(text beeps) - Hey, I'm Jayarr and on this season of "Trail Mix'd", I'm gonna take you around, under, and through Arizona.

Join me in my quest to see the best trails that Arizona has to offer, from the iconic spots to the hidden gems.

Along the way, we'll be diving deep into what makes Arizona's trails some of the best in the world.

So, come on, let's take a hike.

(upbeat music) (upbeat music continues) From the tiniest bugs to the largest mammals, from the desert cacti to the lush forest, every plant and creature depends on water.

Here in the desert where water is scarce, riparian areas are particularly important sources of water.

Today we're exploring riparian areas and how they affect the land around them.

We'll start in southern Arizona, exploring one of the richest riparian habitats in the region.

Then we'll check out a surprising riparian preserve right in the middle of the big city.

Along the way, we'll learn about the amazing birds and animals that thrive in and around the water.

(Jayarr imitates turkey gobbling) (turkey gobbles) (upbeat music) - [Presenter] "Trail Mix'd" is made possible in part by a gift from Sue and Bill Ahearn.

Additional support provided by.

- [Presenter] SRP is staying ahead of the valley's growing energy needs.

We are investing in one of the country's largest solar battery storage projects to deliver power that's as reliable as it is sustainable.

- [Presenter] Whitfill Nursery, proud to support 8 Arizona PBS, a valley tradition since 1946.

Over 200 acres of Arizona grown trees, citrus and palms, complete custom design and installation, and Whitfill Nursery still does the digging.

whitfillnursery.com.

(gentle music) - [Presenter] Arizona, you never cease to amaze us, from your determination to your resiliency, both individually and as a community.

Because of you, the Arizona lottery can use its resources to help make our state stronger.

From supporting small businesses to protecting Arizona's most vulnerable people and giving hope to future generations.

Paving the way for a better tomorrow, for our better tomorrow.

- [Presenter] And by contributions to your PBS station from viewers like you.

Thank you.

(text swooshes) (rocks crack) - In between the Patagonia and Santa Rita mountains lies one of the last remaining permanent streams in Arizona.

It's wetlands are home to a plethora of birds, creatures, and rare plant species.

It's an incredible place for nature enthusiasts, bird watchers, or anyone looking for a relaxing hike near the water.

Welcome to Patagonia Sonoita Creek Preserve.

The term riparian describes the unique habitat formed where fresh water meets the land.

For a state with a reputation for being a desert.

Arizona boast diverse riparian habitats like this preserve.

The preserve is owned and managed by the Nature Conservancy, a global nonprofit dedicated to conserving the lands and waters on which all life depends.

To learn more about it, I spoke with Patty Cooper, a volunteer with a long history at the Preserve.

- In 1990 and through the nineties, my husband was the preserve manager here.

The preserve was purchased by The Nature Conservancy in collaboration with the National Audubon Society in 1966.

It's one of the first preserves here in Arizona that the conservancy has.

- You've seen this place develop from seed to plant to fully grown plant.

- Literally, yes, yes.

- What are some of the things that you've seen grow that you remain excited about?

Maybe amenities or trails?

- I think all of the above.

I think one of the real goals of the Visitor Center was to not make it be a building that people went into, but that it was open.

And even though you were technically in the visitor center, you were still outside.

- Right.

- And still smelling and listening and seeing what makes this preserve so special and unique.

- [Jayarr] What does the preserve mean to you?

- It means absolutely everything.

I mean, in my heart and soul, protecting and preserving critical land areas is just kind of like ingrained in us.

When I was an elementary school teacher in Patagonia, it became part of our curriculum to include place-based education.

It's an important place to my students that were here.

It's an important place to the birds and animals that live here.

It preserves and protects the water, and water is life.

(gentle music) - I think it's time I started hiking and see this place for myself.

Aaron.

- Hey, what's going on, Jayarr?

- What's up man?

Good to meet you man.

- Pleasure.

