named programs · 7 · from sources
what they call their work
Borderlands Conservation Corps
A proposed initiative to provide employment in the border region, addressing environmental and social concerns.
Conservation Communication
Program dedicated to communicating conservation efforts and their importance.
Environmental Education
Program focused on educating about environmental issues, particularly in the borderlands.
Habitat Restoration
Assisting in the recovery of degraded ecosystems, primarily focusing on watersheds, ciénegas, and grasslands through techniques like loose-rock structures (trincheras), gabions, earthen berms, aeration, and reseeding.
Land Protection
Transferring land ownership to a Mexican nonprofit and designating it as a voluntary conservation area (ADVC) under Mexican law, including conveying lands into a trust (fideicomiso) for permanent protection.
Restorative Grazing Program
Utilizes cattle in a holistic and regenerative grazing strategy to mimic native herbivores, add biomass to the soil, and improve grassland health.
Wildlife Reintroduction & Rewilding
Reinstating ecological and evolutionary processes by identifying and reintroducing missing elements of functional ecosystems, such as large carnivores and herbivores (using regenerative grazing), and protecting endemic species to restore wildness to the land.
activities · 7 groups
what they do
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Land Acquisition and Permanent Protection 9 activities
- Land Acquisition and ProtectionAcquires and protects land in northern Mexico, managing a 121,000-acre preserve and transferring ownership to a Mexican non-profit for permanent conservation under Mexican law, similar to a conservation easement.
- Land Management and ProtectionManages and protects large tracts of land, including a 121,000-acre preserve in northern Mexico and Rancho El Uno within the Janos Biosphere Reserve. This involves acquiring and conveying lands into trusts for permanent protection, removing traditional cattle grazing, and implementing regenerative ranching practices using cattle as a substitute for bison.
- Land Management and ProtectionManages and protects large tracts of land, including a 121,000-acre preserve in northern Mexico and Rancho El Uno within the Janos Biosphere Reserve. This involves acquiring and transferring land ownership to ensure permanent conservation, such as designating areas as voluntary conservation areas under Mexican law and conveying lands into trusts.
- Land Protection and Conservation EasementsProtects land by transferring ownership to Cuenca Los Ojos A.C., designating it as a voluntary conservation area (ADVC) under Mexican law, and conveying lands in Sonora, Mexico into a trust (fideicomiso) for permanent protection.
- Land protection and conservation easements in MexicoSecures permanent protection of ecologically significant lands in Mexico by transferring ownership to Cuenca Los Ojos A.C., designating areas as voluntary conservation areas (ADVC), and placing lands into fideicomisos (trusts) that function like conservation easements. This includes over 120,000 acres of protected land, including the 121,000-acre preserve along the U.S.-Mexico border.
- Management of cross-border protected areasManages large protected areas in Mexico, including Rancho El Uno within the Janos Biosphere Reserve and the Ojos Calientes ranch in Sonora, through direct stewardship, staff deployment (e.g., restoration technicians, stewards, maintenance managers), and active restoration.
- Protected Area ManagementManages Rancho El Uno within the Janos Biosphere Reserve in Chihuahua, Mexico, and the Ojos Calientes ranch in Sonora, Mexico, employing staff for restoration, maintenance, and restorative grazing programs.
- Protected Land Management in MexicoManages a 121,000-acre protected preserve in northern Mexico along the U.S./Mexico border, including Rancho El Uno within the Janos Biosphere Reserve, and the 13,600-acre Ojos Calientes ranch in Sonora, Mexico.
- Protected Land Management in MexicoManages a 121,000-acre protected preserve in northern Mexico along the U.S./Mexico border, including Rancho El Uno within the Janos Biosphere Reserve, and the 13,600-acre Ojos Calientes ranch. This involves transferring land ownership to Cuenca Los Ojos A.C. and designating it as a voluntary conservation area (ADVC) under Mexican law, and conveying lands into a trust for permanent protection.
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Erosion Control & Water Infiltration Structures 7 activities
- Construction of erosion control structuresBuilds trincheras, gabions, and earthen berms to slow water runoff, capture sediment, and promote revegetation in degraded arid landscapes. These structures have been implemented across multiple ranches in Sonora and Chihuahua, contributing to long-term soil stabilization and increased water infiltration.
