McDowell Sonoran Conservancy

Ensuring the Future of Our Home, the Sonoran Desert

The McDowell Sonoran Conservancy, a nonprofit organization, has been an advocate for and champion of the Sonoran Desert for more than three decades. We have emerged as one of the leading volunteer organizations in the nation, a committed partner in scientific research and an indispensable educational resource for our community.

Science

Restoration

In wake of the devastating Diamond Fire, the Conservancy team, in collaboration with the City of Scottsdale, is currently conducting damage assessments and developing a restoration plan for the burned area. Our biggest concern is controlling the spread of invasive grasses, which can quickly take over after large scale disturbances like fires. Invasives can outcompete native plants, removing crucial food sources for native wildlife and creating what is called a "food desert."

Biodiversity Protection

The Conservancy conducts studies and projects to promote the conservation of Sonoran Desert native bats, birds, amphibians, butterflies, arthropods, phenology, Sonoran desert tortoises and more. The Sonoran Desert is one of the most biodiverse ecosystems on the planet, and the Conservancy is proud to protect its varied and beautiful wildlife.

Education 

Our Expedition Days Suite of programs inspires youth to be change-makers. Learning about their home ecosystem empowers youth to become the next generation of environmental champions and protect natural open spaces like the beautiful McDowell Sonoran Preserve.

We bring students into the McDowell Sonoran Preserve on field trips to learn about the Sonoran Desert, in the Sonoran Desert. Or, our education team goes "On The Road" to bring the Sonoran Desert to them with in-person and online options to make our top-quality environmental education programs accessible to every student.

Students learn through engaging and interactive activities that teach them about the role they have to play in the preservation of natural open space and it's importance to the overall health of our environment.

Stewardship

The Conservancy began as a grassroots organization and our volunteers continue to be at the heart of everything we do. Across 9 programs from Citizen Science to Construction and Maintenance, our 700+ volunteer stewards empower every facet of the Conservancy’s great work.

We Need Your Help!

We can't do it alone. We need your financial contribution today to continue our critical work that preserves and advances natural open space for today, and inspires the next generation to protect it for tomorrow.