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Our History

January 21, 1991

Incorporates

January 21, 1991

The McDowell Sonoran Land Trust (later known as the McDowell Sonoran Conservancy) incorporates as a non-profit 501(c)3 and joins the Land Trust Alliance, a worldwide land conservation movement.

January 21, 1991
1993

Newsletter Launched

1993
 
The Land Trust begins an award-winning quarterly publication called “Mountain Lines.”
 
Also, we begin offering free hikes into the areas identified for inclusion in the McDowell Sonoran Preserve and launch a fourth-grade education program entitled Our McDowell Sonoran Heritage.
1993
October 3, 1994

McDowell Sonoran Preserve

October 3, 1994
 
The Scottsdale City Council formally dedicates the McDowell Sonoran Preserve, which consists of three parcels of city-owned land totaling 4.5 square miles (2,860 acres).
October 3, 1994
1995

Public Outreach

1995
 
Activities designed to gain public support for the envisioned Preserve continue, including the proclamation of the first McDowell Sonoran Week highlighting events to celebrate our unique environment. Voters approve a 30-year 0.2% sales tax to purchase land for preservation by 64%!
1995
1997

First Staff Member

1997
 
The Land Trust hires its first staff member, a full time Executive Director, Sandy Bahr.
1997
1998

First Preserve Stewards

1998
 
In partnership with Scottsdale Community College, the Land Trust begins the ‘Preserve Steward’ program to train volunteers to be caretakers of the Preserve.
1998
2001

Stewards in Blue Shirts

2001
 
The first distinctive blue steward t-shirts become an easy way to identify stewards at work in the Preserve.
2001
2004

Additional Preserve Tax Approved

2004
 
Scottsdale voters approve an additional 0.15% increase in the sales tax for land acquisition and access area amenities.
2004
2005

Land Trust becomes Conservancy

2005
 
The organization is renamed McDowell Sonoran Conservancy to better reflect the evolving role of the organization as a key partner with the City of Scottsdale and caretaker of the Preserve.
2005
2010

McDowell Sonoran Field Institute

2010
 
The McDowell Sonoran Field Institute, a research program of the Conservancy, is established to train citizen scientists and help guide the conservation of the Preserve. They launch a baseline inventory of the flora and fauna of the Preserve. 
 
Results of the Field Institute study on the Preserve’s Lost Dog Overlook, led by Arizona Geological Survey Research Geologist Brian Gootee along with Conservancy citizen scientists, are published by the Arizona Geological Survey.
2010
2010

History Hall of Fame

2010
 
The Conservancy is inducted into the Scottsdale History Hall of Fame for its almost 20 years of advocacy for, and stewardship of, the Preserve.
2010
2013

40,000 Volunteer Hours

2013
 
To serve the growing Preserve, the Conservancy continues to train new stewards. Stewards devoted almost 40,000 hours to patrolling and maintaining trails, welcoming visitors, and educating the community through hikes, outreach programs, school tours and other key activities.
2013
2014

Preserve Biological Inventory

2014
 
The McDowell Sonoran Field Institute publishes results of the first-ever biological inventory of plants and animals of the Preserve, a three-year effort funded in part by the Pulliam Trust. It identifies 730 species of flora and fauna in the Preserve. 
2014
October, 2015

First Research Symposium

October, 2015
 
In October, the Field Institute held its first research symposium at Scottsdale Community College, in partnership with the school’s Center for Native and Urban Wildlife. The symposium results in new partnerships and research ideas that will directly benefit the Preserve and the greater Phoenix area.
October, 2015
January 21, 2016

25th Anniversary

January 21, 2016 marks the 25th anniversary of the formation of the McDowell Sonoran Conservancy. The Conservancy celebrates the milestone at small events throughout the year, including an exhibit at the Brown’s Ranch Trailhead. 
January 21, 2016
2016

Ecological Resource Plan

2016
 
The Field Institute in partnership with the City of Scottsdale and EPG (Environmental Planning Group) develops the “Scottsdale’s McDowell Sonoran Preserve Ecological Resource Plan” outlining a long-term vision for protecting the Preserve’s natural resources. 
2016
2016

Junior Citizen Science Festival

2016
 
With hands-on learning how scientists study nature in the field, youngsters get up close and personal with desert creatures at the Field Institute’s first Junior Citizen Science Festival held at Lost Dog Wash Trailhead.
2016
May, 2018

Arid Lands Research Symposium

May, 2018

At the Conservancy-hosted symposium “Integrating Research into Action” on May 4-5, participants from throughout the Southwest share practical implications from regional natural resource research and novel ideas for implementing monitoring, research and management programs.

May, 2018
2019

Spectacular Saguaro

2019

This youth education program, focused on the saguaro’s lifecycle and role in the desert ecosystem, is rolled out to 3rd graders in Title I schools for the fall semester. It consists of a classroom visit followed by a field trip to the Preserve.

2019
2020

Youth Education Innovation

2020
 
The Conservancy rebrands the Junior Citizen Science Festival as Expedition Days. Held outdoors in the Preserve, this February event helps students broaden understanding of their place in the Sonoran Desert and assists teachers in meeting the new Arizona State Science Standards for 3rd and 4th graders. 
 
In the summer and fall, the Conservancy creates and releases Conservancy Kids Online, a weekly video newsletter that blends science with outdoor-based inquiry and exploration for elementary school kids and parents.
2020
November, 2020

Arizona Site Steward Program

In November, 2020 the Scottsdale City Council approves a Site Steward Program for the Conservancy PastFinders, providing a structure for the ongoing monitoring of archaeological and historic sites in the Preserve in conjunction with Arizona State Parks and Trails.

November, 2020
2020

Preserve Species Top 1,000

2020
 
The Preserve is now home to more than 1,000 different plants and animals, identified and documented by Conservancy citizen scientists and the Parsons Field Institute, making the Preserve one of the richest ecological areas in the Valley. 
2020
2022

Youth Education Continues

2022

Begun in March, Expedition Days on the Road is a one-hour program that brings interactive in-classroom activities to schools across the Phoenix area to help 3rd and 4th graders understand and appreciate the Sonoran Desert.

Living Labs was started in the Fall with the Scottsdale Saguaro High School Eco Club. Students learn about desert conservation and restoration while also playing an integral role in research to benefit the Preserve.

2022
June, 2023

Diamond Fire

June, 2023
 
In June, some 2,000 acres of the Sonoran Desert burn, 270 within the Preserve. The Conservancy, City of Scottsdale, and Maricopa County Parks and Recreation Department join together to plan for restoration of the burned areas.
June, 2023
July, 2024

Our Stewardship is Strong

July, 2024

The Conservancy finishes the fiscal year with over 73,000 hours of volunteer time from nearly 600 unique volunteers. We continue to be a key partner with the City of Scottsdale and the premiere conservation organization based in Scottsdale. 

July, 2024

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The threats to our natural world have never been greater. It is only with the support of dedicated Arizona conservationists that we can protect the Sonoran Desert for future generations.

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