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Verde River Stories
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 […]
Last week, our vegetation monitoring crew, in partnership with the National Forest Service, was able to hike into Fossil Creek and take the first step in treating the Himalayan Blackberry infestation near the spring source. The blackberry is very invasive and reduces native plant populations. The crew was sent to cut the blackberry as a […]
On May 7th, Fennel Blythe, Native Seed Coordinator with Friends of the Verde River traveled to New Mexico for the New Mexico Native Plant Farm Tour. She had the privilege of attending an informative and inspirational farm tour sponsored by the Institute for Applied Ecology, directed by Melanie Gisler and coordinated by Maggie Parrish. Friends […]
JAMIE NIELSEN December 12, 2017 New conservation challenges, new take on restoration The Verde River continues to flow through the valley today, over land and underground, supporting agriculture, wildlife, forests and economies. It winds through Arizona’s transition zone between desert and plateau, making this one of the most biologically diverse areas in the American Southwest. […]
Over 30 years ago, after I packed up all my possessions, and moved from Phoenix to Los Angeles, my mother sent me a flyer for a property in Camp Verde with a note that said “you should buy this place.” I surely thought she’d lost her mind. While the property looked appealing, I couldn’t imagine […]
JAMIE NIELSEN December 12, 2017 The Verde River: Heart and soul of the Verde Valley A ribbon of cottonwood, willow and sycamore trees delineate the river and its tributaries, winding through the semi-arid landscape of the Verde Valley. Ash, walnut, soapberry, hackberry, alder and many other trees flourish here too. Bright yellow-gold cottonwood leaves and […]
JAMIE NIELSEN December 12, 2017 Waxy, wrinkly, smelly trench foot. Lightning. Hemotoxins and neurotoxins, rattlesnake and spider bites. Kevin Kennedy, Logistics Technician with Arizona Conservation Corps (AZCC), is grilling the crew members-in-training about “the umbles”. “These are the signs of hypothermia! Mumbles, stumbles, and grumbles. Get ’em dry, get ’em warm, people!” This is the […]