- Dude, I didn't know they were bringing such a handsome face.

It looks like they set me up for some competition today.

- Well, you know, the Nature Conservancy only brings out their best.

(both laugh) - Yeah.

So I know we're hiking today.

What's the name of the trail?

- We're gonna be hiking on the Creek Trail today, which is gonna follow Sonoita Creek through the big riparian cottonwoods along the area.

- Okay.

Yeah, that sounds exciting.

Do you feel like you're ready, hydrated, sunscreened up?

- Feeling good.

Got my hat, got my boots, I'm all ready.

- Let's do it, man.

See what lies ahead.

I've got a lot to learn, I feel.

(gentle music) Javelina.

(Jayarr gasps) - [Jayarr] Oh.

Do they see us?

- [Aaron] I think they sense us.

They have terrible eyesight.

- Really?

- Absolutely terrible eyesight, but they have great sense of smell and they also can hear super well.

- [Jayarr] They're way bigger than I thought.

- Yeah.

- Oh.

This is my first time actually seeing one in a non-city setting.

- Really?

- 'Cause you see 'em up in like North Scottsdale and stuff, but dude, they're huge.

- Digging around in the trash.

Yep, yep, that's pretty cool.

- They're so beautiful.

Are they pests or invasive at all?

- [Aaron] No, they're completely native to this area.

- Okay.

- This is one of the critters that it actually, their species range is here in southern Arizona, all the way down through Mexico, central America, and even South America as well.

- [Jayarr] Wow.

- [Aaron] You have a very large species range.

Look at that.

- [Jayarr] So do we walk in the opposite direction if he gets close?

- You know, what we'll do, is if he starts getting up to this closer mesquite tree, we'll just maybe talk a little louder, wave our arms, just let him know that we're here.

This is incredible.

- [Jayarr] Okay, what should I say?

- [Aaron] Say, get away.

- [Jayarr] Welcome to "Trail Mix'd".

Do you want to- - Oh, there he goes.

(laughs) Do you see how the hairs stand up on his back?

He still- - Is that to make them look bigger?

- Yeah, it's just a response, like a nervous response when their hairs pop up like that.

He knows that we're here now.

- Oh my God, this is magical.

I know buddy, I know.

Yeah.

- No, no.

(Jayarr laughs) - He knows- - Very great sense of smell.

You can see his little nose working there.

- [Jayarr] It almost looks, it reminds me of like a ant eater or like- - Yeah.

- [Jayarr] Like, it looks prehensile.

Do they use it to root and like a tool?

- Absolutely.

Absolutely.

In fact, as we're walking along the creek trail, we're gonna run into all sorts of little holes and divots in the ground.

And those are largely javelina rooting around in the soils.

- Yeah.

- Looking for bugs, grubs, root plant matter and stuff like that.

- Okay.

- There he goes.

- Alright.

- He wants to go meet up with the rest of his crew.

We'll probably see them again later.

He actually is just running down toward the creek trail right now.

We're headed in that direction, so.

- What a way to start.

- I know.

- We haven't made it more than 10 feet.

- Right.

- Oh my gosh, wow.

- That was cool.

That was really cool.

- I know for you, this is probably more normal, but I live in a box in the city and like that was just, yeah, that was pretty magical.

- I tell you what, Jayarr, I run into javelina all the time out here.

Again, this is perfect habitat for them, with the creek running through here, with the great vegetation, a lot of habitat diversity here.

- [Jayarr] Yeah.

- But what we just experienced right there, that's rare.

- Yeah.

- That's definitely rare.

- Dude.

- Really glad to share that with you.

- [Jayarr] Yeah, wow, wow.

I know there's water down there.

You said the javelina are going to the water, but I don't hear it.

Why is that?

- Yeah, so right now we're taking this walk here in mid-May, which is kind of our dry season in Arizona.

And so the flow actually decreases around this time.

During summer monsoon season, we might see about double this flow.

