CCMN: San Bernadino National Wildlife Refuge

I looked forward to today's science lab because I had never been to the refuge.  I walked all three dogs for a mile each before getting ready and driving off at 8am.  It's almost an hour drive to get to the Headquarters in McNeal, AZ, a hidden office a half-mile west of US Hwy 191.  It's a pretty drive across an old flood plain studded with cholla, creosote, acacia and ocotillo.  Elevation is just 4170', so lower than Hereford.

I was one of the first classmates to arrive, along with Gordon and Lori, then Kate.  The rest arrived 20 minutes late before we got an interesting lecture by biologist JoeB, who hails from Virginia.  He's very passionate about amphibians and reptiles.

The office is full of live animals he's studying, from endangered fish to a female Gila Monster and Chiricahua Leopard frog tadpoles in various stages of growth.  These animals are kept separate from public view.

The big thing I was looking forward to, however, was visiting the San Bernadino National Wildlife Refuge 30 miles east of Douglas, AZ.  We drove there in convoy from McNeal.  I drove myself as I planned on walking the trails after the official class.  It's a pretty drive, but also a remote location.  We drove through Douglas on 15th Avnue, passing some nice homes on the far east side of town and then the airport. Most of Douglas is sun-burned and low-income, so this was a nice surprise. The last ten miles to the refuge are on rumbling dirt road, the Geronimo Trail.  This road meanders around desert hills studded with ocotillo.   There are some spectacular views along the way. That road ends in New Mexico.

We didn't get there until 11:15am, which only gave us 45 minutes.  We didn't start walking until 11:30pm. We parked at the main pond where young Chiricahua Leopard Frogs live.  The water is clear and is pumped up from the aquifer. Invasive bullfrogs are also in this pond, but they get harvested on a regular basis.  We saw mostly red dragonflies, the Red-Veined Darter.  We saw no frogs or snakes.

"You can tell a bull frog is in the water...they squeal when they are afraid!" said Joe.  I saw that first-hand later.

The borderwall is a quarter-mile from the refuge, but there were no signs of human activity.

It's a pretty area, but I'm sure after hurricane rains this place hops with wildlife.  Water level was too low today to be dramatic.  The refuge is the headwaters for the Rio Yaqui, which flows from north to south into Mexico.

I had to drive out of the refuge after 12pm because Joe had the keys.  I had to park the truck in the official parking lot 1.3 miles from the pond and walk back in to start my hike.

I'll feature that walk in my next post.