344 Saguaros Purchased & Replanted in the Bush Fire Burn Scar

Thank you to everyone at Yamaha Outdoor Access Initiative for awarding us with a grant to help us purchase 344 saguaros for our Bush Fire Burn Scar Replanting Project at Four Peaks OHV & Recreation Area on the Tonto National Forest.⁠
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We purchased the saguaros from a cacti & succulent nursery owner in Tucson who is retiring. She loves our replanting project & offered us an extremely deep discount if we purchased every saguaro she had. These saguaros range from 1ft to 7ft tall, grown from seed, never under a shade structure, or on a water drip system, so they were perfect for our team to transplant to the burn scar. ⁠
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We’ve never had an opportunity like this before to purchase saguaros larger than 1-foot tall because with each foot, the cost significantly increases, making them financially out of our reach. After receiving permission from the Tonto National Forest to bring these saguaros up from Tucson, our team took 3 trips down to Tucson to dig the saguaros out of the ground, moved them to a U-Haul we rented, & drove them back up to our cacti nursery on the Tonto National Forest until it was time to replant them using grant funding from National Forest Foundation for our teams replanting labor.⁠
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Thank you so much to everyone at Yamaha Outdoor Access Initiative, National Forest Foundation, and the U.S. Forest Service Tonto National Forest for their support of our Bush Fire Burn Scar Replanting project! Thank you to everyone who has donated to our Bush Fire Burn Scar fundraiser, your donations also helped with the purchase of these saguaros!⁠
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You can check out all of the project photos HERE.

NR Volunteer Awarded with SRP Presidents' Volunteer Spirit Award

Each year, outstanding SRP employees & retirees are selected for the SRP Presidents’ Volunteer Spirit Awards based on the volunteer work they do within their community. We could not be more proud of Natalia Smith, SRP Safety & Health Specialist, for being a recipient of SRP's Presidents' Volunteer Spirit Award for 2024 as a result of her volunteer work with us. ⁠

Natalia embodies the spirit of volunteerism! She has been volunteering with us for the past seven years & has been able to combine her love of nature & outdoor recreation with her passion for making a difference & keeping Arizona beautiful. ⁠

Natalia donates her time & energy for the benefit of the environment, wildlife, & people in the community. Natalia leads by example & helps us show that you can make a significant impact on the environment in a short amount of time with a group of committed individuals. Natalia inspires coworkers, friends, family, & everyone she meets with her selfless service. ⁠

In honor of Natalia's outstanding volunteer service, SRP presented Natural Restorations with a check for $2,500 during the award ceremony. We are grateful for Natalia's commitment to our mission, environmental stewardship, & encouraging other community members to get involved & leave areas better than they find them. ⁠Click HERE to view a video played during the award ceremony. ⁠

We also recently received a $250 donation from SRP in recognition of Natalia's volunteer service through SRP's Dollars for Doers program. ⁠

Thank you to Natalia & everyone at SRP for your continued support of our mission! ⁠

Granite Gardens Graffiti Removal Project

On June 2nd, Justin Corey, Director of Field Operations & Co-Founder of Natural Restorations, teamed up with the Prescott Climbers Coalition and City of Prescott to help them remove 68 square feet of graffiti from Granite Gardens. ⁠Click HERE to view the entire project.

Donate $5 to Support Our Bush Fire Burn Scar Replanting Fundraiser

Help us raise $10,000 for our Bush Fire Burn Scar Replanting Program! We need your help raising funds for our team to salvage saguaros and other native desert cacti from land development sites, purchase saguaros at amazing discounts from cacti nurseries, & replant them in the 2020 Bush Fire burn scar on the Tonto National Forest. ⁠

We have a lot of amazing opportunities right now to greatly increase our impact on the burn scar, but we can’t do it without your help! Any amount helps! Please consider donating $5 to help us reach our goal, thank you!

Click the HERE to donate on our website through Square, Zelle, Venmo, or PayPal. Thank you!

