Mark L. Johnson
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...
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Mark L. Johnson
- Nov 19
- 1 min
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...
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Mark L. Johnson
- Sep 30
- 1 min
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...
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Mark L. Johnson
- Sep 1
- 2 min
Animals And Plants Of The Tortolita Preserve
The Tortolita Alliance (TA) Strategic Plan (2020) included a strategic goal to collaborate with other groups/agencies/public to conduct a...
325 views
Mark L. Johnson
- Aug 27
- 2 min
Tortolita Preserve-Post Storm(s) Report
Tortolita Preserve-After The Monsoon (8/27/23) Hiked the Tortolita Preserve (TP) Main Loop (7 miles) this early this morning. Reports of...
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Mark L. Johnson
- Aug 20
- 2 min
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...
294 views
Mark L. Johnson
- Jul 23
- 1 min
Hot? Think Snow!
Tortolita Preserve-Snow Bound (3/2/23) Only 143 days ago we had 4 inches of snow in our Sonoran Desert and now the daily temperatures...
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Mark L. Johnson
- Jul 16
- 2 min
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...
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Mark L. Johnson
- Jul 2
- 1 min
Tortolita Summer
Tortolita Summer The summer solstice is 10 days nigh, And the temps are getting kinda high. But the early morning you can’t dislike, A...
248 views
Mark L. Johnson
- Jun 19
- 1 min
Night Blooming Wild Cereus Plant Ready To Bloom In Tortolita Preserve
One of the plant species identified in the Fall Tortolita Preserve (TP) Bioblitz was the Night Blooming Wild Cereus Plant aka Queen of...
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Mark L. Johnson
- Jun 4
- 1 min
Fruitful Hike
Hiked the Upper Javelina Trail early this morning. First time on the new section near Boulder Canyon Pass (see photos in collage). The...
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Mark L. Johnson
- May 14
- 2 min
Water Woes XXII-Cautious & Frugal
The water situation in the West has improved but it is only one year in a 24-year period whereby the Colorado River reservoir system has...
348 views
Mark L. Johnson
- May 10
- 2 min
Dave DeGroot-Trailblazer
Dave DeGroot-Grand Canyon One of the great benefits of the Tortolita Alliance (TA) is meeting and working with wonderfully talented...
325 views
Mark L. Johnson
- May 7
- 1 min
Dry But Colorful
Hedgehog Cactus Tortolita Preserve (4/23/23) Hiked the Wild Burro-Alamo Springs-Spur Trail early this morning. The lower trail potions...
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Mark L. Johnson
- Apr 22
- 2 min
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...
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Mark L. Johnson
- Apr 10
- 4 min
Saguaro Facts & Status
It has not been a good year for our treasured saguaros. Strong-Arm passed after a wonderful 160-year life in the Tortolita Preserve. We...
492 views
Mark L. Johnson
- Mar 26
- 1 min
March Gladness
Most likely your favorite team(s) have been eliminated from the NCAA basketball tournament. So its time for a little March Gladness to...
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Mark L. Johnson
- Mar 4
- 1 min
Snowscapes
Tortolita Preserve-Snow Bound (3/2/23) The rare Sonoran Desert snow event on Thursday, March 2, 2023 was beautiful and captured for...
282 views
Mark L. Johnson
- Feb 25
- 2 min
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...
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Mark L. Johnson
- Feb 12
- 1 min
A Wild Mustang Valentine
Happy Valentine's Day From The Wild Mustang Trail! Hiked the Wild Mustang Trail (9 miles) last Sunday. See 3-D video of the hike and...
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Mark L. Johnson
- Feb 5
- 1 min
TP Naturalists
Tortolita Preserve-Cool & Captivating (Mark & Shirley-2/1/23) The Arizona Master Naturalist Association (AZMNA) held their annual meeting...
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Mark L. Johnson
- Jan 22
- 3 min
Marana Water DAWS Modification-Part I Introduction & DAWS Basics
Introduction Marana Water (MW) applied to modify its Designated Assured Water Supply (DAWS) with the Arizona Department of Water...
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Mark L. Johnson
- Jan 15
- 1 min
Shades of Gray Make The Day
Wild Burro Wash & Trail 1/15/23 Hiking the Tortolita Preserve or the Tortolita Mountain Trails on a cloudy, pre-storm day is just as...
240 views
Mark L. Johnson
- Dec 17, 2022
- 2 min
TP Holiday Cheer!
Tortolita Preserve (12/10/22) Mule Deer Jumping For Joy Good news from Marana Parks & Recreation (MPR) on three Tortolita Preserve (TP)...
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Mark L. Johnson
- Dec 4, 2022
- 2 min
TA Reflections & Future
The Beginning The Tortolita Alliance (TA) was formed three years ago in response to efforts by the Town of Marana (Marana) and the...
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Mark L. Johnson
- Nov 26, 2022
- 2 min
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,...
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Mark L. Johnson
- Nov 19, 2022
- 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...
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Mark L. Johnson
- Nov 12, 2022
- 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...
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Mark L. Johnson
- Oct 29, 2022
- 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...
241 views
Mark L. Johnson
- Oct 20, 2022
- 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...
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Jill Kismet
- Aug 28, 2022
- 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...
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Jill Kismet
- Aug 21, 2022
- 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...
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Mark L. Johnson
- Jun 1, 2022
- 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...
295 views
Mark L. Johnson
- May 15, 2022
- 1 min
Iron-would Bloom?
Tortolita Preserve (5/15/22) Old Timer (left) and Youngster (right) Ironwood Trees No Bloom Recently I have seen ironwood trees in...
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Mark L. Johnson
- May 1, 2022
- 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 24, 2022
- 1 min
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...
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Mark L. Johnson
- Apr 6, 2022
- 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...
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Mark L. Johnson
- Mar 13, 2022
- 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...
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Mark L. Johnson
- Mar 6, 2022
- 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...
272 views
Mark L. Johnson
- Feb 26, 2022
- 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...
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Tortolita Alliance
- Feb 16, 2022
- 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...
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Mark L. Johnson
- Feb 6, 2022
- 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...
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Mark L. Johnson
- Jan 30, 2022
- 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...
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Mark L. Johnson
- Jan 11, 2022
- 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...
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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 &...
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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 &...
280 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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
284 views
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