- Okay.

- But the second thing that's kind of slowing the flow is we got a ton of watercress growing up in the creek, almost creating dam like structures.

And that really creates these ponded environments that slow the water as well.

- [Jayarr] What is this?

- Oh, interesting.

So- - Poison hemlock.

- We're actually surrounded by a bunch of poison hemlock.

- [Jayarr] Oh, and I don't have pants on.

- [Aaron] Well, that should be okay.

For most people, it doesn't irritate your skin.

- Okay.

- But it's incredibly deadly if you were to ingest this plant.

Even just a little bit can send you to the hospital, or maybe even worse.

- How much would I have to eat to be finished?

- You know, you see the size of these little leaflets on here?

- [Jayarr] Yeah.

- Really, just two.

- No way.

- Three of those is incredibly toxic to humans.

- [Jayarr] Wow, all these different things we're discovering on this trail.

(gentle music) Well, that's a big tree.

- Yeah, look at the size of this thing.

You know, this is a Fremont Cottonwood here and along Sonoita Creek, we have some of the oldest and largest cottonwoods in the state of Arizona.

This thing's probably over a hundred years old.

And the reason why they're able to get so big here is because of the running water.

- Yeah.

- The surface water and the ground water that supports it.

- There's a sign of abundance for this.

Oh yeah.

- Give that thing a hug.

- Oh, this is- - Mother nature gives.

- Ooh, that's a big tree.

- Yep.

- Thank you for the hug.

(gentle music) Oh, there he is, there he is, there he is.

- There he is.

- See him back there.

- Oh yeah, yeah, sure enough.

- Yeah, yeah, yeah.

One thing, I'm noticing a trend.

The animals here are huge.

- Yeah.

- That is a huge turkey.

- [Aaron] Yeah, that is indeed a wild turkey.

That's a Gould's Wild Turkey.

That's the name of the subspecies.

And in fact, Gould's Wild Turkey are the largest subspecies of wild turkey in North America.

So spring time's mating season right now.

And so the male turkeys, they try to put on a display.

You know, they're trying to look big and tough and beautiful for the ladies.

And that's actually pretty common with bird species.

Usually it's the males that are a little bit more colorful.

- Yeah.

- A little bit more vibrant.

They're marching around, they're trying to look pretty, they're gobbling trying to get the attention of the hens.

And it's just- - So this is his, like his Lamborghini basically?

- Oh yeah, oh yeah, he's showing off right now.

- Yeah, he's showing off.

- He's definitely showing off.

You know what else sometimes makes them call?

Is if you gobble at it.

Wanna give it a shot?

I can probably do a pretty gangster gobble.

I'll give you a preview, tell me what you think.

(Jayarr imitates turkey gobbling) - No response.

(Jayarr imitates turkey gobbling) He's not taking it.

- Okay, you said to manifest it.

So- - Really- - We're gonna get him a call back on this one.

- Your inner turkey here.

- Okay, here we go.

Inner turkey.

I kind of look like a turkey, so this would be perfect.

Here we go.

(Jayarr imitates turkey gobbling) (turkey gobbles) (both laugh) (hands clap) - Yes.

Yes, you got it.

- What the?

(laughs) It actually worked.

No, that was not a sound effect, people.

He actually called back.

Okay, well, that's cool.

That is very satisfying.

And there he goes.

- There he goes.

He's coming to find me, bro.

- Yep, yep.

He's coming to fight you.

He's coming to fight you because you're competition now.

- Oh.

- You're another gobbler.

You're another turkey trying to mate with his ladies.

That's awesome.

- Dude, it worked.

What the heck, dude, you were right.

- [Aaron] Channel your inner turkey, man.

- [Jayarr] The preserve is a hotspot for bird watchers and provides a habitat for over 200 different species of birds.

Bright red bird.

What is it?

- [Aaron] Just the position in the tree, the color, the size of the bird, makes me think that's a summer tanager.

