Stars, Snails, and Social Media: Sonoran Insiders Program in the Spotlight

The Sonoran Insiders program promotes and amplifies good stewardship and responsible outdoor recreation in the Sonoran Desert and landscapes across Arizona. The group hosts fun and informative Insider Experiences for program ambassadors. Apply to become an ambassador HERE or learn more about becoming a partner for the Sonoran Insiders HERE.

Want to try an Insider Experience for yourself? Register HERE for their event on August 5 to learn about responsible recreation and tourism on tribal lands with the San Carlos Apache Tribe.

About our guests:

Brooke Wheelock is the Partnership Coordinator with the US Forest Service on Tonto National Forest. She engages various partners including businesses, non-profit organizations, state and federal agencies, and local communities to accomplish vital on-the-ground work throughout the roughly 2 million-acre landscape on the Tonto NF. Work through partnerships and collaborations includes watershed improvements, restoration, recreation management, wilderness and trail maintenance, hazardous fuels reduction, invasives management, and more. Prior to the Forest Service, Brooke worked with the National Park Service at various parks, and with the US Army Corps of Engineers as a Park Ranger. Outside work, she enjoys hiking, connecting with friends at local breweries, streaming video games, and exploring or traveling with her 2 dogs. Find information on the two prehistoric sites on the Tonto National Forest that Brooke mentioned: the Sears-Kay Ruin near Carefree, and the Shoofly Village site (wheelchair-accessible).

Isaiah Ortiz is a park ranger at Catalina State Park and a Sonoran Insiders Ambassador. Born and raised in Las Vegas, NV, Isaiah has always had a special connection with the desert. For nearly 10 years photography has been his passion and he specializes in capturing the beauty of the night sky. With the Sonoran Insiders and at Catalina State Park, Isaiah shares messages of respect for the land, conservation, and responsible exploration. Find Isaiah's book, Starry Sky Adventures Arizona, HERE.

Jeny Davis is the Southern Rockies Program Associate at the National Forest Foundation (NFF), supporting program and project operations in the Southwest and Rocky Mountain Regions through coordinating, strategic planning, organizational development, and collaborative conservation efforts. Prior to the NFF, she worked at Desert Botanical Garden with the Central Arizona Conservation Alliance (CAZCA) and EcoFlora programs, immersed in collaborative conservation, community science and communications. She enjoys coordinating projects, connecting people, and working with others to support and accomplish goals and facilitate inclusive collaboration outcomes. Outside work, she enjoys numerous outdoor activities like hiking and riding her bike, reading, researching, making cyanotypes, enjoying music, eating tacos, or generally nerding out about plants and ecology wherever she may be.

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