About

Robert is a descendant of a Pimeria Alta Pioneer family and now serves as Curator of the George Redondo Proctor Western Heritage Collection at Canoa Ranch and Patagonia Museum. He was a masonry contractor for 40 years: 15 years in New Mexico specializing in solar adobe construction and 24 years in Hawaiian custom homes. He is an expert in energy efficient Rumford fireplaces and masonry furnace combinations. He now serves as an advisory member of several local non-profits and is also the organizer for booth set-up and take down.

Dave is a retired hydrogeologist now living at Lake Patagonia Ranch. He has 27 years experience in environmental consulting and government service. He retired from the Arizona Department of Water Resources where he worked in aquifer recharge, wells and permitting, and riparian restoration. He earned a Masters Degree in Hydrology from the University of Arizona and has had a special affinity for Sonoita Creek since he was a graduate student. Dave became a Friends of Sonoita Creek member in 2019, and joined the Board in 2020. He obtained training in Rapid Stream and Riparian Assessment with Friends and has participated in assessments along Sonoita Creek upstream from Patagonia Lake State Park and at the Patagonia-Sonoita Creek Preserve. He now leads the Water Quality Team collecting water samples throughout the Sonoita Creek watershed.

Kathy moved to Patagonia in 1990. She holds a B.S. in Ecology & Natural History/Biology from University of California-Santa Cruz. She has taught high school and middle school science in the county public schools for 28 years. Kathy is an avid birder and conservationist. She designed and built her energy efficient straw bale home in 2000 where she currently resides. Her landscaping features Arizona food plants, providing cover and water features for birds along with rain catchment systems throughout the yard. She was encouraged to join Friends in 2005 by founder, Ron Hummel. She has served on the board for many years and is now an advisory member organizing and participating in research projects for the Sonoita Creek watershed.

John has been visiting southwest Arizona since 1997 and moved to Patagonia full-time in 2018. He taught biology in Kalispell, MT for most of his career. John loves all things nature and, along with his work with Friends of Sonoita Creek, volunteers with local groups including Borderlands Restoration Network’s plant propagation program, Tucson Audubon’s Paton Center for Hummingbirds and Patagonia Lake State Park. He leads bird and plant walks.

Jonathan is retired from public land management, wearing many hats throughout his career. National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, and US Forest Service. Most of his time was spent in wildland fire working in most states with public lands. When not managing wildland fires he designed fuels treatments to protect communities, taught wildland fire classes and supervised a fire program in New Mexico. It is a nice change of pace to work around water, monitoring our water resources and assisting the community in keeping Sonoita Creek and surrounding watershed a vital part of the community.

Kerry retired from the University of Arizona in 2021, where she worked as an extension specialist in the Environmental Science Department and was part of the Water Resources Research Center. She directed the statewide Arizona Project WET Program for 21 years, which helped people develop knowledge and skills that equip them to take ac-on for water stewardship. Prior to that, Kerry worked for eight years in the environmental consulting field where she gained skills in water quality and quantity assessment. She earned a Master’s degree in Geosciences focused on Geohydrology from the University of Arizona and fell in love with this arid, diverse state. Kerry is an avid outdoors person and an active Spring Seeker, water quality monitor and stream flow mapper.

Chris Gardner has practiced hydrogeology as a consultant in Arizona since 1998. He retired from consulting and purchased land in the Patagonia area. In this time, he learned of the historic work done to protect and preserve the area by Friends of Sonoita Creek and others. Chris quickly realized his expertise as a citizen scientist would be helpful to protect groundwater in the area for the most beneficial uses, to support people and biodiversity. Chris is also a member of the Town of Patagonia Flood and Flow Committee and volunteers at the Borderlands Nursery.

Tucson Audubon Sonoita Creek Watershed Specialist