The Oracle Road wildlife crossings, both a bridge and underpass, were constructed in 2016 to increase wildlife connectivity between the Catalina and Tortolita Mountains. For the past seven years, a variety of plants have become established on the crossings, providing habitat and protective cover for wildlife that use the crossings to cross Oracle Road safely. However, invasive species such as stinknet and buffelgrass have also had a chance to establish here, limiting the amount of native habitat available.
In August 2023, the Santa Cruz Valley Heritage Alliance approved funding for a new project that will help us maintain and revegetate both of the Oracle Road wildlife crossings. We are pleased to be one of the eleven organizations chosen to receive a Santa Cruz Valley National Heritage Area grant for our project at the Oracle Road wildlife crossings. Our project supports/aligns with the objectives of the SCVNHA and contains an educational component integral to the SCVNHA’s goal to nurture the stewards of tomorrow of this special and significant cultural, historical, and ecological landscape we call home.
In partnership with Strategic Habitat Enhancements, this project will remove invasive species from the wildlife crossings; enhance wildlife habitat on these wildlife crossings with additional native plants and seed mixes; and provide public education and outreach through a series of 12 volunteer workdays, educational videos, and permanent interpretive signage. We will also be partnering with Bat Conservation International to plant agaves at the wildlife crossing bridge. Our final work day will be August 3rd, 2024.
Please visit our YouTube channel to watch the progress of this project as we continue to restore the habitat of these important wildlife crossings.
You can be a part of this project too! Sign up to become a part of our Desert Wildlife Crossing Crew and help us create and maintain native habitat on the Oracle Road Wildlife crossings!
We want to give a huge thank you to Carianne at Strategic Habitat Enhancements for providing the plants, tools, seed mixes, and native plant expertise that make this project possible!