- Habitat and Soil Improvement through RevegetationAerates and reseeds soils, plants trees and grasses, and increases flowering plants to stabilize topsoil, boost nutrient and carbon cycles, improve water infiltration, and catalyze pollination, leading to increased riparian vegetation and the return of wildlife.
- Soil and Water ConservationImplements various techniques to improve soil health and water retention, including constructing trincheras and gabions to stop erosion, aerating and reseeding soils, planting trees, and using water-slowing techniques to increase soil infiltration. These efforts lead to slowed water runoff, stabilized soil, improved groundwater, and more consistent stream flow.
- Soil and Water Conservation through Erosion ControlImplements various techniques to improve soil health and water infiltration, including constructing trincheras and gabions to stop erosion, aerating and reseeding soils, planting trees, and using water-slowing techniques in incised channels. These efforts lead to slowed water runoff, stabilized soil, and improved groundwater infiltration.
- Soil and Water Conservation through InfrastructureConstructs loose rock structures like trincheras and gabions, and earthen berms, to capture soil, slow water runoff, stabilize soil, improve groundwater infiltration, and reverse erosion in incised water channels and hillsides.
- Water and Soil ConservationImplements various techniques to improve soil health and water retention, including constructing trincheras and gabions to stop erosion, aerating and reseeding soils, planting trees, and using water-slowing techniques to increase soil infiltration. These efforts lead to slowed water runoff, stabilized soil, improved groundwater infiltration, and more consistent stream flow.
- Water and Soil ManagementImplements techniques to improve water infiltration and soil health, such as constructing trincheras and gabions to slow water runoff and reverse erosion, aerating and reseeding soils, and planting trees and grasses to stabilize topsoil and boost nutrient cycles.
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Land & Water Conservation Advocacy 6 activities
- Advocacy for land and water conservation in ArizonaThrough leadership in the Arizona Land & Water Trust from 1984 to 2011, preserved approximately 35,000 acres of land in southern Arizona.
- Conservation Advocacy and LeadershipServed as President of Arizona Land & Water Trust, preserving approximately 35,000 acres in Southern Arizona, and helped found the Oregon Sustainability Board and the Fondo Mexicano para la Conservacion de la Naturaleza.
- Environmental Advocacy and Capacity BuildingEngages in environmental advocacy, including preserving approximately 35,000 acres in Southern Arizona through leadership roles, and provides capacity building by advising philanthropies and nonprofits, and founding conservation organizations.
- Environmental Advocacy and Land PreservationEngages in advocacy for land preservation, including serving as President of Arizona Land & Water Trust to preserve approximately 35,000 acres in Southern Arizona, and helping found the Oregon Sustainability Board.
- Land Preservation AdvocacyAdvocated for land preservation, notably as President of Arizona Land & Water Trust, contributing to the preservation of approximately 35,000 acres in Southern Arizona.
- Land Preservation AdvocacyServed as President of Arizona Land & Water Trust, contributing to the preservation of approximately 35,000 acres in Southern Arizona.
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Riparian & Habitat Restoration 6 activities
- Ecological Restoration and RewildingConducts ecological restoration across degraded lands, focusing on watersheds, ciénegas, and grasslands, to address climate change, flooding, and declining ecosystem services. This includes total rewilding, reintroducing extirpated animals, and protecting endemic species to enhance food web complexity.
- Ecological Restoration and RewildingConducts ecological restoration across degraded lands, focusing on watersheds, ciénegas, and grasslands, to address climate change, flooding, fires, and declining ecosystem services. This includes total rewilding efforts, reintroducing extirpated animals, and protecting endemic species to enhance food web complexity.
- Ecological Restoration and RewildingConducts ecological restoration across degraded lands, focusing on watersheds, ciénegas, and grasslands, to address issues like climate change, flooding, and declining ecosystem services. This includes total rewilding, reintroducing extirpated animals, and enhancing food web complexity.
- Ecological Restoration and RewildingConducts ecological restoration across degraded lands, focusing on watersheds, ciénegas, and grasslands, to address climate change, flooding, and declining ecosystem services. This includes total rewilding, reintroducing extirpated animals, and enhancing food web complexity.
