Living Desert Alliance
Keep our Desert and Community Livable and Thriving
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Living Desert Alliance
Connections
Looking for the right environmental organization or community group to support? Want to volunteer, learn more, or connect with people working on issues you care about? Maybe you need to reach your local, county, or state representatives—or find out when the next council or board meeting in your area is happening. You might even be wondering how to contact local news outlets or submit a letter to the editor.
If so, there's good news: the Living Desert Alliance has gathered all of this information in one convenient place. Visit the Connections tab on our website, and you'll find:
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Community Partners — over twenty organization partners offering resources, action steps, and ways to get involved in protecting our environment and community.
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Public Agendas and Minutes — quick links to town, city, and county meeting schedules and documents.
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News Outlets — contact information for local newspapers, online media, and TV stations.
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Government Leadership — easy access to state, county, and local officials, from the Governor to community representatives.
Take a moment to explore, and you’ll discover valuable tools and ways to stay engaged.
We also welcome your help. If you find a broken link, outdated information, or know of an organization we should add, please reach out. Your input helps us keep this resource accurate and useful.
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Trico Electric
District 1
Members Meeting
Your Voice Matters
Where: The Highlands at Dove Mountain, 4949 W Heritage Club Blvd, Marana When: Friday, February 6, 2026, at 4:00 PM
Trico Electric Cooperative will hold its District 1 meeting—serving Marana and Dove Mountain—on Friday, February 6, 2026, at The Highlands at Dove Mountain. This meeting gives members a direct opportunity to learn about Trico’s operations, upcoming projects, rates, and fiber expansion, as well as to ask questions during an open Q&A session.
A key topic this year is the proposed Marana Data Center, projected to require 550–750 megawatts of power at full build‑out. That level of demand equals the electricity used by hundreds of thousands of homes—the scale of a small city. Supporting such a facility would require new high‑capacity power lines, substations, major grid upgrades, and backup generators, potentially placing strain on the regional grid and increasing costs for nearby communities.
This meeting is an important chance for residents to engage directly with Trico and challenge assumptions about the project’s energy needs.
If your electric bill says Trico, please plan to attend!
Contact Trico Energy at 520-477-2944 for additional information or comments.
Click below to learn more.
01/12/26 ABC 15 Arizona
1/08/26 Arizona Luminaria
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Update
Marana Data Center Ballot Referendum
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So far than 2,700 signatures have been collected in support of a referendum that would place the decision to build a 600-acre data center before voters in the next general election.
This powerful show of civic engagement not only meets the requirement of 1,382 signatures — it nearly doubles it, and all within a fast‑paced period of determined community action. It’s a clear message: residents want their voices heard on decisions that shape Marana’s future.
Additional times and locations for signing the referendum are coming up,
We’ll keep you updated.
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Protecting the
Sky Islands
for 35 Years
The Sky Island Alliance (SIA), founded in 1991, works to protect and restore the unique biodiversity of the Sky Island region spanning the U.S. and Mexico. Through science, conservation, education, and advocacy, SIA connects landscapes, wildlife, and communities across southeastern Arizona, southwestern New Mexico, and northwestern Mexico.
Reaching across borders and working with environmental organizations and volunteers, their protection efforts stretch from saguaro-filled valleys to oak‑ and pine‑covered mountains, including vibrant sycamore canyons alive with species like cuckoos and elegant trogons.
What is a Sky Island?
Sky Islands are isolated mountain ranges separated from other mountains by a vast distance and surrounded by lowlands of a dramatically different environment. This results in habitat “islands” such as a high-elevation forest surrounded by desert or grassland. In southern Arizona, part of New Mexico, and northern Sonora, six ecosystems blend to comprise the Sky Island region, supporting a wealth of biodiversity and many species found here and nowhere else.
The Living Desert Alliance salutes SIA’s long-standing commitment to protect and restore the environment. Their efforts and persistence will Keep our Desert and Community Livable and Thriving for future generations.
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Join the WMG
Tanque Verde Bosque Adventure
Saturday, January 31st @ 1pm - 3pm
The Tanque Verde Creek is a vibrant riparian oasis. With seasonal flows that often last much of the year, the creek is full of life—lush plants, diverse wildlife, and people enjoying this special desert waterway.
Join Lauren Knight, River Run Network Program Manager, for a guided walk through the creek, where you'll learn about one of the key challenges facing Tanque Verde Creek and many creeks across our region: invasive species. In particular, Arundo donax (giant reed) poses a serious threat to desert waterways by consuming three to four times more water than native plants, crowding out important habitat, and increasing the risk of flooding and wildfire.
Register Here
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Environmental Day at the
Arizona Capitol
Wed, Feb 11th
8:30 AM - 2:00 PM
The Sierra Club Grand Canyon Chapter invites you to join them along with the Living Desert Alliance and numerous environmental groups for their annual Environmental Day at the Arizona Capitol.
This year's theme is "People Power for the Planet!"
Meet with your legislators, hear great speakers, and connect with others who are doing advocacy work both inside and outside the Arizona.
RSVP here so they can plan materials, and, if interested, put you on a team for legislative meetings, and can plan for food.
Also, the Coalition for Sonoran Desert Protection will be organizing a bus from Tucson to Phoenix. So please RSVP to save a seat.
Make sure to stop by the Living Desert Alliance table for a visit.
We’d love to meet you!
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Marana 2026
Hiking Challenge
Saturday, February 21, 2026.
Marana’s 14th Edition MOVE Across 2 Ranges Hiking Challenge is set for Saturday, February 21, 2026.
As their website states, “This event is an awesome way to explore nature and get active. Hit the trails and experience the challenge and beauty of Southern Arizona's Tortolita and Catalina Mountains in one day! Trail run, hike, or stroll through this fun event. Join us for another year of fun and adventure.”
Starting at the Wild Burro Trailhead - 14810 N. Secret Spring Road, (trailhead located inside the Ritz-Carlton gate) attendees can register for different participation levels ranging from Mighty to Major to Mega to Massive, depending on skill levels and experience.
Register now to reserve a space for this exciting Sonoran Desert event.
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