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Verde River Stories
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 Maya Rappaport November 24, 2020 The Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) is a familiar bird of woodlands and open meadows in North America. For those of us who love the mixed composition woodlands that dot the mid- to high-elevation regions of AZ, the sounds of a group of turkeys in the distance brings imagery of […]
by Jeni O’Callaghan November 16, 2020 Noel lived and breathed art. As her daughter, I remember her always having something on the drawing board. Conversely if she got bored (I believe she would be diagnosed with ADD today) she would turn to nature and likely draw it. In my opinion she shined the best with […]
“Upper Verde River Update: A Critical Resource in Danger The upper Verde River is an economic and ecological powerhouse, but can it survive the threat of the ever-increasing groundwater pumping that is diminishing its baseflow?” – Citizens Water Advocacy Group Join the Citizens Water Advocacy Group (CWAG) on November 14 from 10 a.m. – noon […]
by Hudson Keffer October 15, 2020 As a recent transplant to the Verde Valley, I quickly came to realize that Arizona is not entirely the dry and desolate place that it is assumed to be. Sure, the majority of this valley is filled with drought tolerant plants like Creosote bush, Mesquite, and Prickly Pear cactus […]
by Maya Rappaport Last weekend, October 17-18, 2020, was Global Birding Weekend as well as an eBird Big Day. Friends staff, field crews, and other members of our community birded up a storm! Here’s a list of species seen around the Verde River Watershed last weekend – with 55 unique species in total! Did you […]
Join Friends this weekend for Global Birding Weekend and an eBird Big Day!
An 84-acre parcel, the Rio Verde Ranch, is being added to the Prescott National Forest! This parcel contains a .6-mile stretch of our Verde River. We’re very excited that this parcel and river frontage will be protected by the Prescott NF and the Trust for Public Land. Read more at USA Today.
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 […]