Copy
View this email in your browser
December 5, 2022
Website Website
Twitter Twitter
Facebook Facebook
Instagram Instagram

The Dirt: Together, in Our Desert Home



Did you ever look at a cactus, and laugh to find it looking back? Not the cactus – the miniature bird living inside it, the ferruginous (a fancy word for reddish-brown) pygmy owl. Natives of the desert grasslands of northern Sonora and Arizona, the petite predators nest inside cacti and hunt lizards, insects, and even other birds – many of which are bigger than they, which is not a very difficult thing to be: the pygmies are about the size of a bluebird.

The tiny owls are vanishing now, threatened by a changing climate and urbanized landscape. In a new study in the journal Animal Conservation, University of Arizona School of Natural Resources and the Environment researcher Aaron Flesch reviews 16 years of data on climate, environment, landscape, and population changes among the ferruginous pygmy owls. 

Flesch's analysis reveals a complex web of factors that interact to affect the owls' survival. His research shows that when their group size is small, not much hinders the owls’ extinction. But when their group size is large enough, their extinction rates are lower if they also live in a high-quality natural habitat. So our little local desert owls do better when they are all together in their ancestral home. Perhaps, we can relate.

Upcoming Events

Mark your calendars, and don't forget to register!

Monday, December 5

Yuma Agricultural Center Day-Trip
The Yuma County Cooperative Extension and Desert Control are hosting a field day to showcase the Desert Control soil trial.

10:00AM–12:00PM     Register here

Tuesday, December 6

Confluence: The Colorado River
Hear from Colorado River experts speaking about critical topics along 'America's Nile' at the centennial of the Colorado River Compact.

8:00AM–5:30PM     ENR2 – Register here

Tuesday, December 6

Environmental Justice and Health Equity
Join us for remarks from Admiral Levine and a presentation on the Environmental Justice Index!

9:00AM–10:30AM     ENR2 – Register here
Find More Events

Environment in the News

Trent Tresch, CHaSE founding director, places a spacesuit helmet on Space+5 astronaut candidate trainee Sydney Hamilton. (Arlene Islas)

The University of Arizona trains its first class of aspiring astronauts at Biosphere 2


By Mikayla Mace Kelley, University Communications | November 30, 2022
UArizona's new spaceflight training programs aim to develop courses that will enable the future of inclusive space travel. Read more>>

More Stories

525-million-year-old fossil defies textbook explanation for brain evolution

UofA to study cost of Telegraph Fire damages

Tomatoes and solar panels could go well together

Tucson partnership percolates to protect coffee from climate change

Ancient monsoons offer clues to future Southwest US climate

UArizona researchers awarded $3.5M to fight extreme heat
Forest scents help UA researchers solve climate change mysteries at Biosphere 2

Endangered Mount Graham Red Squirrel Population On The Rise

Inside the Project Trying to Save Datasets from Extinction

2022 hurricane forecast....and the winner is....

Why this UA group is calling for the university to divest from fossil fuels

Borderlands Cat: Can Mexico Save the US Jaguar?
Find More News

Announcements

Carson Scholars Applications are Now Open!

The Carson Scholars Program is a one-year graduate fellowship in the art of environmental and science communication. Students from all disciplines are encouraged to apply. The scholarships are designed to support and retain UArizona graduate students whose research or scholarly inquiry is related to the environment and/or its intersection with social justice, and who are interested in communicating environmental and scientific knowledge.

Water Resources Research Center Photo Contest 2022

Calling all photographers! Enter your Arizona water photos in the WRRC 2022 Photo Contest. The theme this year is Water Now! Living with Less. Drought and shortage are on everyone’s minds, but so are monsoon rains and desert oases. As in the past photos must be taken in Arizona and must feature water (present or absent). Learn more and submit your pics here!

Opportunities 

AIRES Environmental Education Coordinator

This position coordinates two environmental communication and leadership development programs, one for undergraduate and one for graduate students, and supports overall environmental education integration across our team and the broader campus. This position includes taking students on overnight and day trips to special places in the region, lots of direct interaction and support with students, and also organizational and administrative work. Join our team!

