Nature Archives

Today, we’re fixing a rut in some ‘liquid earth’ on the Tom’s Thumb trail,” says Leona Weinstein, master steward for the McDowell Sonoran Conservancy, on a crisp February morning. “The high-maintenance, decomposed granite substrate found in Scottsdale’s McDowell Sonoran Preserve is very vulnerable to erosion, especially after winter storms and monsoon rains.” As one of the leading volunteer organizations in the nation, the conservancy seeks to preserve and advance natural open space through science, education...