October 23rd, 2021 - Bush Fire Replanting Project

Lower Sycamore - Tonto National Forest

8 volunteers helped us replant a section of the 2020 Bush Fire burn scar on the Tonto National Forest Mesa Ranger District at Lower Sycamore. We planted 150 saguaros, ocotillos, fishhook barrels, prickly pear, and teddy bear cholla.

Native desert cacti including Barrel, Saguaro, Hedgehog, Prickly Pear, & Cholla were salvaged from several Phoenix area construction sites, transported, & replanted at the top of Lower Sycamore on the Tonto National Forest.

Thank you to everyone at the Tonto National Forest Service - Mesa Ranger District for all of your help and support of our Replanting Program! Thanks to Jenny Vitale, Toll Brothers Arizona, Boyce Thompson Arboretum, and several private land owners for helping make this project possible.

We would also like to thank Ryan Morin, a military veteran on our Dedicated Restoration Team for helping with the project! And thank you to his wife, Burt, for her help!

It means so much to us to be a part of this Replanting Project because of our love & commitment to Lower Sycamore and all things Tonto National Forest. It was devastating to drive through the area after the Bush Fire & see the damage left behind. To be able to physically do something to bring life back to this area is extremely rewarding for all of us!

CLICK ON ANY PICTURE FOR FULL-SIZE IMAGE GALLERY

Watering Cacti in the desert

Watering cacti is not only valuable in providing initial water to reduce transplant shock, it also aids in compacting the soil around the freshly planted root network. This was accomplished by providing each newly planted cacti with water, no easy task in the middle of the desert.

Sad to see trash in our replanting areas!

You can view our all of our replanting projects here.


View more projects completed by our Dedicated Restoration Team HERE.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO HELP FUND PROJECTS LIKE THIS, CLICK THE DONATE BUTTON BELOW WILL LINK YOU TO PAYPAL. ENTER 'replanting' IN THE SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS AND YOUR DONATION WILL GO TOWARDS OUR Dedicated Restoration Team replanting PROJECTS.

IF YOU OR YOUR ORGANIZATION IS INTERESTED IN SPONSORING OUR veteran-based DEDICATED RESTORATION TEAM AND HELPING FUND TEAM PROJECTS, PLEASE CONTACT US.