Maricopa County Master Naturalists

Calling all K-12 Educators! We recently received funding to build out new phenology-focused curriculum resources. We want to hear from YOU about your experiences teaching about phenology.🌱

Scan the QR code or click the link below to share your input and find out about a paid working group opportunity!

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeJoTz9kT2NTLG_mD6VZhehS3J7IlAtVPXp2H37gUkVw6s36A/viewform

When you upload something to iNaturalist, you'll more often than not get an identification (and sometimes a comment) from an identifier!

We've had the privilege of spotlighting a few of these amazing folks over the years on our blog. Meet some of the people behind the IDs: https://tr.ee/EU3MJVO99V

Identifiers — which can include everyone from experts to curious and enthusiastic learners — show up day after day to help verify iNaturalist data and teach fellow nature-lovers about what they're documenting. They spend countless hours identifying observations across taxa they love and know well, often in regions all around the world.

And if you've ever wanted to become an identifier, now is a great time to start! The identification period is underway, and it's one of the best opportunities to practice your skills, learn from others, and make a real difference for thousands of observations waiting for a second look: https://www.inaturalist.org/pages/citynaturechallenge/

Congr8tulations to our eighth Arizona Master Naturalist cohort in Maricopa County!

Cohort 8 started their training in January and qualified interns are already volunteering with partners like Desert Botanical Garden and for the Greater Phoenix .

Today’s graduation celebration was the perfect venue for our new Master Naturalists to add their own observations on iNaturalist.org of the Sonoran Desert life all around us. 🌵

Exciting news today in the world of rare Sky Island kitties. Recently, Sky Island Alliance and Phoenix Zoo published a study describing the remarkable journey of a male ocelot across four mountain ranges in the Sky Islands of Arizona, the longest-known trek by a single member of the species.

This ocelot — recently named “Himdam” or “Traveler” by the San Xavier District of the Tohono O'odham Nation — covered at least 111 miles and crossed I-19, AZ-82, and AZ-83 (at least twice) as it moved among the Atascosa Highlands, Whetstone Mountains, Patagonia Mountains, and Santa Rita Mountains. It also did so in the shadow of border wall construction, mine expansion, and I-11 corridor exploration, underscoring the fragility of our region and the threats wildlife face.

One of the more fascinating aspects of this story is that the ocelot was detected in four separate ranges by four organizations (Phoenix Zoo, Center for Biological Diversity, Sky Island Alliance, and The Wild Cat Research and Conservation Center), who then collaborated to tell the story.

Get that full story with photos and videos in our blog: https://ow.ly/Zyae50YJ6lo

Then sign up for our virtual Coffee Break on May 14, where we’ll be joined by our partners to discuss this intrepid cat and what’s next for ocelot conservation: https://ow.ly/OslP50YJ6lj

Learn more in this press release: https://ow.ly/Muew50YMQjO

Map showing the four locations where Himdam was spotted in 2024-2025 courtesy Sky Island Alliance and Phoenix Zoo. At right, a collage from the four organizations’ footage, showing the rosettes that helped scientists know it was the same cat.

/ Phoenix Zoo / Center for Biological Diversity / Sky Island Alliance / The Wild Cat Research and Conservation Center / Tohono O'odham Nation