Birders Gone Wild: The Gilbert Riparian Preserve

by Becky Goff, SALT Board

Most of us can’t imagine that a waste water treatment site could be turned into a national award-winning project, and one of the most popular visitor destinations in Arizona.  That’s because we’re not Scott Anderson.  The “founding father” of the Gilbert Riparian Preserve at Water Ranch gave a recent talk to the Open Space & Trails Committee of the Pinal Partnership, a SALT partner.

According to its website, the Town of Gilbert combined creative water resource development with wildlife habitat and educational/recreational opportunities in forming the Preserve in 1999.  Seven basins are filled on a rotating basis with treated effluent, recharging the aquifer and creating an urban fishing oasis.  Birdwatchers “flock” (pun intended) to glimpse some 300 species that make use of vegetative zones ranging from marshland to native riparian to upland.  Insects, fish, amphibians, reptiles and mammals can also be seen along the Preserve’s 4.5+ miles of trails.  Highlights for visitors are viewing blinds, a floating boardwalk, ethnobotanical and pollinator gardens, a paleontology dig, an outdoor classroom and a state-of-the-art observatory.  The site has been studied and copied by communities around the world.

While serving as the Preserve’s Director, Anderson also founded the Riparian Institute with a mission to educate the public about the importance of riparian habitat and water recharge.

Click here or more information.

SALT Volunteer Working Group Opportunities

Our volunteers are the heart and soul of SALT and are instrumental in supporting SALT's mission to conserve the natural Sonoran Desert open spaces surrounding the Superstition Wilderness Area.  The upcoming 2016-2017 season will be quite busy with a variety of new programs and initiatives.

The SALT Volunteer Working Group is looking to fill 3 positions to help expand and support our volunteer base.  The positions are:

• Volunteer Coordinator
• Volgistics Administrator
• Volunteer Orientation & Training Coordinator

These are key roles for helping SALT make a difference in our community.

For more information, please click here or email volunteer@azsalt.org

Do you hike in the Superstitions?

Help the SALT Trail Builders Maintain our Trails 

In the fall, the SALT Trail Builders will be back at work restoring and improving trails in the Superstitions. The SALT Trail Builders are all volunteers who maintain the Silly Mountain trail system, the Lost Goldmine Trail and others. They recently improved the popular Hieroglyphics Trail.
We need your help in providing the SALT Trail Builders with the necessary equipment to continue their work. Please click here to help
"Keep It Wild Forever".
Thank you.

ATTENTION FRY'S COMMUNITY REWARDS PARTICIPANTS
 

BEGINNING MONDAY, AUGUST 1^ST, YOU MAY RE-ENROLL IN THE 2016-2017 FRY’S COMMUNITY REWARDS PROGRAM. 

Steps to Re-Enroll in the Fry’s Community Rewards Program:

1. Go to www.FrysCommunityRewards.com

2. Click on ‘Sign-In’.

3. Enter your email and password, click on ‘sign in’. 

4. Click on your name (top right hand corner),
    under ‘Account Summary’ scroll down to
    “Community Rewards”. 

5. Click on ‘Edit’ under Community Rewards.  

6. Under Find Your Organization: Enter 29234
    then select ‘search’.

7. Under ‘Select Your Organization’, click on the
    circle next to your organization.

8. Click on ‘Enroll’

If you have re-enrolled correctly, you should see a green box with ‘Your enrollment in the Community Rewards Program has been updated. Thank you for participating!’ You will also see the information listed under ‘Community Rewards’ on your Account Summary page.