Desert Garden Montessori Students Growing Saguaros for Our Replanting Program

In April, Justin & I had the opportunity to visit Desert Garden Montessori School in Phoenix talk to their students about saguaros, wildfires in the Sonoran Desert, & to set up Saguaro Growing Kits for several of their classrooms. Thank you to everyone at AC Infinity for donating Humidity Dome, Germination Kits with LED Grow Light Bars to help us get this started!⁠

Students took turns placing dirt in the AC Infinity grow trays, spreading saguaro seeds, lightly covering them with dirt, and gently misting them. Once the trays were seeded and misted, Justin set up the AC Infinity grow trays in classrooms that includes a lighting system on a timer. We also provided each classroom with a misting bottle and instruction sheet. We're happy to report they already have saguaros sprouting! ⁠

 In 2020, the Bush Fire burned over 193,000 acres & over 80,000 saguaros burned in Arizona’s 5th largest wildfire. ⁠Most of the fire occurred in the Sonoran Desert, an ecosystem not evolved or adapted to wildfires. When we lose an adult saguaro, it’s not something that will be replaced in our lifetime. ⁠

By growing saguaros for the burn scar, students at Desert Garden Montessori School are helping us with the long-term restoration of this unique ecosystem. Our hope is to eventually bring students out to the burn scar to see where their saguaros will end up. Over the summer, families from Desert Garden Montessori School will adopt the saguaros babies to mist them throughout the summer and bring them back to the school in the fall. ⁠

We want to continue working with Desert Garden Montessori School growing saguaros for our replanting program for years to come. We loved their enthusiasm & excitement for saguaros & learning why it's important to preserve, restore, & protect our outdoor spaces. ⁠We LOVE the drawings & notes from students, they mean a lot to us!

Thanks you to everyone at Desert Garden Montessori School & AC Infinity for supporting our Saguaro Growing Program! ⁠

Lower Salt River Cleanup with Security Title Agency

On Saturday, April 27th, we hosted a Lower Salt River Cleanup at Sheeps Crossing Recreation Area for a fantastic group of volunteers from Security Title Agency, our newest Sponsor.

Volunteers from Security Title Agency & their family members hiked & explored Sheeps Crossing Recreation Area along the Lower Salt River picking up scattered trash, cans, bottles, hats, blankets, towels, clothing, shoes, flip flops, sunglasses, and lots of micro trash, like cigarette butts, bottle tops, fishing line, confetti, toothpick flossers, pieces of wrappers and more. Volunteers also helped remove Stinknet (Globe Chamomile), a fast-spreading invasive weed.⁠

Volunteers helped us remove 103.84 pounds of trash & invasive stinknet from the area. Thanks again to everyone at Security Title Agency for helping us make a positive impact on the Lower Salt River and for making an impact on our overall mission through your Sponsorship!⁠ Check out more photos HERE.

Arizona Financial Credit Union Awards Replanting Grant

Thank you to everyone at Arizona Financial Credit Union for awarding Natural Restorations a $7,500 Arizona Financials Local Causes grant in the fall of 2023. We got to work right away and put grant funding towards the salvaging and replanting of native Sonoran Desert Cacti in the Bush Fire burn scar at Four Peaks on the Tonto National Forest. ⁠You can view the entire project HERE.

The final grant recipients were selected by @azfinancialcu members and the community! We want to thank everyone who took the time to vote for us when we asked for your help, your votes truly made a difference!⁠

Thanks again to everyone at Arizona Financial Credit Union for continuing to support our restoration work across Arizona! ⁠

Thank You, Wildland Trekking!

We would like to thank everyone at Wildland Trekking for continuing to be a Natural Restorations Supporter and donating for a fourth year! ⁠
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We are proud to work with organizations that are committed to helping us restore Arizona’s outdoor spaces and provide restoration work in nature to the Military Veterans on our Dedicated Restoration Team.⁠
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Wildland Trekking was born from a passion for wild and beautiful land. They promote conservation and protection of the environment not from a sense of duty or obligation, but from a joy that stems from the privilege they’ve had in experiencing some fantastic landscapes. They’re attempting to do their part by partnering with organizations that they strongly believe in. ⁠

⁠Thanks again to everyone at Wildland Trekking for supporting our mission!⁠⠀⁠

Desert Monsters Tours Continues Sponsorship of Natural Restorations

We would like to thank everyone at Desert Monsters Tours for continuing their sponsorship of Natural Restorations & for their commitment to ensuring the land we drive on remains as wild & breathtaking as it is today for decades to come! ⁠

