In June, Friends of the Verde River’s Shannon Murphy attended the Arizona Geographic Information Council (AGIC) Geospatial Summit. She learned how geographic information systems (GIS) could benefit our work in the Verde River Watershed. The theme “GIS for Good – Mapping with Sensors, Data, and Analytics” provided the structure of the event. GIS tools can […]
We are thrilled to announce the successful completion of a groundwater recharge project at Mingus Union High School in Cottonwood, AZ. The project was completed as part of the River Friendly Living program which encourages sustainable water practices. This project highlights groundwater recharge infrastructure as a solution for flood control and water management issues. Historically, […]
Yes, Virginia, there is such a thing as a unicorn. It’s real and it lives in Arizona. My husband found one in our yard in April, and I have the photos to prove it. We let it go and hope it will reproduce in the wild and make more unicorns. As you probably have figured […]
What is GIS? GIS stands for Geographic Information System. GIS is a mapping tool that allows us to link data with specific locations to help with research, monitoring, and analysis. GIS is an important tool that we use at Friends of the Verde River to understand trends, or how things are changing, in the habitat […]
Writing and Photos by Chris Young Another season on the river has passed. And in those 18 weeks, 3 seasons came and went. Summer seemed to hang on last year. Another year without the monsoons. We were just below Thousand Trails on river right. The arundo was thick in large patches and swollen with past […]
“Stretching 190 miles from the grasslands of Chino Valley to the Sonoran Desert near Phoenix, the Verde is Arizona’s last, best river. The Verde Provides a home to over 200 bird species, 90 mammal species, and 75 native amphibian and reptile species… From the forests to the deserts, elk to rattlesnakes, vineyards to sweet corn, […]
December 10, 2020 by Jeni O’Callaghan Christmas, a time of beauty. Below are an assortment of Christmas cards that my grandmother created. Grandma Elsa (Burgbacher), as I called her, loved creating living faces. In each of these you can see the brightness of the Season, the glow of love and spirit of youth. There is […]
This December, we are thrilled to announce a thirty thousand dollar matched giving campaign. Our Board of Directors have put $30,000 towards Friends’ first-ever Year End Match Challenge, so in December, every dollar you donate will be doubled: double the impact, double the support, double the holiday love! Your generous support will work twice as hard when you give during December. Together, we […]
by Melanie Miles In light of COVID, we decided to take our Verde River Runoff VIRTUAL this year. We offered our supporters all over the country a chance to explore their favorite water bodies while paddling in honor of Friends. This was a unique opportunity for us to connect with paddlers and nature lovers from […]
by Maya Rappaport Happy September! I love this month. The air smells crisper, and birds in migration begin to pass through our yards and favorite outdoor places. This month, I want to highlight a migratory species, the Lazuli Bunting. The Lazuli Bunting is named for the male’s gorgeous lazuli blue coloring. He shines brilliantly in […]