Home Care In Organ, NM

Overview

At National Park Service units across the Sonoran Desert and Apache Highlands, the Sonoran Desert Network (SODN) is monitoring medium- and large-sized mammals. The goal of this project, started in 2016, is to detect biologically significant changes in mammal community and population parameters through time. The intent is to provide park managers with reliable, useful information on mammal species at various spatial and temporal scales. To do this, we use passively triggered remote wildlife cameras in concert with methods of sampling and analysis that address management needs.

Key points

In 2022, SODN field crews deployed 61 wildlife cameras at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument (NM). The cameras recorded 689 total detections (animal photographs) from March 11 until April 26. Upon analysis, the photos revealed 16 mammal species, plus an additional five mammalian orders, families, or genera that could not be identified to species due to insufficient visual evidence. Two bird species were also detected, along with three birds that could not be identified to species.

Investigating how wildlife populations change through time, and how different variables impact them, gives us valuable insight into how best to manage and protect species now and into the future. While this report only summarizes findings from 2022, those findings will be combined with data collected from past and future years for use in occupancy modeling. Occupancy modeling provides SODN and park managers with multi-year information on the status and trends of mammal species, including their population distribution and stability.

At least five years of pooled data are needed to establish reliable multi-year occupancy models. The methods for multi-year trend analysis are currently in development, as we have just obtained enough data to begin. However, to provide a sense of what can be learned from this modeling, an example of an occupancy model for a single species using only the 2022 data appears below. Single-year data are also useful for other species-specific insights, such as new detections within the monument and potential drivers of species distributions.

Results for 2022

During the 2022 sampling window (March 11–April 26), 61 wildlife cameras recorded 689 total detections (i.e., animal photographs) at Organ Pipe Cactus NM, including 416 detections of mammals identified to 16 species and an additional 267 detections identified to order, family, or genus (see table). Several animals, detected 35 times, exhibited clear mammalian characteristics but could not be classified further due to insufficient visual evidence. Two bird species were also detected, along with three birds that could not be identified to species.

Notable detections included antelope jackrabbit (Lepus alleni), bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis), mountain lion (Puma concolor), Sonoran pronghorn (Antilocapra americana sonoriensis), western spotted skunk (Spilogale gracilis), and white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Some of these species were detected at new locations during the 2022 sampling window. It is encouraging that these species are active, because they all play an important role ecologically but are generally uncommon or even rare to observe within the monument. The mountain-lion detection in 2022 was only our second ever at Organ Pipe Cactus NM (a mountain lion was previously detected in 2020). It’s rare that these elusive predators are captured on wildlife cameras at the monument, because their home ranges are large and very few of them live within monument boundaries. They are more common in higher-elevation, mountainous regions with more-abundant food and cover, but can also be found in the lower-elevation areas of the Sonoran Desert.

The number of statistically significant wildlife photos (i.e., photos containing an animal) collected from sampling at Organ Pipe Cactus NM has ranged from 575 to 3,738 annually. It is hard to know exactly why this range has varied throughout the years. We are hoping to gain insight into this question and others by assessing the impacts of environmental factors on mammal distribution and detectability via occupancy modeling. We currently have six years of data (2016–2022, excluding 2019 due to the government shutdown).

Citizen scientists typically assist with the fieldwork associated with camera deployments and retrievals. In 2022, three volunteers and four interns from various parks and partner organizations helped deploy and retrieve cameras in Organ Pipe Cactus NM. We are grateful for their support.

Wildlife detections (photographs) collected from 61 remote cameras at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, March 11–April 26, 2022.

Why is this Information Useful?

Long-term monitoring allows us to evaluate trends in parameters of management interest. Modeling occupancy over several years provides SODN and park managers with information on the status and trends of mammal species, including their population distribution and stability. Occupancy is often used as a surrogate for abundance (MacKenzie et al. 2018), so pooling annual occupancy estimates can help us determine how stable or unstable a wildlife population is. When analyzed with occupancy models, SODN’s photographic dataset enables us to monitor trends of numerous terrestrial mammal species, including whether they are potentially increasing, stable, or decreasing.

Depending on the covariates used in the modeling process, we can also plot trends of covariate influence on wildlife occupancy and detection probabilities. For example, assessing the influence of temperature and precipitation on wildlife occupancy and detection is helpful when we want to understand the potential impacts of climate change on species or populations of interest.