Campus Sustainability Fund Annual Grants

The Campus Sustainability Fund Preliminary Annual Grant Applications are open until January 15, 2023. All students, staff, and faculty are invited to submit proposals that advance environmental and social sustainability on campus. Annual Grants will award between $5,000–$100,000. All applicants must attend a virtual office hour meeting with the committee prior to submitting their Preliminary Application. Begin your application today!

Haury is Hiring!

The Agnese Nelms Haury Program in Environment and Social Justice is in search of a Program Coordinator to join the team! The work of the Haury Program is to connect, convene, and bring resources to support and strengthen Native and Indigenous faculty, student, and staff pathways at UArizona and to support the water sustainability priorities of Arizona Native Nations. This position will focus on administrative tasks, outreach, program reporting, and grant development. Learn more and apply!

Indigenous-Centered Mini Grants

The Campus Sustainability Fund with the support of the Agnese Nelms Haury Program has two Indigenous-Centered Mini Grant opportunities. Each Mini Grant is $5,000 and is reserved for funding Indigenous-focused projects that are oriented toward environmental and/or social sustainability. Proposals must be led by an Indigenous campus community member or, preferably, that they are led by someone that is part of an Indigenous-centered group, center, club, or organization on campus. The proposals should support an Indigenous-centered program, project, group, club, center, or initiative on campus. Click here for details. For any questions, please email the fund coordinator.

Paid International Development Internships Available

The Resilience Internships and Student Experiences (RISE) Program is now recruiting multiple student interns (undergraduate and graduate) for international development internships starting in the second half of Spring 2023! Students will intern at iDE Global and there are many projects you can apply to, including Multi-Country Analysis of MSRI Data, Storytelling for Resilience, Adapting MSRI to Fisheries and Aquaculture Value Chains, and more. Students will be paid $18/hour. View the internships here!

Postdoctoral Research Associate Position Available

Please apply here for a Postdoctoral Research Associate position for the NSF-DISES Net Zero Urban Water Research Coordination Network. The position is based at the University of Arizona and will work with the other institutions in the network including UCLA, Colorado School of Mines, and the University of New Mexico. The primary focus will be centered around interdisciplinary Net Zero Urban Water activities. The desirable candidate will be interact with academic, industry, and community partners from a variety of backgrounds across environmental science, planning, hydrology, and engineering.

Research Scientist Position Now Open

AIRES International Programs and the Arizona Initiative for Resilience and International Development network are seeking a scientist to engage in international resilience research with your networks. The position is part of a growing team that will collaborate with diverse faculty and researchers on critical, challenging, and cross-cutting topics in development. The position is posted at two levels, Research Scientist III and Research Scientist IV.

Have an announcement to share?

Submit your announcement or event to be featured in The Dirt!
Did you know...?
Northern Arizona is home to the largest stand of Ponderosa Pine trees in the U.S.

Quick Links

More Environment Newsletters

Sign up today for the Green Growth Network monthly newsletter for student engagement and funding opportunities!
Looking for more eco-reads? More about the environmental science of the Southwest? Sign up for the Southwest Climate Adaptation Science Center's monthly newsletter, EcoClimate News SW!
Don't miss out on the happenings on Tumamoc Hill!
Sign up for the Desert Laboratory's newsletter.
Read about the Indigenous Resilience Center's work to co-design environmental solutions with tribal communities.
Subscribe to the IRes Newsletter.
Land Acknowledgement
We respectfully acknowledge the University of Arizona is on the land and territories of Indigenous peoples. Today, Arizona is home to 22 federally recognized tribes, with Tucson being home to the O’odham and the Yaqui. Committed to diversity and inclusion, the University strives to build sustainable relationships with sovereign Native Nations and Indigenous communities through education offerings, partnerships, and community service.  
Website
Twitter
Facebook
Instagram
Powered by the Arizona Institute for Resilient Environments and Societies

Copyright © 2022 Arizona Institute for Resilience, All rights reserved.


Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.