HABITAT RESTORATION

CONSERVATION PRACTICES AT RAVEN’S NEST

Habitat Restoration

For nearly 2 decades professional Ethnobotanist, Wildlife Biologist, Naturalist and Conservationist Vincent Pinto designed and implemented  a hands-on Ecological Restoration Strategy  at Raven’s Nest Nature Sanctuary . Thus Vincent committed himself to restoring degraded habitats and promoting land conservation. The rewarding result – healthy habitats throughout the 42-acre Nature Preserve – will endure for the foreseeable future given the inherent resiliency of various native plants and their associated wildlife.

Upon arrival in March 2008, Vincent’s  relentless determination led to an overall rehabilitation strategy of the land, reestablishing a thriving ecosystem that supports high levels of biodiversity. 

Leveraging Vincent’s intimate understanding of various plant species life-cycles and how they individually and collectively sustain diverse wildlife populations, all the Habitat Restoration initiatives led to a resounding success throughout the 42-acre Nature Preserve.

The 42-acre preserve contains a beautiful array of natural environments, each of which has benefitted by Vincent’s carefully designed and lovingly implemented land management practices.

Our habitats include:

  • Velvet Mesquite & Catclaw Acacia Woodlands
  • Native Grasslands
  • Ocotillo Forests
  • Arroyos
  • Canyons
  • Wildlife Ponds
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Vincent’s mission to implement an Ecological Restoration Strategy  included:
  1. Overall 42-acre Habitat Assessment
  2. Planning and Design for each different Habitat
  3. Implementation of interventions for each Habitat
  4. Ongoing Monitoring of results
  5. Continued Post-restoration Habitat Management
Each habitat required specific hands-on management to promote and maintain optimal levels of biodiversity.  Over the years, Vincent regularly monitored all corners of Raven’s Nest Nature Sanctuary to compile all the Species Lists including Birds, Wild Plants, Mammals and Butterflies.  Along the way, Vincent designed  and implemented any required management actions and thus eliminated the need for any future ecological interventions. 
 
 
 
 

WILDLIFE  PONDS

 
To support our high levels of Sky Islands Biodiversity Vincent designed and constructed several Wildlife Ponds at Raven’s Nest Nature Sanctuary . Carefully choosing sites that artfully incorporated dense tree and shrub cover to minimize evaporative water loss, while maximizing seclusion for visiting wildlife.  The small size of each pond reduces the rain-water required to keep them full.  Over the years the wildlife visiting or living in the ponds has been a very rewarding Habitat Restoration project.
 

A rich aquatic environment thrives in each pond.  Native wetland plants such as Duckweed and Giant Sedge support a rich array of aquatic invertebrates including Water Boatmen, various species of Diving Beetle, the larvae and adults of Dragonflies and Damselflies, native Snails, and many other species.  Birds flock to the ponds, not only to drink and bath, but also to consume the many invertebrates concentrated in their vicinity.  Lizards and snakes often sun themselves on the fringe of rocks surrounding each pond, further adding to their enchanting aspect.

Whitetail Deer, Collared Peccary, threatened Yellow-billed Cuckoos, Gray Hawks, Common Gray Fox, various snakes, a veritable blitzkrieg of birds, and many butterflies are a mere sampling of the species benefitting from these crucial sources of water.  Our remote wildlife cameras often capture these species as they visit our ponds.  They are a true nexus of life here at the sanctuary!

Even Osprey, Belted Kingfisher, Mexican Ducks, and several species of Herons and Egrets have visited them on occasion!
 
To learn more about our ongoing efforts visit Ecological Restoration at our Nature Sanctuary
 
 

PLANTING NATIVE TREES

Tree choices, benefits to wildlife

OUR TREE CHOICES & BENEFITS TO WILDLIFE

 
 
SPECIES EVERGREEN FRUIT NECTAR/SAP SEEDS/NUTS SHELTER
ARIZONA CYPRESS
(Cupressus arizonica)		 X     X X
ARIZONA JUNIPER   (Juniperus arizonica) X     X X
EMORY OAK
(Quercus emoryii)		 X   X X X
SCRUB OAK
(Quercus turbinella)		 X   X X X
VELVET ASH
(Fraxinus velutina)		     X X X
ARIZONA ROSEWOOD
(Vaquelinia californica)		 X   X X X
EVERGREEN SUMACH
(Rhus choriophylla)		 X X X X X
DESERT WILLOW
(Chilopsis linearis)		     X X X
YELLOW TRUMPET
(Tecoma stans)		     X X X
MEXICAN ELDERBERRY
(Sambucus mexicana)		   X X   X
NETLEAF HACKBERRY
(Celtis reticulata)		   X X   X
WESTERN SOAPBERRY (Sapindus saponaria)       X X
Medium Arizona Rosewood Large Arizona Rosewood
Medium Velvet Ash Medium Arizona Cypress

Top row: Medium Arizona Rosewood | Large AZ Rosewood
Bottom row: Medium Velvet Ash | Medium Arizona Cypress