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Student Newswire of The University of Arizona School of Journalism

Arizona Sonoran News

Arizona Sonoran News

Student Newswire of The University of Arizona School of Journalism

Arizona Sonoran News

ENVIRONMENT

One of the basins excavated during 2012 construction of the Arroyo Chico Park Avenue Basins project, in Tucson, Ariz. taken on April 28, 2026. Arroyo Chico is an urban tributary of the Santa Cruz River, and the project both alleviated flood risks and restored the area with native vegetation and wildlife amenities. (Photo by Rory Cunnington)

Reshaping the Santa Cruz

Rory Cunnington, Reporter May 6, 2026

The Santa Cruz River is a sprawling watershed stretching through southern Arizona from Marana to northern Mexico. And it’s being reshaped by invasive plants. “We have invasive species that are throughout...

(Left) A stinknet cluster removed from East Tucson, Ariz. using a weeding knife. This cluster has thousands of seeds in the petalless bulbs. (Courtesy of Tony Figueroa) 
(Center) A living and green piece of buffelgrass removed from Sentinel Peak Park in Tucson, Ariz. on Feb. 7, 2026. This piece was removed during the Save our Saguros kickoff by volunteers. (Photo by Rory Cunnington)
(Right) A thriving fountain grass bush grows next to a fire hydrant in Bisbee, Ariz. Fountain grass is an ornamental grass used for decoration but requires more water than native plants and outcompetes them for it. (Courtesy of Tony Figueroa)

Southern AZ volunteers battle invasives

Rory Cunnington, Reporter April 30, 2026

On Earth Day in late April, volunteers with the Sonoran Desert Weedwackers were out by 7 a.m.to remove buffelgrass at Tucson Mountain Park. They hiked about half a mile to the removal site then learned...

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