Sky Island Alliance

Help wildlife and communities adapt to climate change in 2026!

This spring in the Sky Islands we experienced alarmingly early 100-degree days. Climate disruption is affecting wildlife, plants, and the people who live here. But we can take small people-powered actions in specific places that add up to help wildlife be able to move, find water, and adapt to climate change. This work is vital across the region, and in Sonora we are doing this work directly with the ranchers that are living off the land alongside wildlife and springs. Our Ranchos Regenerativos program doesn't ask ranchers to choose between their livelihoods and conservation — it shows them that they're one and the same. We are resisting catastrophic change, creating cooler refugia, and keeping water flowing a little longer. 

These are trying times for all of us who care deeply about the plants and animals of the Sky Islands, as well as our cross-border communities. I hope you will join us as we give wildlife, plants, and communities a chance to survive and adapt across the living, breathing ecosystem of the Sky Islands.

Sincerely,

Louise Misztal - Executive Director

P.S. All gifts will be matched up to $10,000 thanks to the dedication and generosity of our board of directors. 

Our mission is to protect and restore the diversity of life and lands in the Sky Island region of the U.S. and Mexico. We envision the Sky Islands as a place where nature thrives, where open space and clean water are available to all species, and where people are deeply connected to the region and its innate ability to enrich our lives.

Testimonials

From Board Member Martha McKee:

The work Sky Island Alliance is doing in partnership with ranchers in Sonora is a brilliant example of cross-cultural cooperation to promote our mutual sustainable futures. Borders are meaningless in the face of drought, climate change, and ecological devastation. The ranchers in the Ranchos Regenerativos program know from generations of experience that a lack of water is catastrophic. They recognize the value of regenerative measures to retain water and to nurture their land, rivers, and streams. Please consider a gift to Sky Island Alliance, which will go to support this critical work and encourage more partnerships in the region.

From Board Member Eric Aldrich:

Ranchos Regenerativos brings together ranchers, ejido members, and rural communities in Sonora to heal the land through regenerative practices such as building erosion-control structures, rotating cattle with electric fencing, restoring native grasses, protecting springs and waterways, and removing invasive species. The result is healthier soil, cleaner water, and ecosystems where wildlife and livestock coexist. What makes Ranchos Regenerativos so compelling is that it doesn't ask ranchers to choose between their livelihoods and conservation — it shows them they're one and the same. Please join me in supporting Sky Island Alliance, an organization that embraces the entire Sky Islands region as one living, breathing ecosystem.

From Board Member Carmina Gutiérrez-González:

Working with the community is one of the most important parts of conservation. There is no possible science or conservation activity without the people's involvement. Ranchos Regenerativos is a program that fosters ranch management with a sustainable focus. It helps ranchers to understand that they are part of the ecosystem, but we also understand that they need to continue with production. Once the ranch owner understands that by taking care of the environment he is also taking care of his property, a balance is made. We are so grateful to all the ranchers who agreed to take the first step with this program, and we ask for their patience, as results that are truly worthwhile take time.

From Board Member Tom McConnell:

Recently we took an out-of-town guest up Mount Lemmon in the Catalinas. Seeing them mesmerized, I experienced the trip through their eyes and was reminded of the remarkable diversity and layered biomes of the Sky Island region. I’m proud to serve on this board and to support an organization that takes a relationship‑driven approach to conservation at scale.

The Ranchos Regenerativos program is an example of that approach. Sky Island Alliance works alongside multi-generational ranching families, long-time stewards of these lands, to promote and advocate for sustainable ranching practices. When erosion is controlled and riparian areas recover, cattle have more grass, wildlife have corridors, and the next generation inherits land that is healthier and more resilient.

This work matters because the Sky Island region doesn’t stop at the border. Supporting regenerative ranching in Sonora protects the same interconnected ecosystem we treasure here in southern Arizona. Please consider a gift to help us expand this work.