Blog

Discovery Atop Sierra Chivato

The Madrean Discovery Expeditions team made their way to Sonora to explore the Sierra Chivato. A GreaterGood.org staff member tells us more.

Earth Day in a Restored, Restorative Place

Guest post by Jennifer Fermon, GreaterGood.org Board VP  It’s a quiet Sunday and I’m sitting in Benaroya Hall in Seattle, listening to Italian concertos played with humor and joy. Seriously skilled soloists are playing ferociously both with and against the ripieno strings around them. It makes me think about the last time I was privy […]

Studying the Undiscovered in Sonora, Mexico – MDE Cajón Bonito

On Wednesday, April 26, a motley group of scientists, university students, photographers, park service professionals, and GreaterGood.org staff came trudging back to reality. We had just spent 5 days documenting the undiscovered, exploring the unknown, and building lasting friendships with folks on the other side of the border. This was our first Madrean Discovery Expedition […]

Madrean Discovery Expedition – Cajón Bonito – April 2017

Guest Writer Margarethe Brummerman www.arizonabeetlesbugsbirdsandmore.blogspot.com Camping at Ranchos los Ojos Camping? In Mexico??? The US customs officer in Douglas, AZ asked in a very offended tone when we got back from our expedition. He and his colleges waved us away from our vehicle and sorted through coolers, sleeping bags, tents, camera bags and dirty underwear. No, […]

Sky Island Environmental Education Experience – Part I

The Madrean Archipelago (or Sky Island Mountain Range), a series of unique ecosystems that range from New Mexico and Arizona to Mexico, is one of the world’s global biodiversity hotspots. Yet most residents of the smaller towns in the region have never been in the Sky Islands and have little knowledge of the animals, plants, vegetation, […]

Expeditions

The Madrean Archipelago, or Sky Islands, is the region between the northern Sierra Madre Occidental in Chihuahua and Sonora, Mexico, and the Mogollon Rim in central Arizona. Sky Islands are isolated mountain ranges that have crowns of oak woodland or pine-oak forest. There are 55 Sky Islands in the Madrean Archipelago. Thirty-two of these reside […]

Global Biodiversity Hotspots

Our efforts to explore, understand, document, and protect these hotspots has been a success, as five Sky Island regions are now protected areas. With each new mountain range comes at least one new species, making these expeditions some of the most exciting and important of our time. To say we can hardly wait to explore each new range would be an understatement!

GreaterGood.org Has Found The Endangered Sonoran Salamander!

GreaterGood.org’s very own Tom Van Devender and his wife Ana Lilia Reina-G set off on a research expedition as they often do as a part of our bio-diversity programs. While on their trip, Tom and Ana Lilia stayed in a little motel on a tiny road at the edge of Cananea. This vast grassland area […]

We Need Your Help to Protect the Wildlife of the Sonoran Sky Islands

The 55 Sky Island ranges in the Madrean Archipelago is recognized by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) as one of the most biologically diverse areas in the world. However, the ecosystems in Mexico are vastly understudied, endangering the land and species that exist there. This unmatched diversity demands study. We must understand the complexities of […]