- Ecological restoration of degraded watersheds and grasslandsConducts large-scale ecological restoration across northern Mexico and the U.S.-Mexico border region, focusing on repairing degraded watersheds, ciénegas (desert wetlands), and grasslands through erosion control, reseeding, tree planting, and water infiltration enhancement. Activities include restoring flowing streams and wetlands, increasing riparian vegetation, and improving soil health across over 120,000 acres.
- Wildlife habitat restoration and species reintroductionRestores habitat to support the return of native wildlife, including large carnivores such as jaguars, ocelots, and black bears, and revives ecological predation processes. Reintroduces extirpated species like white-tailed deer and protects endemic species to enhance food web complexity and biodiversity.
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Regenerative Ranching with Ecological Grazing 5 activities
- Regenerative RanchingImplements regenerative ranching practices, including the use of cattle as a substitute for bison, to reintroduce large herbivores and reduce land stress, enabling soil recovery.
- Regenerative RanchingImplements regenerative ranching practices, including removing traditionally managed cattle to reduce land stress and reintroducing large herbivores (using cattle as a substitute for bison) to aid in soil recovery and ecological processes.
- Regenerative Ranching and Grazing ProgramsOperates a restorative grazing program that includes removing traditionally managed cattle to reduce land stress and enable soil recovery, and implementing regenerative ranching to reintroduce large herbivores, using cattle as a substitute for bison.
- Regenerative Ranching and Grazing ProgramsImplements regenerative ranching by reintroducing large herbivores, using cattle as a substitute for bison, and removing traditionally managed cattle to reduce land stress and enable soil recovery.
- Restorative and regenerative grazing managementImplements regenerative ranching practices by managing cattle as ecological proxies for bison to restore grassland function, while also removing cattle from overgrazed areas to allow ecosystem recovery. Employs dedicated staff for restorative grazing programs and manages grazing to support soil health and biodiversity.
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Carbon Sequestration through Ecosystem Restoration 4 activities
- Carbon Sequestration ResearchConducts research indicating that restored waterways and grasslands significantly sequester carbon compared to degraded areas.
- Carbon Sequestration ResearchConducts research demonstrating that restored waterways and grasslands significantly sequester carbon compared to degraded areas.
- Carbon Sequestration ResearchConducts research indicating that restored waterways and grasslands significantly sequester carbon compared to degraded areas.
- Carbon sequestration through ecosystem restorationConducts research and implements restoration practices that enhance carbon sequestration in restored waterways and grasslands, which sequester significantly more carbon than degraded areas.
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Uncategorized 15 activities
- Ecological Restoration and RewildingConducts ecological restoration across degraded lands, focusing on watersheds, ciénegas, and grasslands, to address climate change, flooding, and declining ecosystem services. This includes total rewilding, reintroducing extirpated animals, and enhancing food web complexity.
- Environmental Education and CommunicationEmploys staff dedicated to environmental education and conservation communication to support its restoration and conservation efforts.
- Environmental Education and CommunicationEmploys staff dedicated to environmental education and conservation communication to share knowledge and promote their restoration efforts.
- Environmental Staffing and EducationEmploys dedicated staff for environmental education, conservation communication, restoration and maintenance, and a restorative grazing program, including restoration technicians, a communication coordinator, and a maintenance manager.
- Environmental education and conservation communicationEmploys dedicated staff and a communication coordinator to lead environmental education and conservation outreach efforts, supporting public understanding of ecological restoration and land stewardship.
- Non-profit Advisory and Foundation LeadershipAdvises philanthropies, non-profits, and triple-bottom-line companies, and has founded and led multiple conservation and sustainability organizations, including the Fondo Mexicano para la Conservacion de la Naturaleza.
- Nonprofit Foundation DevelopmentTransitioned the Cuenca Los Ojos Foundation from a family foundation to a public nonprofit and formally created the US non-profit Cuenca Los Ojos in 2018 to manage restoration work.
- Nonprofit and Philanthropic Advisory ServicesAdvises philanthropies, nonprofits, and triple-bottom-line companies through Moebius Partners LLC, and has founded and led other conservation organizations.
