Mission

Fly with documentary filmmakers working to ollimuniate habitat fragmentation and biodiversity loss through film. We flew to capture footage of remote mining operations and border wall developments.

The U.S. border wall is more than just a political and ideological barrier. It also presents a challenge for habitat connectivity. Wildlife, like jaguars, don’t recognize international boundaries, and these large predators need to access large swaths of habitat on either side of the border.

Amidst a changing political landscape, US Customs and Border Protection and the US Forest Service are planning to construct new roads to more quickly access the wall and intercept border-crossers. Additional roads would further obstruct this already fragmented region, reducing wildlife's ability to roam freely and access habitat.

We flew over sections of the border wall that are adjacent to the Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge, the wild and remote Sycamore Canyon, and the Baboquivari Mountains. These areas contain federally protected critical habitat for jaguars and other species, showcasing the necessity of reducing wildlife barriers in this region.

We also flew over mining in the Sky Islands, an area with exceptional biodiversity. Proposed mining developments and existing operations, along with hundreds of old mining sites, pose massive risks to the region, disrupting wildlife habitat, and threatening water quality and public lands.

 

Click for geo-referenced photos from your flight. This kml file is best viewed in Google Earth.