To be able to see one around this area, again isn't uncommon, but it's special because it's connected to this specific landscape.

- Yeah.

I know it's special 'cause I've hiked, I'm gonna say a hundred trails in Arizona, and I've never seen this much wildlife.

Every five seconds there's a new species of something that we're seeing.

So this place is pure magic.

(gentle music) - We're actually walking right down to Sonoita Creek here.

We've been walking alongside of it through the riparian throughout most of our hike here.

But this is a nice little offshoot trail where we can actually get down and experience it.

In fact, take a look here.

It's got some surface water through here.

And when you think about a creek, you know, this might not be exactly what you imagined.

You know, you see this really slow ponded water.

If we were to walk across there, our feet would get wet all the way over to those other trees there.

Again, the reason why it's kind of so slow and chalked up right now is 'cause of this vegetation through here.

This is the watercress we were talking about.

- [Jayarr] Looks like a weed.

- It does look like a weed.

In fact, you know, it's actually a non-native plant to this area.

However, it's not what I would consider invasive.

It doesn't really have a profound impact on the ecosystem in a negative way.

In fact, it's beneficial.

The fish love it for habitat.

A number of animals will eat this.

The javelina that we saw earlier, deer, coatis, all sorts of animals like it.

You know, who else likes it?

- Who?

- Humans.

- Okay.

- You know what?

- I had a feeling it was going in that direction.

- Yeah, yeah, in fact, it's a really healthy food.

Chockfull of vitamins, micronutrients, antioxidants.

You wanna give it a shot?

- I already knew, I already knew that was coming.

- [Aaron] Yeah, yeah, yeah, okay, okay.

- I feel like that's part of the experience.

- [Aaron] Let me reach in and grab a little bit here.

(gentle music) - [Jayarr] So what part is okay to eat or good to eat?

- So really all of it, but you know, the part that people like the most is that leafy part on it, it's gonna taste, well, I'll let you taste it first.

I want you to get the full experience there.

- And you said this is bitter.

- It's gonna taste like a spicy arugula.

I wouldn't say bitter, I think it's delicious.

- All right, well cheers.

- Well, I'm gonna take a little smaller bit than you.

- I know, I know.

All right.

(inhales and exhales) - That spice coming through.

- It is genuinely really delicious.

- Yeah, yeah.

- Oh, but it's hot, though.

- Yeah.

(laughs) - It takes a minute, it's actually, it's quite spicy.

- Yeah.

- Have you ever eaten that much?

- You know, I've never done what you've done.

I usually take a little bit, sprinkle it on top of the salad, mix it into like a smoothie or something like that, just to add a little dimension.

- Oh.

- But it's good stuff.

- I'm alive.

That is really spicy.

- And now Sonoita Creek is forever a part of you.

(both laugh) - That is really spicy.

(Aaron laughs) Okay, well on that note, you wanna do it?

- [Aaron] Let's get outta here.

- [Jayarr] Let's finish this bad boy up.

- [Aaron] All righty.

- Is this the way?

- Yeah, let's get, yeah, right out here.

(gentle music) - [Jayarr] I was told that this area is a wetland.

Is it technically?

- Well you were told correct, actually.

Yeah, we are totally now in a wetland.

In fact, a wetland in this part of the world is referred to as a cienega.

So cienega is actually derived from the Spanish where it's, (speaks Spanish), the idea of a hundred waters coming up from the ground, creating a wetland, and you're gonna start seeing water on both sides of the trail here.

And as you can imagine in Arizona, especially in southern Arizona, very desert-like environment, a wetland is a very rare habitat type.

- [Jayarr] Absolutely.

Since we've been here, I can't believe that we're still in the desert technically.

You know?

- Yeah.

Really creates this massive canopy above us.

It feels moist here.

- Yeah.

- [Aaron] We walked outta the sun, walked in here, it's like 10 degrees cooler, at least.

