#migratorybirds — Public Fediverse posts

Press Release from @CenterForBioDiv

#BorderWall Construction Triggers Tree Sit to Save Ancient #Arizona #Cottonwood

For Immediate Release, July 29, 2026
Contact: Russ McSpadden,

LOCHIEL, Ariz.— "Protesters today climbed into an ancient cottonwood tree in Arizona’s #SanRafaelValley to stop the Trump administration from cutting it down for construction of two parallel 30-foot-tall border walls.

"The action comes after Department of Homeland Security contractors cut down three neighboring Fremont cottonwoods estimated to be 200 to 250 years old.

" 'Destroying these ancient cottonwoods is a death sentence for an entire ecosystem,' said Russ McSpadden, Southwest conservation advocate at the Center for Biological Diversity. 'These magnificent cottonwoods survived centuries, nourishing wildlife through floods and drought, only to be bulldozed for the Trump administration’s disastrous border wall. The San Rafael Valley is one of the most biologically rich landscapes in North America. It’s both a refuge and crucial corridor for #jaguars, #ocelots, #BlackBears, #pronghorn and hundreds of bird species.'

Today’s action is believed to be the first tree sit aimed at stopping U.S. border wall construction.

"The three cottonwoods cut down earlier this week stood along a rare stretch of the U.S.-Mexico border where mature trees once formed a #transboundary canopy. The trees provided nesting habitat, shade and shelter within an increasingly scarce riparian #ecosystem that supports hundreds of animal species. One #protester was arrested Monday while trying to protect those trees and nesting #MigratoryBirds .

"Federal officials said preconstruction surveys would be conducted during Arizona’s active #nesting season, but observers at the site reported that no surveys for nesting migratory birds were completed before the trees were destroyed.

"The area also contains prehistoric #ArchaeologicalSites that preserve evidence of thousands of years of #Indigenous presence in the borderlands. Ongoing construction threatens cultural resources that would be permanently lost if disturbed.

"The Department of Homeland Security is constructing the #BorderWall under authorities that waive dozens of the nation’s cornerstone environmental and cultural resource protection laws, allowing construction to proceed without reviews normally required under laws including the National Environmental Policy Act, the #EndangeredSpecies Act and the National #HistoricPreservation Act.

"In a letter sent today to the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Center called for an immediate halt to construction in the #Lochiel area. The letter urged the agencies to conduct comprehensive biological and cultural resource surveys, consult with Tribes with ancestral and cultural connections to the San Rafael Valley, protect the remaining ancient cottonwoods, and assess the ecological and cultural resources at risk."

Source [includes link to materials]:
https://biologicaldiversity.org/w/news/press-releases/border-wall-construction-triggers-tree-sit-to-save-ancient-arizona-cottonwood-2026-07-29/

#OldGrowth #NestingBirds #USPo #TrumpsBorderWall #RespectTheTreaties #LandBack #IndigenousCulture #ProtectTheSacred
#CulturalGenocide #EndangeredSpecies #TreeSitters

#TreeSitters Saving #OldGrowth #Cottonwoods : #Arizona #BorderWall #Resistance

Border Wall Construction Destroying Cottonwoods, 'Green Ribbon' Running Through the Desert

By #BrendaNorrell, #CensoredNews, August 4, 2026

#LochielAZ -- "Day 6 at #GrandmotherCamp, there was no border wall construction since the tree sit began last Wednesday in this rich landscape. The cottonwood trees are the nesting place of #MigratoryBirds, including the rare #YellowBilledCuckoo.

" 'We've lost three grandmothers that took 250 years to grow. They were obliterated by the monstrous machinations in four hours,' Kate said on Monday from the tree sit in Lochiel, about 25 miles east of Nogales, southeast of Tucson.

" 'But I just saw a Yellow-billed #Cuckoo, federally threatened crying over this beautiful meadow.'

" 'This remaining Grandmother, that threatened bird -- we remain hopeful that our efforts here on the ground will be met with thoughtful reasonable conversation and a new direction for Lochiel community,' Kate said.

" 'This remaining Grandmother represents hope and resistance.' "

Read more:
https://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2026/08/tree-sitters-saving-old-growth.html

#USPol #BorderWall #TrumpSucks #TrumpsBorderWall #RespectTheTreaties #LandBack #IndigenousCulture #ProtectTheSacred #CulturalGenocide #EndangeredSpecies

Heads up! April 4th 👉 #VictoriaBC & area folks! Fun #Spring #MigratoryBirds #birding event!

Come out & enjoy a lovely outdoors community connecting with nature event!
I'm going to be there with my Indigenous friend, Jada.

Migratory Magnificence : #Camas Meadow Medley.

Join #SNEMITIYE Dominque James & #SpecialBirdService for a springtime Camas Meadow Medley at #CattlePoint and #UplandsPark.

Early April marks one of the most vibrant seasonal shifts on southern Vancouver Island. Camas meadows begin to wake, early wildflowers emerge, and the sharp metallic buzz of Rufous Hummingbirds returns to the landscape.

These small but fierce migrants travel thousands of kilometres each year, arriving along the coast just as nectar sources begin to bloom. Their presence signals the true beginning of spring.

Together we will explore the Garry oak ecosystem and coastal meadows of Uplands Park, learning how to notice hummingbird behaviour, listen for territorial calls, and observe feeding patterns among early blossoms.

This is not a fast-paced checklist focused walk. It’s an opportunity to slow down and tune into the rhythms of spring migration.

Open to all who agree to abide by the Cormorant's Creed. No birding experience required.

https://www.zeffy.com/en-CA/ticketing/migratory-magnificence

Friends of the Feather Ticket:
Free ticket to walk and waddle with us. You belong. Aimed at providing BIPOC &, or Queer folks, facing multiple barriers to outdoor education, recreation and stewardship, opportunities. You belong.

Contributing Cormorant
$15
To help us sustain the work and offerings for our communities, we ask our first time walk attendies, allies and supporters to contribute. Supports SBS’s year-round programming rooted in joy, access, and learning. Open to all who can contribute. Thank you.

#NatureWalk #Birdwatching #BirdLovers #OakBay #Saanich #VancouverIsland #VanIsle #PacificNorthwest #Cascadia #PNW #CommunityEvent #NatureLovers #GarryOak #ecosystem #ecological #Meadows #Inclusive #BIPOCFriendly #Conservation #Stewardship #Wildlife #Avian #biodiversity