Desert Monsters Tours became a Sponsor of Natural Restorations in April 2018 & we are grateful for their commitment to our mission!⁠ ⁠⁠In addition to sponsorship, they also donated a gift card to our 9/9/23 Inaugural Salty Saguaro Classic. ⠀⁠

Every time you book a tour with Desert Monsters Tours, they will donate a portion of the proceeds to Natural Restorations. We had a blast with members of Dedicated Restoration Team & their wives experiencing one of their sunset tours last December! It was such a cool experience with a fantastic tour guide & we couldn't stop smiling the entire time! ⁠

We are proud to partner with organizations that are committed to helping us restore Arizona's outdoor spaces and provide restoration work in nature to Military Veterans on our Dedicated Restoration Team.⁠

Thanks again to everyone at Desert Monsters Tours for investing in Arizona's outdoor spaces & helping us put our mission into action every day.⁠ You can learn more about Desert Monsters Tours by clicking HERE.

Stellar Adventures Continues Sponsorship of Natural Restorations

Thank you to everyone at Stellar Adventures for continuing sponsorship of Natural Restorations! Stellar Adventures has been a Sponsor since January 2023 and we are honored to have their continued support our Restoration Programs!⁠

We are proud to partner with organizations committed to helping us restore Arizona's outdoor spaces & providing restoration work in nature to Military Veterans on our Dedicated Restoration Team.⁠

In addition to their Sponsorship, Stellar Adventures generously donated financial support & prizes to our Inaugural Salty Saguaro Classic, donated gift certificates to our 10/21, 11/4, & 11/11 volunteer raffles & provided the delivery & use of their portable bathrooms at those volunteer events. Check out photos of the Stellar Adventures raffle winners below. ⁠

Since 1997, the team at Stellar Adventures has worked tirelessly to create one of the largest and most diverse family-owned outfitters of adventure and Southwestern style. They are a premier adventure company specializing in invigorating and informative off-road excursions in the Sonoran Desert. ⁠⁠

From their newest mechanic all the way to their Chief Adventurer, every member of the Stellar Adventures family has three common goals: to uphold the very highest standards of safety and environmental responsibility, to provide a once-in-a-lifetime experience for each client, and to see to it that every client of Stellar Adventures comes away feeling exhilarated and satisfied.⁠

Thanks again to everyone at Stellar Adventures for investing in Arizona's outdoor spaces & helping us put our mission into action every day! You can learn more about Stellar Adventures HERE.

Donate $5 to Our Bush Fire Burn Scar Fundraiser

Help us raise $10,000 for our Bush Fire Burn Scar Replanting Program! We need your help raising funds for our team to salvage saguaros and other native desert cacti from land development sites, purchase saguaros at amazing discounts from cacti nurseries, & replant them in the 2020 Bush Fire burn scar on the Tonto National Forest. ⁠

We have a lot of amazing opportunities right now to greatly increase our impact on the burn scar, but we can’t do it without your help! Any amount helps! Please consider donating $5 to help us reach our goal, thank you!

Click the HERE to donate on our website through Square, Zelle, Venmo, or PayPal. Thank you!

Thank You, SRP!

We would like to thank everyone at Salt River Project (SRP) for awarding Natural Restorations with a corporate contribution of operating support! We are extremely proud to continue our partnership with Salt River Project! ⁠⠀⁠

As a community based, nonprofit public power utility, SRP makes corporate contributions to nonprofit organizations that provide programs and services which meet the needs of their customers and enhance the quality of life we enjoy. They are steadfast in their commitment to partner with nonprofit organizations that provide meaningful and beneficial programs to their customers and community. ⠀⁠⠀⁠⁠

Thank you, SRP, for recognizing the value of the restoration programs we provide! We are excited to continue our relationship and provide volunteer opportunities for SRP employees and their families.⁠

Thank You, OdySea Aquarium!

We would like to thank everyone at OdySea Aquarium for continuing their sponsorship of Natural Restorations and our restoration programs! ⁠OdySea Aquarium seeks to educate, engage, enrich, and inspire all ages to conserve and protect our planet. ⁠

We are grateful for OdySea Aquarium's support of conservation and education organizations, like Natural Restorations, that align with their three core initiatives; Education, Conservation, & Care. Thank you, OdySea Aquarium, for investing in Arizona's outdoor spaces and our mission.⁠ ⁠