Las Lagunas is a lush Natural Wetlands smack dab off the I-19 Freeway just 8 miles from the Mexican border. Several weeks ago, a fellow by the name of Don Clemans contacted us at Southern Arizona Guide, wanting to know how he could get into the Best Birding Spots in Southern Arizona. He would be pleased to show us around.
Last weekend, while Jim was busy, I had the opportunity to meet this wonderful man and the perfect sanctuary that he and many others around the Nogalas community have worked so hard for years to create. You can say that I was duly impressed with the labor of love that has taken place here.
Although Las Lagunas is not a mile from the freeway, it is a world away. Think Agua Caliente Park in Tucson only lush with plants. A park-like setting with a grove of trees and picnic tables, a garden for the kids, a memorial to Cabot Sedgewick whose dream it was, and below, a trail carefully cleared and tended through Spanish Cane, hiding the unattractive warehouse nearby.
I arrived from Tucson in just an hour, and had time to walk around before Don arrived to give me the official tour.
After perusing the high grounds, visiting the garden, picnic area and memorial, I headed down the stairs to the “pond”. It was amazingly solitary and quiet down there, with little surprises along the way, a duck blind, ,a boardwalk, benches, a floating dock, an informational poster as well as a shrine to Our Lady of Guadalupe, and a humorous carving.
It was after 8:30, perhaps too late for the early morning birds, but I did come across, a coot family with new babies, and a great blue heron, which, of course, I scared off before getting a shot. Thus, the duck blinds. One could sit here for hours, quietly taking in the scene, with only the occasional Semi-truck to break the sound of birds calling.
Hiking back up from the pond below, Don was just arriving, with his signature green birding attire, and I in my camouflage purple pants. Having exchanged greetings, we set down at one of the picnic tables in this grove, and he proceeded to regale me with the history of Las Lagunas and the reclamation of the wetlands.
After reading Don’s bio, I think one could best describe him as a “naturalist”, having spent the greater part of his life in the great outdoors.
First, this area was the 13th campsite of the Juan Bautista De Anza Expedition making their way to colonize San Francisco on October 14, 1775. This wetland has existed for thousands of years, thanks to a phenomenon called a “perched” water table where the Nogales Formation that the picnic table sits on, serves as a dam for the water seeping underground down the Portrero Creek drainage.
In civilized times, it became a dumping grounds for the drive-in theatre and warehouse. When the drive-in was torn out, concrete was pushed into the wetlands.
Cabot Sedgwick purchased this land with the vision of returning it to its natural state.
Discussions began in the 1990’s. By 2009, Tony Sedgwick, Cabot’s son, began work in earnest to honor his father’s dream.
Seven years later, a work still in progress, the hope is to expand the wetland area as contributions permit.
Kudos to the many volunteers that over the years have made this happen; Boy Scouts, High School Science Club, the Santa Fe Ranch Foundation, Lourdes Catholic Academy and many others who made this possible.
In 2012 Tony Sedgwick was awarded the National Wetlands Award by the Environmental Law Institute in Washington, D.C.
What a remarkable feat, what a remarkable place.
Las Lagunas de Anza Wetlands is open Dawn til Dusk every day.
Take I-19 to Grand Ave. Head east 1/4 mile to Country Club Road. On the right just across from the church is the entrance to Las Lagunas de Anza Wetlands. Enjoy.