- As we go further and further on the trail, I understand why so many animals feel safe here and protected.

- Absolutely.

- It's just way less harsh.

- And that's ultimately the goal of our preserve.

That's the number one goal, first and foremost, is that this is a nature preserve and we manage it that way.

You know, we manage it for all the critters, the birds, animals, snakes, whatever that call this place home.

(gentle music) - [Jayarr] Cienegas are one of the most endangered natural communities in Arizona, but they were once a common feature on the Sonoita floodplain.

I can tell by how abundant and green this area is that the water's extreme, I mean, it's extremely important to this area.

Why is it important for you guys and how do you protect the water here?

- Well, again, we keep saying this, water is life here in the desert.

And so it's intrinsically and instrumentally important to protect water in the desert because of its value as a limited resource.

When we think about protecting water, we don't just wanna protect immediately where the water is, we wanna protect the surrounding area.

The surrounding area is the sponge onto which rain falls and gets soaked up into the ground and then slowly released on the surface in rivers or cienegas, things like that.

- [Jayarr] So you have to protect the whole thing.

- You gotta think much larger than just the right riparian, just the creek.

That requires us to work across boundaries with entities that you wouldn't think of an environmental conservation organization working with, such as ranchers, municipalities, private landowners.

We're an organization that wants to work across those boundaries for environmental good because ultimately it's for the good of everyone.

- [Jayarr] Right.

For the average bloke like myself, how can I help protect riparian areas?

- First of all, just be conscious.

Be conscious of the way that you use water.

Taking shorter showers, you know, maybe not watering a lawn, maybe having some type of other type of landscaping in your backyard.

I think that's one of the first ways that you can get involved.

And really the second way to get involved is to come out to places like this, to hike these trails, get out in nature, get out into the national forest, hike a trail, go to your local botanical gardens, start to learn a little bit more about nature.

Because it's that sort of understanding and connection to nature that you'll really start to care and see the value of a place like this.

- If you can make it out here, the preserve is an incredible place to visit, but it is a pretty long trek for most of the state.

Did you know that there's an accessible riparian area right in Central Arizona?

Come on.

We're headed to Gilbert.

(gentle music) In the heart of the Arizona desert, amidst the arid landscapes and sweltering sun, lies an oasis that embodies a harmonious blend of nature and innovation.

Welcome to the Gilbert Riparian Preserve.

In a desert where water is scarce, Arizona boasts diverse riparian habitats.

And the Riparian Preserve is a lovely manmade example of this natural wonder.

Located toward the east side of Gilbert, the preserve is a fantastic place to spend some time in nature while still being in the middle of the city.

The preserve also offers restroom facilities, picnic ramadas, and a play area for families.

Over 4.5 miles of trails wind their way through the park, so there's plenty to explore.

So come on, let's take a hike.

In 1986, the town of Gilbert made a visionary commitment to reuse 100% of its wastewater.

This pledge set the stage for an innovative project that would eventually become the riparian preserve in 1999.

When you run into people out on these trails, they're so passionate that you can learn a lot just by chatting with people.

The preserve is organized into different vegetative zones, each representing the native riparian habitats of Arizona, from marshlands to upland vegetation areas.

It's a haven for biodiversity, boasting nearly 300 species of birds alongside insects, fish, amphibians, reptiles, and mammals.

70 acres of the preserve are dedicated to seven water recharge basins.

Treated wastewater fills these basins on a rotating basis, allowing it to seep into the aquifer where it's stored for future use.

That is a lot of water moving, a lot.

Another one of the basins features a distribution stream that mimics many desert streams by only flowing during and after a rain.

For bird enthusiasts, the Gilbert Preserve is a dream come true, as more than 300 bird species have been sighted here since its inception in 1999.

In fact, it has earned recognition as part of the Arizona Important Bird Area program, an accolade bestowed by Bird Life International and the National Audubon Society.