Below is the output for a single-season, single-species occupancy model for jackrabbit species found in Organ Pipe Cactus NM, based on data collected in 2022. We combined black-tailed jackrabbit, antelope jackrabbit, and unknown jackrabbit detections to maximize data input and minimize statistical error. This model illustrates the significant influence of slope on the occupancy probability of jackrabbits. More specifically, the model shows a negative relationship between these two parameters, with the occupancy of jackrabbits decreasing as slope increases. In the flatter areas of Organ Pipe Cactus NM, occupancy probability of jackrabbits is high (60–80% occupied). However, the occupancy probability of jackrabbits drops significantly (less than 20%) in steep areas (above 12 degrees incline) within the monument.

The model suggests jackrabbits prefer to inhabit flatter areas over steeper areas in Organ Pipe Cactus NM. This is likely because the flatter areas provide easier access to food, water, and cover compared to the monument’s steeper areas, which are more barren, rugged, and harder to traverse. This outcome provides park managers with insight into how jackrabbits use different areas of the monument. The model also illustrates how data from a single sampling period can provide valuable information.

Occupancy probability of jackrabbits (Lepus californicus and Lepus alleni) in response to slope at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument in 2022. Occupancy probability decreased with increasing slope within the monument. The average is illustrated in green and the standard error is illustrated in grey.

Past Findings

Wildlife Monitoring at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, 2021

This report was prepared by Elise Dillingham and Alex Buckisch, Sonoran Desert Network.

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A combination of firefighters and wilderness response teams rescued a large group of hikers in New Mexico’s Organ Mountains this past Monday, after the party got stuck during an attempt to climb an ambitious route in the desert range.

The party of 24, which included teenagers and hikers in their 60s, had left from El Paso, Texas with the goal of climbing the 9,012-foot Organ Needle. While the route to the top of the peak—a county high point—is less than six miles, it can be brutally difficult, gaining more than 4,000 feet in elevation, generally through straight-up-and-down gullies rather than switchbacks. Getting to the top requires both off-trail travel and class 3-to-4 scrambling, with most sources recommending a day to make the round trip.

At some point during the evening on Sunday some of the hikers became separated from the group and lost their way. Members of the party called 911, and local firefighters and Mesilla Valley Search and Rescue responded.

In a Facebook post describing the rescue operation, the Las Cruces Fire Department said that emergency responders got permission from the Bureau of Land Management to take an all-terrain vehicle into the area. When they arrived, they discovered that one of the hikers, a 47-year-old woman, was injured and unable to move; in an interview with Las Cruces’ local ABC affiliate, ground team leader Ned Tutor said that she had fallen several times and had also experienced “cactus injury.” Teams transported her off the mountain and took her to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

“Other search and rescue members located the remaining hikers, at various stages of descent, along the La Cueva trail,” the fire department wrote. “Those hikers were escorted to the La Cueva trailhead. Several hikers had relatively minor injuries, mostly scrapes and bruises, and some complained of dehydration.” The operation ran through the night, concluding around sunrise on Monday.

The Organ Mountains are a small yet prominent and steep range near New Mexico’s southern border with Texas. The Needle lies within Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument. According to the Las Cruces Fire Department, this was it and Mesilla Valley Search and Rescue’s third joint rescue in the area this year.

Climate, groundwater, and surface water are closely related. At Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, the Sonoran Desert Network monitors all three to track broad-scale change and provide early warning of potential problems.

Background

Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument is one of the most biologically diverse protected areas in the Sonoran Desert, providing habitat for a wide variety of desert-adapted plants and animals, including numerous threatened and endangered species. The monument has been recognized as a globally important biosphere reserve, representative of the natural Sonoran Desert ecosystem. The cultural resources found within its boundaries reflect the long, widespread, and varied presence of diverse human groups, including those of Native American, Mexican, and Anglo origin.

Tinajas represent most of the key surface-water features of Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. In addition, three spring complexes—Quitobaquito, Bull Pasture, and Dripping Springs—are perennial, groundwater-driven systems. Collectively, these scattered water bodies represent important and isolated aquatic habitats within the park, providing important ecosystem services for the larger terrestrial landscape. The Sonoran Desert Network (SODN) monitors water quality, quantity, and ecological characteristics at four of these sites. The goal of the program is to detect broad-scale changes in ecological condition by observing certain parameters over time—and to give park managers early warning of any issues they may need to address. Park staff and cooperators have collected groundwater data since 1977, providing a long-term record for this important resource.

Hydrologic conditions are closely related to climate conditions. Because the two are better understood together, the Sonoran Desert Network reports on climate in conjunction with water resources. Reporting is done by water year (WY), which begins in October and ends the following September.

Recent Findings (Water Year 2018)

Water year 2018 was drier than normal. Overall annual precipitation was 44% of normal, based on a 30-year record (1981–2010). The cool season (October–March) was particularly dry, receiving just 18% (-4.07") of normal precipitation. A majority of the rainfall occurred in July. All other months, with the exception of June, had 0–45% of normal precipitation. Temperatures tended to be warmer than normal, and there were fewer extremely cold days. The reconnaissance drought index indicated that the regional drought that began in 2000 continued through WY2018. Additional information can be found at climateanalyzer.org.

