Our restoration crews come from Vets4Hire and AZ Conservation Corp. They are the boots on the ground people doing the habitat restoration projects focusing on the removal of invasive plant species. We just celebrated the end of our 2018-2019 season with a party for the crew at Dead Horse Ranch State Park. During this season […]
by Ben Kowalewski, Habitat Restoration Coordinator TheVerde Watershed Restoration Coalition(commonly referred to as VWRC – pronounced “vee-work”) is a collaborative effort uniting private landowners, organizations, and agencies with a common interest in the health of the Verde River Watershed. Together, VWRC Partners are working to control one of the biggest current threats to the Verde […]
Our Habitat Restoration Manager, Matt Wilson and Field Supervisor, Elaine Nichols attended the Riparian Restoration and Tamarisk Beetle Workshop presented by RiversEdge West in Yuma in late November. The workshop covered the Tamarisk leaf beetle and various aspects of a successful river restoration program. The tamarisk leaf beetle is a biological control that was introduced […]
by Ben Kowalewski, Habitat Restoration Coordinator Part One The morning started off like most others; wanting to stay in bed for five more minutes but knowing it was time to get up, coffee, getting dressed and leaving for work. Except today was not a typical day going to the office, I had a lot of […]
by Maxwell Wilson, PhD Western water law is one of the most complicated topics in academia. However, the law, both as it is today and how it could be tomorrow, constrains what we can do and provides opportunities for action. As such, a working knowledge of water law is a critical component in the Friends […]
Friends of the Verde River has been using Geographic Information System (GIS) software to map important resources as well as invasive plant locations along the Verde since 2011. Currently, our field crews use Samsung Galaxy Tablets along with an app called Collector for ArcGIS to map and monitor invasive plant infestations and treatment areas. The […]
Last week, state lawmakers had a chance to hear first hand the concerns Verde Valley residents have about our water future. Arizona House of Representatives’ Committee on Energy, Environment and Natural Resources held a water forum in Camp Verde, as part of a statewide listening tour to learn more about the solutions local communities support. […]
In a recent project with Arizona Game & Fish Department, Friends staff members Amanda Webster and Ben Kowalewski helped reintroduce Gila Trout to their native waters in the West Fork of Oak Creek.Over 20 volunteers participated, hiking 1-4 miles with buckets strapped to backpack frames, each carrying water and 15-20 trout. The fish were carefully […]
On Saturday, June 2, 2018, Friends of the Verde River, The Nature Conservancy, REI, Arizona State Parks, and City of Cottonwood hosted volunteers from Prescott, Verde Valley and Phoenix metropolitan area to improve riparian habitat and recreation sites. This project was funded by REI and The Nature Conservancy. Volunteers had the choice of working on […]
Laura Jones, Community Engagement Coordinator, Fennel Blyth, Native Seed Coop Coordinator and Amanda Webster, VISTA Volunteer got on the road early Saturday morning to meet up with 150 women for the 3rd Annual Ladies River Take Over onthe Salt River. It was the first time for these avid Verde River paddlers to brave the Salt […]
