Birds, other wildlife - and people, as well - will benefit from habitat restoration work at an urban nature preserve Saturday.
Members of the public are invited to join in planting native trees and digging rainwater harvesting basins at the site - the Atturbury-Lyman Bird and Animal Sanctuary.
The 55-acre sanctuary is at the northern end of Lincoln Regional Park, with an entrance at 8300 E. Escalante Road. Work hours are 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
A COOPERATIVE EFFORT
"The goal is to reestablish native vegetation for the benefit of birds and other wildlife at the sanctuary," which is a popular walking and bird-watching site, said Kendall Kroesen, habitats program manager for the Tucson Audubon Society.
The society was awarded $11,000 - by a nonprofit partnership called Conserve to Enhance - to establish a demonstration site for habitat restoration near a trailhead at the sanctuary.
"Close to the trailhead there is a sandy area that has gone unused," Kroesen said. "It's a high visibility area" where people will be able to view results of the restoration.
He said Audubon Society workers and volunteers will plant native shrubs and trees including velvet mesquites, blue palo verdes and desert willows.
Project organizers emphasized that volunteers will learn planting and habitat restoration techniques they might use in their own backyards.
Kroesen said the Audubon Society has been doing other work at the sanctuary in recent years with funding from the Arizona Water Protection Fund.
Saturday's project takes place on national "Make a Difference Day," noted Karilyn Roach, program coordinator for Conserve to Enhance.
"This is your chance to make a difference locally," she said.
if you go
• What: Volunteer work day to restore wildlife habitat
• When: 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday. Participants should register in advance.
• Where: Atturbury-Lyman Bird and Animal Sanctuary. It's at the northern end of Lincoln Regional Park, with an entrance at 8300 E. Escalante Road.
• Bring: Hat, work clothes, work shoes and a refillable water bottle. Tools, water, coffee and snacks will be provided.
• Information and registration: Go to watershedmg.org/c2e and click on "event web page" under the Atturbury Wash headline.
Contact reporter Doug Kreutz at dkreutz@azstarnet.com or at 573-4192. On Twitter: @DouglasKreutz
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