We are rallying around the San Rafael Valley and documenting the ecological destruction and military invasion of this majestic and vital landscape of wildlife connectivity and movement for the next 900 days of proposed border wall construction.

We are documenting the decline, but also hopefully the eventual “rise up” of ecological communities and ecosystems across the US-Mexico borderlands.

Please join us!

photo courtesy of Krista Schlyer

Featured Photo:

originally taken 11/16/2025

Migrar es natural/Rechazamos el muro”/”Migration is Natural/We reject the wall” (photo courtesy of Nanzi Muro)

Day118 (November 21st, 2025)

On Saturday, November 16th 2025 a coalition of environmentalists, Navajo/Yaqui (among other Indigenous Peoples), humanitarian groups, artists, and supporters gathered on both sides of the wall construction site in the binational San Rafael Valley to oppose border wall building through this beloved space.

Documenting 900 days of border wall construction through the San Rafael Valley.

“One of the penalties of an ecological education is that one lives alone in a world of wounds.” ~ Aldo Leopold

We are NOT alone in documenting this destruction of the San Rafael Valley. Keep watch with us!

Day127 (November 30th, 2025): “La cementara/El cementerio” or “Cementary/Cemetery”; photo courtesy of Nanzi Muro

Day126 (November 29th, 2025): “A Mindless Philosopher” or “Arturito”; photo courtesy of Nanzi Muro

Day125 (November 28th, 2025): “All your Trucks in a Row” or “Tragos de trocas”; photo courtesy of Nanzi Muro

Day124 (November 27th, 2025): “Giving Thanks” or “Una acción de gracias: ¡a comer!”; photo courtesy of Nanzi Muro

Day123 (November 26th, 2025): “The Claw!” or “La Garra!”; photo courtesy of Nanzi Muro

Day122 (November 25th, 2025): “Flipped” or “Hacia atrás”; photo courtesy of Nanzi Muro

Day121 (November 24th, 2025): “A distancia” or “At a distance”; photo courtesy of Nanzi Muro

Day120 (November 23rd, 2025): “Interlock” or “Entrelazar”; photo courtesy of Nanzi Muro

Day119 (November 22nd, 2025): “Soñar contigo” or “Dream with me?”; photo courtesy of Russ McSpadden

Day118 (November 21st, 2025): “Migrar es natural/Rechazamos el muro”/”Migration is Natural/We reject the wall”; photo courtesy of Nanzi Muro

Day117 (November 20th, 2025): “Revitalize” or “Y ánimo”; photo courtesy of Nanzi Muro

Day116 (November 19th, 2025): “Wounds my heart with a monotonous languor”/”Los largos sollozos de los violines del otoño hieren mi corazón de una languidez monótona”/”Les sanglots longs des violons de l’automne blessent mon coeur d’une langueur monotone”; Normandy vehicle barriers through the San Rafael Valley. Lines lifted from “Chanson d’automne” by Paul Verlaine; photo courtesy of Nanzi Muro.

Day115 (November 18th, 2025): “Sentinels”/”Centinelas”; tree or cane cholla overlooks the Valley/cardenche o vela de coyote mira en dirección del Valle; photo courtesy of Russ McSpadden

Day114 (November 17th, 2025): “Portals”/”Puertas”; photo courtesy of KEO

Day113 (November 16th, 2025): “Rally for the Valley” or “Manifestación por el Valle de San Rafael”; photo courtesy of Russ McSpadden

On Saturday, November 16th 2025 a coalition of environmentalists, Navajo/Yaqui (among other Indigenous Peoples), humanitarian groups, artists, and supporters gathered on both sides of the wall construction site in the binational San Rafael Valley to oppose border wall building through this beloved space.

Day112 (November 15th, 2025): THROWBACK!” “Early Morning at Tank on Border (A Series of 3)”; San Rafael Valley Grasslands, SE of Patagonia”; originally taken 11/15/2012 by Alan Schmierer.

Commentary from Alan: “The fence can be seen in the last of this series. I would sit next to that tank for many hours starting before dawn and watch birds and other wildlife get their morning fill, enjoying the morning unfold. There was complete peace, filled with the wonder of how the two nations were continuous in nature and in spirit. That spirit is gone now….”

