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Sky Island Alliance outlines wildlife camera study along U.S.–Mexico border near Nogales
Summary
Sky Island Alliance showed city officials photos and preliminary results from motion-activated cameras monitoring how border infrastructure affects wildlife, and said it will place more cameras along the Santa Cruz River near Nogales this winter.
Sky Island Alliance told the Nogales City Council it has been using motion-activated cameras to monitor how different sections of the U.S.–Mexico border wall affect animal movement and will add cameras near the Santa Cruz River this winter to study wildlife in the Nogales area.
The presentation matters because the Sky Island region around Nogales hosts a wide range of species that move across the international boundary; the group said understanding where animals can cross could inform local planning and conservation partners.
Iman Archie, a Sky Island Alliance researcher, described methods and early findings, showing photos of animals captured on camera and preliminary analyses comparing vehicle barriers, pedestrian walls and small wildlife passages. Archie said vehicle barriers tended to allow more crossings while tall pedestrian walls substantially reduced movement for many species. “These passages help some but they’re obviously too small for deer species like this mule deer or this American black bear,” Archie said, adding that small “cat door” passages sometimes allow bobcats, coyotes and javelina to move through the wall.
Archie showed a map of more than 100 camera locations across the region and said the organization will add cameras near Nogales this winter, roughly along Grand Avenue and at locations near the Santa Cruz River. He invited city officials, teachers and school groups to get involved and offered to return with results in eight to 10 months.
Mayor Maldonado and council members asked about permitting and coordination. Archie said Sky Island Alliance holds research permits and coordinates with land managers, including federal agencies and Customs and Border Protection where cameras are close to the wall. “We work, we coordinate all our efforts, and they’re grateful for the work we do,” Archie said.
Sky Island Alliance said its goals are to document species using existing infrastructure and wildlife passages and to provide data that could inform future mitigation or design changes.
The presentation closed with the group offering to provide updates to the council after the new cameras are deployed and data are analyzed.
Provenance: Iman Archie presentation and Q&A (transcript segments: 2284.685–2688.4802).
