Arizona Game and Fish Department

Desert Vista Garden in Ahwatukee a boost for learning

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[Source: Coty Dolores Miranda, the Arizona Republic] – An unused patch of ground on the Desert Vista High School campus is being planted with native plants and trees that organizers hope will not only be eye-pleasing but assist biotechnology and honors biology students with plants, bird and insect research. Students, staff and parents recently began planting Blue Palo Verde, Foothills Palo Verde, desert lavender, desert bluebells, wolfberry and jojoba, and other species they obtained through an Arizona Game and Fish Heritage Fund grant and monies from campus student groups and staff. The $9,555 grant resulted from the proposal written last year by guidance counselor Josephine Levy and parent Susan Norton, who have been working on the garden concept since 2010. This is Norton’s fourth school-garden proposal, all of which earned grants.

With a horticulture degree from Texas A&M, Norton has worked as a teen volunteer coordinator at Desert Botanical Garden, and is working with the Arizona State University engineering school as a K-12 outreach coordinator. The mother of three — 2012 Desert Vista grad Christopher Norton, Desert Vista junior Regan Norton and Kyrene Altadeña seventh-grader Leah — said she has always enjoyed community gardens. “I like to see any garden that brings people together to nourish the earth,” she said. Her Ahwatukee garden endeavors started with the concept, design and grant proposal for Monte Vista Elementary School six years ago when her children were students there. The school received $10,000 from the Arizona Game and Fish Heritage Fund.

“In that first grant proposal, I said I hoped to promote habitat gardens at other schools, and shortly after, Esperanza started one.” she said. “I moved out of state for a while, and when I returned, I worked in project management for Colina Elementary’s garden. It’s nice to see the first garden inspired other people.” The Desert Vista garden idea started serendipitously when Norris noticed a desert-landscaper certification from the Desert Botanical Garden posted on Levy’s guidance-counselor office wall. “Susan is really the driving force behind this project and it wouldn’t have happened without her,” Levy said, noting how notification of the grant propelled others on campus to become involved. “This is a remarkable demonstration of student, staff and community efforts to build something that benefits everyone,” she said. “Our hope is to show how a native desert landscape can be both educational and beautiful.”

The 76- by 67- by 44-foot Desert Vista Heritage Garden and green space makes use of an existing walkway between the gymnasium and cafeteria, and will offer space for outdoor classroom instruction and “personal solitude,” she said. “It is an awkward space, but what we like is it’s a highly-visible spot in the school so students can’t help but walk by it,” Norton said. “We’re putting in 11 benches to encourage students and staff to come use the space.” Student groups have sponsored the benches, with ceramic-tile artwork by Desert Vista alum Colleen Conlin and Ahwatukee mosaic artist Jeanne Rademacher. Solar lighting for the area, an idea of teacher Dan Zavaleta, will be installed by his technology students.

Arizona Game and Fish announces black-footed ferret spotlighting results

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A record number of volunteers assisted in the effort to document the population of endangered black-footed ferrets in Aubrey Valley, just west of Seligman. The Arizona Game and Fish Department partnered with 144 volunteers for the fall spotlighting effort from Sept. 27-Oct. 1 to count the elusive predators. Spotlighting from dusk-to-dawn is the method used to capture the animals and document the population.

The 57 individuals captured during the event brought the 2012 total to 110, just short of the record 116 counted in 2011. The effort did set a one-night record when 23 individual ferrets were trapped, breaking the previous mark of 22. The numbers remain good in Aubrey Valley considering the black-footed ferret once numbered just 18 in the world when captive breeding efforts began in 1985.

“The spring and fall spotlighting efforts were a bit earlier than we would like,” said Jennifer Cordova, a biologist with the recovery effort. “But, that’s the way it worked this year. We try and hold these efforts when predatory animals such as the black-footed ferret are most active; during a full moon. “We may do a small spotlighting effort in December because we don’t believe the slightly lower count is indicative of how the population is doing.”

Cordova credits the continued support of the public and the Heritage Fund in the recovery of the black-footed ferret. The Heritage Fund comes from a portion of Arizona Lottery ticket sales and provides the financial means for Game and Fish to be the lead agency with no cost to Arizona taxpayers. “The record number of volunteers is a testament to the interest in wildlife conservation efforts,” Cordova stated. “We would not be where we are today without their support.”

The numbers have Arizona meeting the original goals established for the recovery site, which boasts a self-sustaining population. “There is reason for optimism for the species, but there’s a long way to go,” Cordova said. “Continued support from the public will play a pivotal role. Volunteers are crucial in documentation of population trends throughout Aubrey Valley.”

The black-footed ferret crew will continue spotlighting efforts in the spring of 2013. For anyone interested in obtaining additional information, write to azferret@azgfd.gov or call (928) 422-0155. To receive current information from the Game and Fish Region 3 office in Kingman, search for Azgfd Kingman on Facebook.

Game and Fish seeks public comment on proposed rulemakings for the Heritage Fund

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The Arizona Game and Fish Department is accepting comments on proposed amendments to Arizona Game and Fish Commission rules. The proposed rulemakings fall under the following Articles:

Notices of Proposed Rulemakings were published in the Arizona Administrative Register on Oct. 5.

Comments on any or all three rulemakings can be submitted to Rulemaking@azgfd.gov through Nov. 5, 2012.

Public comment invited on Arizona Game and Fish proposed strategic plan

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The Arizona Game and Fish Department has released the draft of its new strategic plan, Wildlife 20/20, and wants your comments and input.

Wildlife 20/20 provides broad strategic guidance for all department programs. It is intended to be a living document that conveys policy direction that the Arizona Game and Fish Commission has provided to the department to guide its work into the future. It will be complemented by additional plans designed to provide more specific direction, as needed.

The plan is available for review at http://www.azgfd.gov/inside_azgfd/strategic_plan.shtml.

Written comments can be submitted through Friday, Oct. 26, 2012, by e-mail to agfdStrategicPlan@azgfd.gov.

Written comments can also be sent via U.S. mail to:

Strategic Plan
Arizona Game and Fish Department
Attn: Sherry Crouch
5000 W. Carefree Highway
Phoenix, AZ 85086

When submitting comments on particular portions of the document, please include a reference to the location within the document (such as a page and paragraph number) to which you are referring.

The department is planning a webcast about the new plan in the near future. An announcement will be sent out when the date and time are finalized.

After public comments are reviewed and considered, the final draft Wildlife 20/20 plan is anticipated to be presented to the Arizona Game and Fish Commission for consideration at its Dec. 7-8 meeting in Phoenix.

For more information, visit http://www.azgfd.gov/inside_azgfd/strategic_plan.shtml.