Day111 (November 14th, 2025): THROWBACK!” “Early Morning at Tank on Border (A Series of 3)”; San Rafael Valley Grasslands, SE of Patagonia”; originally taken 11/15/2012 by Alan Schmierer

Day110 (November 13th, 2025): THROWBACK! “Early Morning at Tank on Border (A Series of 3)”; San Rafael Valley Grasslands, SE of Patagonia”; originally taken 11/15/2012 by Alan Schmierer

Day109 (November 12th, 2025): “Colours everywhere, colours in the air” or “Un nuevo sol”; photo courtesy of Erick Meza

Day108 (November 11th, 2025): “Somewhere Between this World and the Other/Border Monument #111” or “El multiverso/Obelisco #111)”; photo courtesy of Eamon Harrity

Day107 (November 10th, 2025): “Into the Great Wide Open” or “Espacio sideral”; photo courtesy of Erick Meza

Day106 (November 9th, 2025): “From Coronado (Light)”/”Desde Coronado (versión ligera)”; photo courtesy of Eamon Harrity

Day105 (November 8th, 2025): “From Coronado (Dark)”/”Desde Coronado (versión oscura)”; photo courtesy of Eamon Harrity

Day104 (November 7th, 2025): “Cross Road Blues” or “Hasta la Raíz”; photo courtesy of Erick Meza

Day103 (November 6th, 2025): THROWBACK! “San Rafael Grasslands, SE of Patagonia”; originally taken 4/7/2012; photo courtesy of Alan Schmierer

Day102 (November 5th, 2025): “You got to take the crookeds with the straights” (a line from August Wilson’s 1985 Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning play *Fences*) or “Cercas cercanas y lejos”; photo courtesy of Eamon Harrity

Day101 (November 4th, 2025): “Building the Divide” or “Construyendo divisiones”; view of construction in the Valley from the Arizona Trail”; photo courtesy of Rachel Rose

Day100 (November 3rd, 2025): THROWBACK! “Where the River Crosses the Road” or “Y aquí el río cruza el camino”; same San Rafael Road originally taken 9/24/2010; photo courtesy of Alan Schmierer

Day99 (November 2nd, 2025, in honor of Día de los Muertos): THROWBACK! San Rafael Valley Road, Not Too Far South (Continued)” or “En camino a San Rafael (II); originally taken 9/24/2010; photo courtesy of Alan Schmierer

Day98 (November 1st, 2025, in honor of *antepasados* remembered on Día de los Muertos): THROWBACK! “San Rafael Valley Road, Not Too Far South” or “En camino a San Rafael (I); originally taken 9/24/2010; photo courtesy of Alan Schmierer

Day97 (October 31st, 2025, in honor of Halloween): “The Thing” or “Hasta el viento tiene miedo”; view of construction from Mexico; photo courtesy of Eamon Harrity

Day96 (October 30th, 2025): “A Long Shot”/”A plano largo”; photo courtesy of David Taylor

Day95 (October 29th, 2025): “Ocotillo Overlook” or “La vista del valle”; taken near Coronado Peak (San Rafael Valley in the distance); photo courtesy of Eamon Harrity

Day 94 (October 28th, 2025): “Still Tracking” or “Seguimos rastreando”; photo courtesy of David Taylor

Day 93 (October 27th, 2025): “Foundations” or “Bases”; photo courtesy of David Taylor

Day 92 (October 26th, 2025): “Reflections of Nothing Beyond (Part II)” or “Reflejos de la nada (II)”; photo courtesy of David Taylor

Day 91 (October 25th, 2025): “Reflections of Nothing Beyond (Part I)” or “Reflejos de la nada (I)”; photo courtesy of David Taylor

Day90 (October 24th, 2025): “Inflorescence Intermission” or “Vibrant Life in the Borderlands”; crab or “flower” female spider uses camouflage to mimic the flower as she sits and waits ready to ambush her prey; photo courtesy of Eamon Harrity

Day89 (October 23rd, 2025): “From Above”; photo courtesy of Erick Meza

Day88 (October 22nd, 2025): “From a Distance”; photo courtesy of Erick Meza

Day87 (October 21st, 2025): “5 Deer in grasslands”; photo courtesy of Dale Turner

Day86 (October 20th, 2025): “From Coronado Peak”; photo courtesy of Arizona Trail Association

Day85 (October 19th, 2025): “Grasslands Border Fence”; photo courtesy of Dale Turner

Day84 (October 18th, 2025): “Banner on Mexico Side/Hope it Survives the Construction!” (painted during the Binational Border Gathering in May 2025); photo courtesy of Robert

Day83 (October 17th, 2025): “Harvester Ants Making a Raft to Survive the Flooding”; from the Sonoran side of the San Rafael Valley; photo courtesy of Eamon Harrity

Day82 (October 16th, 2025): “How Will They Build a Wall Across a River? (IV)”; view from the Nogales side of the Santa Cruz River and where they plan to build a wall starting in December 2025; photo courtesy of Eamon Harrity

Day81 (October 15th, 2025): “How Will They Build a Wall Across a River? (III)”; view from the Nogales side of the Santa Cruz River and where they plan to build a wall starting in December 2025; photo courtesy of Eamon Harrity

