- Feb 16
- 2 min
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...
285 views
Mark L. Johnson
- Feb 6
- 2 min
Mark 4 Marana Town Council Campaign
I first came to Marana in 1976 on a cross county RV adventure during my senior year in college. Having grown up in a coastal environment...
1,310 views
Mark L. Johnson
- Feb 1
- 2 min
Water Woes XIV-Pause On DAWS
The following serves as an update to the previously reported Marana Water Designated Assured Water Supply (DAWS) analysis. Remember DAWS...
204 views
Mark L. Johnson
- Jan 30
- 1 min
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...
291 views
Mark L. Johnson
- Jan 11
- 1 min
TP West & The Mound
Tortolita Preserve West Looking North & East Toward Dove Mountain From The Mound Happy New Year! Hiked the western portion of the...
334 views
Mark L. Johnson
- Dec 18, 2021
- 2 min
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 &...
315 views
Mark L. Johnson
- Dec 4, 2021
- 2 min
TA Tidbits #31 BioBlitz & More
Tortolita Preserve-Natural Resource Survey (BioBlitz) TA met with representatives from Marana Parks & Recreation (MPR), Arizona Game &...
276 views
Mark L. Johnson
- Nov 17, 2021
- 3 min
Dove Mountain Development Status November 2021
Tortolita Preserve At Sunrise Dove Mountain Development 101 In June 2021, TA published a Dove Mountain Development Status blog that...
1,294 views
Mark L. Johnson
- Nov 14, 2021
- 3 min
The Case Of The Missing HCP
Another Marana mystery is solved! This time its about wildlife and habitat. What the heck is an HCP? HCP is the acronym for Habitat...
335 views
Mark L. Johnson
- Nov 10, 2021
- 3 min
Water Woes X No Status Quo
Drought Status Tortolita Alliance (TA) attended the Local Drought Impact Group (LDIG) Meeting via Microsoft Team on 11/10/21. LDIG is a...
231 views
Mark L. Johnson
- Nov 4, 2021
- 2 min
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...
278 views
Mark L. Johnson
- Oct 21, 2021
- 1 min
TA Alert! Night Flight
Tortolita Alliance (TA) has heard recently from several residents in the Dove Mountain area about planes circling and buzzing at very...
692 views
Mark L. Johnson
- Oct 21, 2021
- 1 min
Trailblazers!
(L to R) Thom Rossa (TA Director), Dave Barker (TA Secretary), Chris Garrow (Trail Maintenance Crew Member), Mary Grodman (Natural...
246 views
Mark L. Johnson
- Oct 17, 2021
- 2 min
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...
313 views
Mark L. Johnson
- Oct 12, 2021
- 1 min
TA Alert! Santa Cruz River Cleanup No. 2 At Ina Road Bridge Canceled
Tortolita Alliance and Tucson Clean & Beautiful have canceled the Santa Cruz River Cleanup at the Ina Road Bridge Location on October 23,...
92 views
Mark L. Johnson
- Oct 10, 2021
- 2 min
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...
273 views
Mark L. Johnson
- Oct 2, 2021
- 1 min
Santa Cruz River Clean Up No. 2
Tucson Clean & Beautiful and other agencies/groups are sponsoring a Santa Cruz River Cleanup on October 23. For the second time this...
118 views
Mark L. Johnson
- Sep 26, 2021
- 1 min
Saguaro Destruction-Part 2
Bulldozer Topples Beautiful Saguaro Saguaro Reserve-Dove Mountain Photograph published with photographer's permission Marana Response To...
503 views
Mark L. Johnson
- Sep 25, 2021
- 1 min
TA Alert! Chopper Activity Dove Mountain
You may have heard a helicopter buzzing Dove Mountain early this morning (midnight to 1 AM) and again currently (7:30 AM). Marana PD...
647 views
Mark L. Johnson
- Sep 19, 2021
- 1 min
Saguaro Destruction
Several TA Members have reported the destruction of older saguaros at the Saguaro Reserve Subdivision (173 homes) now being mass graded...
943 views
Mark L. Johnson
- Sep 12, 2021
- 1 min
Green Going Brown
Hiked the Tortolita Preserve (TP) Big Loop early this morning. Only a few weeks after the end of the monsoonal rains and the undergrowth...
222 views
Mark L. Johnson
- Sep 3, 2021
- 2 min
Marana Sales Tax Increase Considerations
Marana has two remaining Sales Tax Increase Public Meetings on Thursday, 9/9/21 at 6:00 PM at the Dove Mountain Stem School and on...
197 views
Mark L. Johnson
- Sep 1, 2021
- 1 min
TA Alert! Marana Town Council-Call For Candidates
Marana 2022 Town Council Election-Call For Candidates The Marana Town Council will have four openings for the August 2022 election with...
228 views
Mark L. Johnson
- Aug 28, 2021
- 3 min
Water Woes IX-Water Study Session Report Part B
Water Is The Sustenance Of Life In Part A we reported that Marana Water has 2,804 acre-feet (AF) of water remaining in its Designated...
218 views
Mark L. Johnson
- Aug 26, 2021
- 2 min
Water Woes VIII-Water Study Session Report Part A
Hope you had the opportunity to attend or watch (video stream) the Water Study Session on Tuesday. Jing Luo, Marana's new Water...
215 views
Mark L. Johnson
- Aug 22, 2021
- 1 min
Water & Flower Power
Alamo Springs Trail-Chest High Grass Hiked the Wild Burro & Alamo Springs Trail this morning. The Wild Burro Wash was flowing strong...
287 views
Mark L. Johnson
- Aug 19, 2021
- 2 min
TA Alert! Water Study Session
Marana Water Study Session Marana will be holding a Water Study Session in the Town Council Chambers on Tuesday, August 24 at 6:00 PM. ...
141 views
Mark L. Johnson
- Aug 18, 2021
- 1 min
Aye-R-Land
Upper Javelina Trail Looking East Hiked the Upper Javelina Trail on Sunday and it looks like Ireland up there--emerald green! Below is a...
211 views
Mark L. Johnson
- Aug 17, 2021
- 1 min
Lush-Us
Tortolita Preserve Wash After Summer Monsoonal Rains August 2021 On Sunday, I hiked the Tortolita Preserve (TP) with three TA members who...
280 views
Mark L. Johnson
- Aug 13, 2021
- 1 min
TA Alert! Interstate 11 Opposition To West Option
Tortolita Alliance (TA) received word yesterday that the comment period for the Interstate 11 (I-11) Final Environmental Impact Statement...
369 views