Viewing blinds have been strategically placed near several ponds, and a floating boardwalk offers an intimate view of the fish and ducks on the water.

Interpretive signage assists in identifying commonly seen birds, and you can even download a bird list to prepare for your adventure.

Whether you're an experienced birder or new to the hobby, the Riparian Preserve offers a remarkable experience.

Today we interviewed Dr. Kevin McGraw, an integrative behavioral ecologist and professor at Arizona State University.

- I think this is a real precious place because of the ability to, around a whole series of developments, provide the opportunity for wildlife to have a safe haven and provide them with the breeding, feeding, and other resources to thrive in an otherwise human dominated landscape.

This water provides the irrigation water for HOAs, for golf courses, for schools, parks, other community initiatives.

It's integrated and fully functionally critical to the operations of humans and the amenities that we have in our environments.

Anytime, especially in the desert, you have water, you have birds, and the neat part about this place is you attract water birds.

So in the background, you know, plenty of pelicans and shovelers, herons and egrets, but there's plenty of vegetation for several of the arboreal and lower land dwelling birds.

So plenty of finches, sparrows, some real neat local birds, like Abert's towhees and curved bill thrashers.

Every year we come roughly around the same time and try and have a big day.

Bird watchers that go through a big day try to count as many species as they can in one place.

And this is one of the most fantastic places to come and see dozens and dozens of species, even in just one morning.

You're almost always likely to see, probably the most common bird here, the mallard, the mallard duck.

Males have this gorgeous green head during breeding.

Females will use some of their colors to discriminate and choose who the fanciest, most colorful males are.

- [Jayarr] It looks like they go in there for shade.

It looks like they have a little spot.

Look at 'em going in between the reeds.

Who would've ever thought pelicans in Arizona?

- [Kevin] We're seeing beautiful American white pelicans, which aren't always here throughout the year, but sort of have this unique place as if they don't belong.

Like there are pelicans in the desert, right?

But again, where there is water, there are birds.

- [Jayarr] This is like an illusion 'cause it's really shallow there.

If you look, you can see that's not more than a couple inches deep.

- So that's a black necked stilt.

So this is a shore bird.

It's long legs allow it to, again, walk right in water.

Not many birds have that capability.

The stilts a really neat bird.

They are not terribly widely distributed, and so if you want to see them, you know, in areas like this, you really have to come to places like the riparian area to see them.

This is the great egret.

So he's probably starting his stealth foraging operation, scoping out some local fish, probably also aware of us.

So he's keeping an eye in both directions, one eye on the food, one eye on the humans.

Ooh, that cormorant just caught a fish.

He's trying to swallow it.

He's wrestling with it.

Ooh, and the pelican's trying to steal it from him.

So that's called kleptoparasitism, when one species waits for another to feed and then steals it from them.

So they're kleptos.

So one of the cormorants is doing this drying display.

They've got their wings out.

When they're in the water and cool all the time, they can't necessarily dry off, so they get out of the water.

Normally it's sunny and they can dry off, being black, really quickly, and then get back in the water so they're not too cold, and it's not too harsh on their feathers.

I see a great blue heron over here around the corner, which again is a very tall, gray, blue bird, that again, is a fish consumer.

It's got a real sharp beak, and so it can sort of slowly stalk and spear amphibians or fish in the water, and it'll carefully look at its shadow and kind of make sure that it's not disturbing the water and the light to ensure that it can increase its chances of spearing a vertebrate prey.

- The Gilbert Preserve is a testament to what can be achieved when a community combines innovative water resource development with wildlife habitat conservation, and education.

It's a place where hikers and birds coexist, and the urban meets the natural.

Thanks for exploring Gilbert's Desert Oasis with me.

We'll catch you on the next trail.

(gentle music) Whether natural, like the creek in Patagonia or manmade here in Gilbert, riparian areas are of utmost importance to us here in the desert.

It's a resource that supports life, keeps us cool, provides us with beauty, and should never be taken for granted.