Ancient Cottonwoods to be Cut Down.

We will be present.

For Immediate Release: June 14, 2026
Contact:
Kate Scott, (520) - 975-8107, madreanwildlife@gmail.com

Erick Meza, (520)-954-7603, erick.meza@sierraclub.org (para español)

Lochiel, Arizona to be Bulldozed for Border Wall Construction, Ancient Cottonwoods will be destroyed.

Lochiel, Arizona • La Noria, Sonora, Mexico • GPS: 31°19′59.2″ N, 110° 37’11.3”W (map link: https://bit.ly/may16az)

After conversations with Fisher, Sand and Gravel contractors, June 10, 2026, Erick Meza, Sierra Club Borderlands Coordinator, confirmed starting Monday, June 15, 2026, they will begin a vast swath of destruction, bulldozing the Santa Cruz River grassland ecosystem and ancient (over 200 yr old) Cottonwoods in Lochiel, an historic border town.

Erick Meza, “We are tired of so much violence to our environment and all creatures from the borderlands and beyond. This can be avoided and they are choosing not to.”

The Cottonwoods are elders that nourish and protect homes to nesting birds in their branches, and exotic beetles in their bark—many dimensions of life, seen and unseen—making this destruction even more cruel, done without thought to this beautiful, biodiverse place on Mother Earth, needing to be cherished and protected, not bulldozed over.

“It is sad to see the town of Lochiel, the origin of my family in Arizona in the 1800’s, become a focal point of unnecessary border militarization and barrier construction similar to East Germany in the Soviet era. The peaceful, serene San Rafael Valley deserves much better,” said David Hathaway, Sheriff of Santa Cruz County, Arizona.

After the Binational Border Happening in Lochiel, May 16, 2026, Yaqui elder,
Charlie Onehorse shared with us, “Thanks for continuing to awaken conscience, challenge power, and defend truth. And give a voice to our animal relatives that have roamed this land long before us.”

Calling all compassionate, caring, fierce humans to stand tall with us and the Grandmother Cottonwoods, June 14th to June 21st, the Summer Solstice.
Be present with us. Bring your prayers, poetry, drums and creative spirit for the feathered, furred, scaled, and the seen and unseen families, human and animal that call these cottonwoods home.

In Solidarity,
~Kate Scott

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Call to Action!
Letter with Talking Points to send Customs and Border Protection/Department of Homeland Security

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Arizona Woodpecker Nestling Needs you to Take Action.

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Kate Scott & Tony Heath co-founded a wildlife advocacy on their ranch in Cochise and Santa Cruz Counties in 1998 after leaving careers in the arts in New York City.

© Kate Scott & Tony Heath, 2026 • Not created by AI, or available for AI training.