Sky Island Alliance to deploy cameras near Nogales to monitor wildlife movement at U.S.–Mexico border

Iman Erte, representing Tucson‑based conservation nonprofit Sky Island Alliance, briefed the Nogales City Council on the group’s camera‑based wildlife monitoring along the U.S.–Mexico border and announced plans to add cameras near Nogales this winter.

“Our region is one of the most biologically diverse places on the planet,” Erte said, describing the so‑called Sky Islands ecoregion and listing species documented on camera, including American black bear and mountain lion. She explained the group uses motion‑activated cameras to study how different border structures — pedestrian walls, vehicle barriers and small wildlife passages often added after construction — affect animal movements.

Erte said the group has more than 100 cameras regionally and will place additional cameras near the Santa Cruz River east of Nogales to monitor wildlife in the local area. She offered to return to present findings in seven to 10 months and to work with schools or teachers who want students involved in monitoring.

Council members asked about permits and coordination; Erte said Sky Island Alliance holds research permits from land managers and coordinates with federal agencies, including Customs and Border Protection when cameras are close to the wall. She said vehicle barriers generally allow more species to cross than pedestrian walls, while small wildlife passages (sometimes called “cat doors”) significantly improve passage for some species such as mountain lions.

Why it matters: Border infrastructure can fragment habitat and block the movements of large mammals and deer. Local monitoring can inform conservation measures and potential modifications to infrastructure to improve wildlife connectivity.