Gentle Nature Conservation
Gentle Nature Conservation is about protecting our natural world with care, respect, and as little disruption as possible. We believe healthy ecosystems thrive when we work with nature rather than against it, preserving habitats, supporting native species, reducing harm, and giving nature the space and time to recover. Through thoughtful, sustainable action, we can help create a future where people and nature flourish together. Our mission is to protect and restore the Sonoran Desert through gentle, thoughtful conservation. By restoring damaged habitats and reducing harmful human impact we strive to preserve the beauty and biodiversity of the Sonoran Desert for generations to come.
Providing Wildlife Habitat and Protecting Pollinators
Wildlife face a number of growing threats, including habitat loss from development and climate change. As natural spaces become increasingly fragmented, wildlife can have fewer places to find food, shelter, and water. Gentle nature conservation is about finding simple, thoughtful ways to coexist with the wildlife around us and protect the habitats they depend on. Small actions such as planting native species, providing water sources, reducing or eliminating pesticide use, and leaving natural areas undisturbed can make a meaningful difference. By creating welcoming spaces for wildlife in our own yards and communities, we can help support healthy ecosystems while learning to share our environment with the other species that call it home. Below are some helpful tips for protecting pollinators and supporting wildlife:
- Grow native plants to support pollinators, other insects, and wildlife that depend on these species for food and shelter.
- Avoid trimming trees, especially palms during Spring-Summer as bats and many species of birds such as owls, doves, and finches use them as habitat to raise young in.
- Mitigate or eliminate pesticide use. Many pesticides harm non-target species and can affect the wildlife that ingest them.
- Reduce nighttime light pollution by turning off unnecessary outdoor lights or using motion sensors. Artificial light at night can disrupt the natural behaviors of birds, bats, insects, and other wildlife.
- Provide a source of clean water. A shallow birdbath or water dish can provide valuable drinking and bathing opportunities for birds and other wildlife. Refresh the water regularly to keep it clean or keep the water moving with a pump to help avoid stagnation.
- Provide shelter and hiding places for wildlife using dense shrubs, native grasses, rock piles, and other natural features. These landscape elements can give wildlife places to rest, nest, and seek refuge from predators and extreme weather.
- Leave natural leaf litter and plant material in place when possible. Fallen leaves, stems, and other organic material provide food and shelter for insects and other small animals while returning nutrients to the soil.
Further resources for creating pollinator and wildlife habitat:
The University of Arizona Cooperative Extension’s Flower Planting Guide for the Low Desert– A guide containing a chart that details planting times, bloom times, and other characteristics of pollinator plants suitable for the low desert.
Pollinator Partnership Ecoregional Planting Guides– The Pollinator Partnership has created a number of planting guides, each curated for creating pollinator habitat suitable for a specific ecoregion.
The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum Plant Care Sheets– An excellent resource that overviews a variety of plants with care instructions. Another great feature of this tool is the ability to filter species for your particular needs (e.g. Bat Gardens).
Maricopa Pollinator Pathway Presentation– A video overview of how to support pollinators species. If you are a resident of low and intermediate desert areas in Arizona you may be eligible for Maricopa Pollinator Pathway certification.
The Arizona Native Plant Society’s Desert Bird Gardening Guide– While many birds may not be major pollinators, they still contribute greatly to overall ecosystem health. This guide by The Arizona Native Plant Society offers an overview of desert appropriate plant species suitable for attracting birds.
Bat Houses
Bat houses provide safe, sheltered places for bats to roost and raise their young, especially where natural roosting sites have been lost or disturbed. In the Sonoran Desert, bats play an important role in healthy ecosystems by pollinating plants and helping control insect populations. Among other conservation measures such as minimizing nighttime light pollution, providing water sources, and planting native plant species, installing and maintaining bat houses can support local bat populations. High temperatures can be a particular challenge for creating suitable bat houses in desert environments, as overheating can become a serious concern. To help keep bat houses at suitable temperatures, they can be painted in light, heat-reflective colors, designed with adequate ventilation, and placed near reliable water sources. Additionally, bat houses are generally more successful in rural areas.
Resources for bat houses:
Bat Conservation International- Bat Houses, provides a great overview on bat houses along with some design considerations and templates for building your own bat houses.
The Bat House Builder’s Handbook– This is a more comprehensive guide provided by Bat Conservation International and goes into greater detail on bat house design.
Pollinator Program
In order to expand habitat and provide resources to support our pollinators, we’ve created a Free Pollinator Seeds Program. Through this program, we provide free packets of a Southwest Pollinator Seed Mix to help community members create welcoming spaces for bees, butterflies, and other important pollinators. Whether you have a backyard, small garden, or community space, planting pollinator-friendly flowers can help provide valuable food and habitat for a number of pollinators. By growing these plants in more places across our community, we can work together to create a network of small but meaningful pollinator habitats.
Want to help grow pollinator habitat with us? Request your free seed packet below and help give our local pollinators a place to thrive!