- Organizational Development and Advisory ServicesTransitioned the Cuenca Los Ojos Foundation from a family foundation to a public nonprofit and provides advisory services to philanthropies, nonprofits, and triple-bottom-line companies.
- Organizational transition and nonprofit developmentTransitioned Cuenca Los Ojos from a family foundation to a public nonprofit in 2018, formalizing its U.S. structure to support ongoing restoration and land protection efforts in coordination with its Mexican counterpart.
- Water Source Provision for WildlifeRepairs wells to provide water sources for Mexican wildlife in the San Bernardino Valley, particularly after border infrastructure prevented access to natural wetlands.
- Water Source Provision for WildlifeRepairs wells to provide essential water sources for Mexican wildlife, particularly in areas where access to natural wetlands has been impacted by border infrastructure.
- Water Source Provision for WildlifeRepaired a well to provide a water source for Mexican wildlife in the San Bernardino Valley after the border wall prevented access to wetlands in the United States.
- Water infrastructure repair for wildlife accessRepairs and maintains water sources such as wells to ensure wildlife access to water, particularly in areas where the U.S.-Mexico border wall has disrupted natural movement to wetlands, including in the San Bernardino Valley.
- Wildlife Water Source ProvisionRepairs wells to provide water sources for Mexican wildlife in the San Bernardino Valley, particularly after border infrastructure prevented access to natural wetlands.
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financials · form 990 · fy2022
revenue
Total revenue$409K
Contributions & grants$402K98%
Program service revenue$7K2%
Investment income$110%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$368K
Program expenses73%
Admin / overhead23%
Fundraising4%
Salaries & benefits$234K
Grants paid out$44K
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$193K
Cash$168K
Investments$0
Liabilities$41K
Net assets$152K
Liquid reserves5.5 mo
2 years on record · 2020–2022 · YoY revenue +64.9%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2022
who runs it
paid leadership · 1
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| JEREMIAH H LEIBOWITZ | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 40 | $141K |
board members · 5
- ALEJANDRO CARRILLO — DIRECTOR
- ANNA VALER CLARK — DIRECTOR
- JEFF HAMPTON — PRESIDENT
- RODRIGO SIERRA — DIRECTOR
- VALERIE GORDON — SECRETARY/TREASURER
relationships · 20
who they work with
- Aclima Partner — Co-chairs the advisory board of this environmental intelligence and sensor science company.
- Arizona Land & Water Trust Partner — Jeff Hampton served as President from 1984 to 2011
- Arizona State University (ASU) Partner — Researchers from ASU documented dwindling populations of desert fishes and studied fish habitat loss with Clark.
- Conservation International Partner — Served as director for Mexico and held prior leadership roles in science and conservation planning.
- Cuenca Los Ojos A.C. Partner — Ownership of protected land was transferred to this Mexican nonprofit organization.
- Cuenca Los Ojos Foundation Partner — Transitioned from a family foundation to a public nonprofit.
- Cuenca los Ojos A.C. Partner — Mexican counterpart organization that works with Cuenca Los Ojos to manage restoration and protect land.
- Fondo Mexicano para la Conservacion de la Naturaleza Partner — Founded the organization and currently serves as trustee.
- Fondo Mexicano para la Conservación de la Naturaleza A.C. Funder — Provided generous financial support for land protection.
- Fondo Mexicano para la Conservación de la Naturaleza, A.C. Partner — Partners with Cuenca Los Ojos to manage Rancho El Uno.
- Harry & Leona Helmsley Charitable Trust Funder — Advised as a client through Moebius Partners LLC.
- International Community Foundation Partner — Advised as a client through Moebius Partners LLC.
- Mountain Oyster Club Partner — Jeff Hampton served on the board
- Sustainable Northwest Partner — Founded and served as president from 1994 to 2013.
- The Nature Conservancy Partner — Worked as assistant director for science and director for conservation planning, and later as director for Mexico.
- Tucson Botanical Society Partner — Jeff Hampton served on the board
- Tucson Museum of Art Partner — Jeff Hampton served on the board
- Wildlands Network Partner — Provided images for the document.
- World Wildlife Fund Partner — Served as director for Mexico.
- Wyss Foundation Funder — Provided generous financial support for land protection.