
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 Video: “More Blasting” or “Y sigue y sigue y sigue”
By: David Taylor
1/31/2026
Day188 and Day189
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
“Uno de los castigos de una formación ecológica es que uno se vive solito en un mundo lleno de heridas.” ~ Aldo Leopold
We are NOT alone in documenting this destruction of the San Rafael Valley. Keep watch with us! /No estamos solitos en este acto de resistencia de vigilar y documentar la destrucción ecológica del Valle de San Rafael. ¡Júntate con nosotres!

Series: Winter in the Valley/El invierno en el Valle

Blasting continues in Coronado National Memorial as of January 2026/Destrucción ecológica de las montañas en el Monumento Nacional Coronado de los EEUU

Woven-spine Pineapple Cactus on the Mexican side/La biznaga anzuelo blanco desde México

As of December 2025, concertina wire is being utilized border-wide as part of a large-scale effort to “seal off the border across all regions.” To find out what you can do, and read more, head here.
Desde diciembre de 2025, se ha empleado alambre de púas a lo largo de la frontera entera para “controlar” todas las regiones de las zonas fronterizas entre los EEUU-MX. Para tomar acciones concretas y aprender más, haz clic aquí.

As of December 2025, concertina wire is being utilized border-wide as part of a large-scale effort to “seal off the border across all regions.” To find out what you can do, and read more, head here.
Desde diciembre de 2025, se ha empleado alambre de púas a lo largo de la frontera entera para “controlar” todas las regiones de las zonas fronterizas entre los EEUU-MX. Para tomar acciones concretas y aprender más, haz clic aquí.

Northern Black-tailed Rattlesnake in Patagonia, AZ/Cascabel de cola negra en Patagonia

Madera Canyon Tarantula/La tarantula de Madera Canyon (Aphonoplema madera)
One of the dozens of tarantula species in Arizona (and even more in Mexico, as the country with the second most diverse population of tarantulas in the world, after Brazil!)/ Una de docenas de especies de tarántulas en Arizona (¡con más en México, como el país con la segunda población más diversa de tarántulas del mundo, después de Brasil!)



From the THROWBACK Photo Series: San Rafael Valley 80s and 90s Core or El Valle de San Rafael en los 80 y 90s
Originally taken/foto original de: November 5, 1992

From the THROWBACK Photo Series: San Rafael Valley 80s and 90s Core or El Valle de San Rafael en los 80 y 90s
Originally taken/foto original de: October 22, 1992

From the THROWBACK Photo Series: San Rafael Valley 80s and 90s Core or El Valle de San Rafael en los 80 y 90s
Originally taken/foto original de: September 20, 1992

Fields of Longleaf False Goldeneye in the San Rafael Valley of the 1980s/Las margaritas en el Valley de San Rafael en los 80
From the THROWBACK Photo Series: San Rafael Valley 80s and 90s Core or El Valle de San Rafael en los 80 y 90
Originally taken/foto original de: April 29, 1986

Fields of Longleaf False Goldeneye in the San Rafael Valley of the 1980s/Las margaritas en el Valley de San Rafael en los 80
From the THROWBACK Photo Series: San Rafael Valley 80s and 90s Core or El Valle de San Rafael en los 80 y 90
Originally taken/foto original de: April 29, 1986

From the THROWBACK Photo Series: San Rafael Valley 80s and 90s Core or El Valle de San Rafael en los 80 y 90
Originally taken/foto original de: October 1, 1989

From the THROWBACK Photo Series: San Rafael Valley 80s and 90s Core or El Valle de San Rafael en los 80 y 90
Originally taken/foto original de: March 24, 1987

From the THROWBACK Photo Series: San Rafael Valley 80s and 90s Core or El Valle de San Rafael en los 80 y 90
Originally taken/foto original de: March 3, 1987

From the THROWBACK Photo Series: San Rafael Valley 80s and 90s Core or El Valle de San Rafael en los 80 y 90
Originally taken/foto original de: September 30, 1986

oscuros” (from/de Pedro Páramo, Rulfo); photo courtesy of Joanne Cockerill
From the THROWBACK Photo Series: San Rafael Valley 80s and 90s Core or El Valle de San Rafael en los 80 y 90
Originally taken/foto original de: September 23, 1986

From the THROWBACK Photo Series: San Rafael Valley 80s and 90s Core or El Valle de San Rafael en los 80 y 90
Originally taken/foto original de: April 29, 1986

(common names/nombres comunes: powderpuff thistle, lavender thistle, foss thistle, desert thistle, el cardillo, el cardo)
From the THROWBACK Photo Series: San Rafael Valley 80s and 90s Core or El Valle de San Rafael en los 80 y 90
Originally taken/foto original de: April 29, 1986

(common names/nombres comunes: powderpuff thistle, lavender thistle, foss thistle, desert thistle, el cardillo, el cardo)
From the THROWBACK Photo Series: San Rafael Valley 80s and 90s Core or El Valle de San Rafael en los 80 y 90
Originally taken/foto original de: April 29, 1986

(common names/nombres comunes: powderpuff thistle, lavender thistle, foss thistle, desert thistle, el cardillo, el cardo)
From the THROWBACK Photo Series: San Rafael Valley 80s and 90s Core or El Valle de San Rafael en los 80 y 90
Originally taken/foto original de: January 20th, 1986

From the THROWBACK Photo Series: San Rafael Valley 80s and 90s Core or El Valle de San Rafael en los 80 y 90
Originally taken/foto original de: January 20th, 1986

From the THROWBACK Photo Series: San Rafael Valley 80s and 90s Core or El Valle de San Rafael en los 80 y 90
Originally taken/foto original de: May 13th, 1985

From the THROWBACK Photo Series: San Rafael Valley 80s and 90s Core or El Valle de San Rafael en los 80 y 90
Originally taken/foto original de: April 15th, 1985

From the THROWBACK Photo Series: San Rafael Valley 80s and 90s Core or El Valle de San Rafael en los 80 y 90
Originally taken/foto original de: August 24, 1984



sin’ auld lang syne” or “Que al mal tiempo, buena cara, y todo cambia”; photo courtesy of Eamon Harrity


As of December 2025, concertina wire is being utilized border-wide as part of a large-scale effort to “seal off the border across all regions.” To find out what you can do, and read more, head here.
Desde diciembre de 2025, se ha empleado alambre de púas a lo largo de la frontera entera para “controlar” todas las regiones de las zonas fronterizas entre los EEUU-MX. Para tomar acciones concretas y aprender más, haz clic aquí.



















From the Photo Series: Fall in the Valley, originally taken November 15th, 2025

From the Photo Series: Fall in the Valley, originally taken November 15th, 2025

From the Photo Series: Fall in the Valley, originally taken November 15th, 2025

From the Photo Series: Fall in the Valley, originally taken November 15th, 2025

From the Photo Series: Fall in the Valley, originally taken November 15th, 2025

From the Photo Series: Fall in the Valley, originally taken November 15th, 2025

From the Photo Series: Fall in the Valley, originally taken November 15th, 2025

From the Photo Series: Fall in the Valley, originally taken November 15th, 2025



















On Saturday, November 15th 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.

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….”

















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






















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














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

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







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





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



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


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

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






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






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
















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




“San Rafael Valley”; photo courtesy of Arizona Trail Association