With foundational hydrologic restoration largely in place, Cuenca los Ojos is now embarking on a new phase of work: rewilding. This approach seeks to restore missing ecological processes by reintroducing native species that once played essential roles in shaping the landscape.
Rewilding Journey
The rewilding journey begins with the reintroduction of Bison, a keystone species and powerful ecosystem engineer absent from the region for more than 200 years. Bison influence grassland structure, soil compaction, nutrient distribution, and plant diversity in ways that cannot be fully replicated by domestic livestock.
Future reintroductions are planned to follow a phased, science-driven approach:
- Prairie dogs, whose burrowing and grazing activities enhance soil health and create habitat for numerous species
- Beaver, critical to restoring wetland/riparian complexity and water retention
- Antelope and elk, to further restore historic grazing and movement pattern
- Predator work, including collaring of Pumas and Jaguars to understand their movement corridors and behavior
Cuenca has also reintroduced beaver into the Cajón Bonito. Beaver were eradicated from the area by trappers, and their absence contributed to the deterioration of streams throughout the Sky Islands. As ecosystem engineers, beavers play an outsized role in modifying the landscape. By felling trees for dams, they increase the patchiness of riparian corridors, and they create abundant micro-habitats for fish and other aquatic species.
Much of our focus has been on restoration of rivers, streams, and dry washes, which has created contiguous habitat corridors across the landscape. These corridors provide connectivity across a diverse range of habitats, connecting mountains and valleys, wetlands and grasslands. Our rewilding approach has also led to the reinstatement of a host of ecological processes, including herbivory, pollination, and food web interactions. Our adoption of progressive fire management practices has also reinvigorated the land through fire’s powerful destructive and renewal capacities.
