Ravens-Way Wild Journeys Environmental Policy

RAVENS-WAY WILD JOURNEYS CONSERVATION PRACTICES

The Sky Islands region of southeast Arizona has the most biodiversity of any comparable area in the U.S. At Ravens-Way Wild Journeys LLC we have been fortunate to be the stewards of two gorgeous Sky Islands Nature Sanctuaries:  – Raven’s Mountain  in the majestic Chiricahua Mountains  and – Raven’s Nest located by Patagonia Lake State Park and surrounded by the pristine 9,500- acre Sonoita Creek State Natural Area wilderness.  We passionately honor this privilege on a daily basis by following a multitude of conservation practices, helping to protect and promote our amazing Sky Islands Biodiversity for future generations.

Environmental Policy at Raven’s Nest Nature Sanctuary

At Raven’s Nest Nature Sanctuary we host a significant subset of our Sky Islands dazzling array of species. Since March 2008, we have recorded 166 birds, multiple mammals, rare reptiles, amphibians, butterflies, and other invertebrates via our remote cameras, as well as a myriad of native plants that call our preserve home.  We tirelessly implement land management practices that promote and preserve our high levels of biodiversity, while serving as a key wildlife corridor in the greater Sky Islands region.

At Ravens-Way Wild Journeys LLC, one of our underlying philosophies is to promote daily “Environmental Practices” that will help lower our use of power, water, fuel, and that minimizes the waste that we produce at both Sky Islands Nature Sanctuaries – Raven’s Nest  & Raven’s Mountain. This reduces our ecological footprint, the sum total of all of our actions – positive, neutral, or negative – on the environment.

Given the countless number of guests that we host at Raven’s Nest Nature Sanctuary, one of our key goals is “ ZERO WASTE” : the recycling of all materials back into Nature or the marketplace in a manner that protects human health and the environment. To that end, we have chosen to refuse the weekly garbage collection service.

At RWWJ we practice and promote daily a number of key conservation concepts and direct hands-on actions to support biodiversity:

  • Habitat Management Zones – to sustainably use the land, while improving its ecological health
  • Wildlife Population Monitoring – to document wildlife via remote cameras and frequently update the various Species Lists for the preserve
  • Native Landscaping – to bolster plant populations, improve wildlife habitat, & support pollinators populations
  • Xeriscaping – to reduce water use & create wildlife habitat
  • Non-Native Plant Eradication – to give the competitive edge to native species, using the dead/invasive plants as mulch to reduce water evaporation, thus encouraging the growth of all our native plants
  • Watershed Restoration – to maintain and improve natural hydrology at the preserve
  • Rainwater Harvesting – to reduce water use and support our Organic Orchards & Edible Organic Gardens, and Native landscaping
  • Composting – to create rich soil for our Organic Orchards & Organic Edible Gardens
  • Leave NO Trace – to Always Stay on Trails, unless a specific Program requires otherwise
  • Every Acre Counts – to value every square inch of land, taking nothing for granted despite having over 100 acres in our two Nature Preserves.
  • Exclusive use of Organic Food & Products – to lower our impact on the planet & promote healthy living
  • Minimal Noise levels – to reduce our auditory impact on sensitive wildlife species
  • REDUCE/REUSE/RECYCLE – to minimize waste
  • NO HUNTING – to safeguard our wildlife populations
  • NO PETS – to eliminate their disruptive influence to our many species of wildlife

Our overarching goal at Raven’s Nest Nature Sanctuary is to serve as a crucial link and corridor for biodiversity in the Sky Islands region. Thus, the net impact of our collective conservation practices is an increase in native plant populations.
These in turn create and support a broad spectrum of wildlife species at the preserve. We believe that when properly managed, everyone’s “backyard” – however large or small – can become a vital component in a growing network of preserves that collectively make a huge positive difference for our planet’s imperiled species.