Day80 (October 14th, 2025): “How Will They Build a Wall Across a River? (II)”; view from the Nogales side of the Santa Cruz River and where they plan to build a wall starting in December 2025; photo courtesy of Eamon Harrity

Day79 (October 13th, 2025): “How Will They Build a Wall Across a River? (I)”; view from the Nogales side of the Santa Cruz River and where they plan to build a wall starting in December 2025; photo courtesy of Eamon Harrity

Day78 (October 12th, 2025): “New Replacing the Old”; photo courtesy of Robert

Day77 (October 11th, 2025): “Surveillance Tower”; photo courtesy of Dale Turner

Day 76 (October 10th, 2025): “Shed by Historic Ranch House”; photo courtesy of Dale Turner

Day76 (October 9th, 2025): “Historic Ranch House”; photo courtesy of Dale Turner

Day75 (October 8th, 2025): “Santa Cruz River Birthplace”; photo courtesy of Erick Meza via Lighthawk

Day74 (October 7th, 2025): “Lochiel Schoolhouse”; photo courtesy of Dale Turner

Day73 (October 6th, 2025): “Old and New Technology”; photo courtesy of Dale Turner

Day 72 (October 5th, 2025): “Turtle in Santa Cruz River”; photo courtesy of Dale Turner

Day71 (October 4th, 2025): “Chipping Away”; photo courtesy of Russ McSpadden

Day70 (October 3rd, 2025): “Parking Lot”; photo courtesy of Russ McSpadden

Day69 (October 2nd, 2025): “Pronghorn at the Border (Speedgoats!)”; photo courtesy of Russ McSpadden

Day68 (October 1st, 2025): “Mud on the Tires”; photo courtesy of David Taylor

Day67 (September 30th, 2025): “Wide Open Spaces”; photo courtesy of David Taylor

Day66 (September 29th, 2025): “Lead the Way”; photo courtesy of David Taylor

Day65 (September 28th, 2025): “Access”; photo courtesy of David Taylor

Day64 (September 27th, 2025) “Chasing Rainbows”; photo courtesy of David Taylor

Day63 (September 26th, 2025): “Running Water Today”; view toward Lochiel; photo courtesy of David Taylor

Day62 (September 25th, 2025): “Pronghorn”; photo courtesy of Krista Schlyer

Day61 (September 24th, 2025): “Born to Run”; photo courtesy of Krista Schlyer

Day60 (September 23rd, 2025): “Loneliness Epidemic”; photo courtesy of David Taylor

Day59 (September 22nd, 2025): “Dust to Clouds”; photo courtesy of David Taylor

Day58 (September 21st, 2025): “What are men to rocks and mountains?”; photo courtesy of David Taylor

Day57 (September 20th, 2025): “Work, Work, Work, Work, Work, Work”; photo courtesy of David Taylor

Day56 (September 19th, 2025): “Dust Up”; video courtesy of Erick Meza

Day55 (September 18th, 2025): “Lone Wall”; photo courtesy of Erick Meza

Day54 (September 17th, 2025): “View from Sonora”; video courtesy of Eamon Harrity

Day53 (September 16th, 2025): “Lone Ranger”; photo courtesy of Erick Meza

Day52 (September 15th, 2025): “First Panels Up”; photo courtesy of Erick Meza

Day51 (September 14th, 2025): “Heads Up”; photo courtesy of Krista Schlyer

Day50 (September 14th, 2025): “Spirals”; photo courtesy of Krista Schlyer

Day49 (September 13th, 2025): “Kit Foxes”; photo courtesy of Krista Schlyer

Day48 (September 12th, 2025): “Besides All That”; photo courtesy of Russ McSpadden

Day48 (September 11th, 2025): “Fence around the Staging Area”; photo courtesy of Russ McSpadden

Day 47 (September 10th, 2025): “A Separator”; this giant thing tried to move across the Patagonia Mountain roads, but ended up blocking all access; photo courtesy of Erick Meza

Day46 (September 9th, 2025): “Stuck”; this one was stuck blocking the whole road; photo courtesy of Erick Meza

Day45 (September 8th, 2025): “The Valley is Gorgeous”; photo courtesy of Russ McSpadden

Day45 (September 8th, 2025): “In a Row”; photo courtesy of Erick Meza

Day44 (September 7th, 2025): “Bollards are Here”; photo courtesy of Erick Meza

Day43 (September 6th, 2025): “No Time Wasted”; video courtesy of Anon

Day42 (September 5th, 2025): “Giants”; photo courtesy of Erick Meza

Day 41 (September 4th, 2025): “And the Sun Also Rises”; photo courtesy of Erick Meza

Day40 (September 3rd, 2025): “Machines”; photo courtesy of Erick Meza

Day39 (September 2nd, 2025): “All the Pretty Horses”; photo courtesy of Eamon Harrity

Day38 (September 1st, 2025): “Lone Obelisk”; photo courtesy of Zach Palma/Sky Island Alliance

Day37(August 31st, 2025): “Mountain Backdrop”; photo courtesy of Zach Palma/Sky Island Alliance

Day36(August 30th, 2025): “Toxic Trespass”; photo courtesy of Zach Palma/Sky Island Alliance

Day35 (August 29th, 2025): “A Beautiful Day in the Valley”; photo courtesy of Eamon Harrity

Day34 (August 28th, 2025): “Metal Monster Men”; courtesy of Zach Palma/Sky Island Alliance

Day33 (August 27th, 2025): “Waivers Gonna Waive”; courtesy of Russ McSpadden

Day32 (August 26th, 2025): “Fallen”; photo courtesy of David Taylor

Day31 (August 25th, 2025): “A New Road to the Border”; photo courtesy of David Taylor

Day30 (August 24th, 2025): “New Roads”; Access road to the border is now about 25-feet wide. It was a two track just two weeks ago; photo courtesy of David Taylor

Day29 (August 23rd, 2025): “3-Packs on Packs”; photo courtesy of David Taylor

Day28 (August 22nd, 2025): “Made in USA”; photo courtesy of David Taylor

Day27 (August 21st, 2025): “Between Two Conveyor Belts”; photo courtesy of David Taylor

Day26 (August 20th, 2025): “Gravel Processing”; photo courtesy of David Taylor

Day25 (August 19th, 2025): “36×62 Conveyor Belts”; photo courtesy of David Taylor

Day24 (August 18th, 2025): “Gratuitous Destruction”; photo courtesy of Zach Palma/Sky Island Alliance

Day23 (August 17th, 2025): “Toxic Trespass”; photo courtesy of Zach Palma/Sky Island Alliance

Day22 (August 16th, 2025): “Immensity”; photo courtesy of Krista Schyler

Day21 (August 15th, 2025): “Do you hear this?” (Jackrabbit in the San Rafael Valley); photo courtesy of Krista Schyler

Day20 (August 14th, 2025): “Stretch of border wall in the Huachuca Mountains, a biodiversity hotspot and critical corridor for endangered species like the jaguar”; photo courtesy of Krista Schyler

Day19 (August 13th, 2025): “Blue Grosbeak in the Patagonia Mountains, Arizona”; photo courtesy of Krista Schlyer

Day18 (August 12th, 2025): “Grassland with Border Fence”; photo courtesy of Dale Turner

Day17 (August 11th, 2025): “Sonoran Pronghorn”; photo courtesy of Krista Schlyer

Day16 (August 10th, 2025): “Leafing Out (II)”; a lot of oaks in the Valley are leafing out, but many are already struggling and/or dead. Border wall construction will only exacerbate their struggles; photo courtesy of David Taylor

Day15 (August 9th, 2025): “Leafing Out (I)”; Border wall construction + activity means that oaks that are already leafing out/struggling/dead will face even more impact; photo courtesy of David Taylor

Day14 (August 8th, 2025): “Pulling Out Debris”; Two heavy machinery support trucks and a scoop pulling out debris and Normandy barrier in the Santa Cruz River by Kino Springs; photo courtesy of Anon

Day13 (August 7th, 2025): “Tactical Trucks”; Two heavy machinery support trucks and a scoop pulling out debris and Normandy barrier in the Santa Cruz River by Kino Springs; photo courtesy of Anon

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Day12 (August 6th, 2025): “Deer in San Rafael grassland”; photo courtesy of Krista Schlyer

Day11 (August 5th, 2025): “Survey Markers (II)”; more survey markers west of the Santa Cruz River.

Day10 (August 4th, 2025): “Survey Markers (I)”; Survey markers just west of the Santa Cruz River. Besides the stakes, no new construction activity.

Day8 (August 3rd, 2025): “Valley from the Skies”; photo courtesy of Erick Meza

Day7 (August 2nd, 2025): “San Rafael Skies”; photo courtesy of Krista Schlyer

Day6 (August 1st, 2025): “Sunsets”; photo courtesy of Center for Biological Diversity/Laiken Jordahl

Day5 (July 31st, 2025): “Fisher Earth Mover”; photo courtesy of Anon

900 Days/900 Photos Project (San Rafael Valley)

We are rallying around the San Rafael Valley and documenting the ecological destruction and military invasion of this majestic and vital landscape of wildlife connectivity and movement for the next 900 days of proposed border wall construction.

Featured Photo:

Documenting 900 days of border wall construction through the San Rafael Valley.

Follow us on Instagram