Nine groundwater wells were monitored in WY2018. Water levels declined (-0.18 to -1.70 feet) from WY2017 levels at all of those wells. The lowest recorded water levels at six of the wells occurred in WY2018 (a seventh was dry). Six wells show a general downward trend over the monitoring record: Headquarters #5, Kalil, Stack, USGS #1, USGS #2, and Corner. Except for Corner Well, all of those wells are experiencing similar rates of decline, in part due to seasonal groundwater pumping to support agriculture south of the U.S.–Mexico border. The monitoring records at the Bates #2, Bonita, and USGS #3 wells have been more variable, indicating localized factors impacting groundwater levels across the park.

The Sonoran Desert Network monitors water quantity, water quality, and site condition at four springs and tinajas at Organ Pipe Cactus NM. Dripping Springs and Quitobaquito Spring were wetted throughout WY2018. Sensor displacement prevented collection of reliable data on water quantity at the other two monitored springs. Water-quality measurements fell within the expected range for all springs. Dripping Springs, East Arroyo Tinaja, and Snake Pit Tinaja were classified as undisturbed for both anthropogenic and natural disturbance. Quitobaquito Spring showed slight anthropogenic disturbance from various efforts by park staff to promote flow to Quitobaquito Pond. Water levels are a long-standing concern at the pond, which is designated critical habitat for the endangered Quitobaquito pupfish (Cyprinodon eremus). The pond also provides habitat and water for the endangered Sonoyta mud turtle (Kinosternon sonoriense longifemorale) and a wide array of other plant and animal species, as well as important ecosystem services for the larger terrestrial landscape. For more information on the ecological importance of Quitobaquito Pond, download the monument’s State of the Park report.

Information in this brief was summarized from K. Raymond, L. Palacios, C. McIntyre, and E. L. Gwilliam. 2019. Status of climate and water resources at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument: Water year 2018 and the monument’s State of the Park report.

LAS CRUCES, New Mexico -- Southern New Mexico authorities rescued a group of over 20 hikers from El Paso early Monday after they became stranded while attempting to climb one of the most difficult ascents in the Organ Mountains.

The 24 El Pasoans, who ranged in age from teens to mid-60s, got disoriented during Sunday night's sunset and were unable to find their way off the mountain following what officials described as a "rather ambitious attempt" to scale The Needle.

"I really don't know what went wrong... because we were prepared," one of those hikers, Veronica Estrada, told ABC-7. "It's just one of those things that happened."

First-responders said some members of the hiking group were lacking in trail experience and became separated from the others during the ordeal. Hikers made several calls to 911 prompting the search and rescue mission.

"Always research what it is that you’re getting into," said Ned Tutor, the ground team leader for Mesilla Valley Search and Rescue. His team worked to rescue the hikers from sundown on Sunday to sunrise on Monday.

A 47-year-old woman, who was hurt and unable to move on her own, had to be carried off the mountain on a UTV. She was being treated at Memorial Medical Center in Las Cruces with what were described as non-life threatening injuries.

“She had taken, I believe several falls," Tutor told ABC-7. "I think unfortunately, she had a lot of cactus injury.”

Several other hikers suffered minor injuries, ranging from scrapes and bruises to dehydration, officials said.

Las Cruces firefighters and Mesilla Valley Search and Rescue crews indicated this was their third rescue mission so far this year in the Organ Mountains.

• Know your capabilities and the terrain for which you will be hiking.

• Plan your trek carefully and take into consideration weather reports, the expected duration of your trek and other conditions which may be faced during your adventure.

• Never hike or backpack alone.• Keep groups together unless it’s absolutely necessary to separate.

• Follow all signage and refrain from straying from established trails.

• Carry a fully charged cellular or satellite phone in case of an emergency. Avoid depleting a cell phone’s battery by overusing the camera function.

• Carry a flashlight and extra batteries.

• Tell a friend or relative where you are going and when you expect to return. If you have not returned by the designated time, they should know to contact authorities.

• Take plenty of water and food to sustain you during the trek.

• Keep in mind, warm daytime temperatures and relatively high elevations expend energy quickly.

• Wear proper attire for the trek. It’s best to dress in layers that can be easily removed – or added – depending on conditions.

• Wear a hat or proper head covering.• Wear boots or hiking shoes that are comfortable and suitable for the terrain to be covered.

• Be aware of changing weather conditions and the potential for flash floods from rains that occur upstream from your location.

• Beware of snakes that are more active during warmer weather and as daytime temperatures rise. Snakebite victims should seek help immediately.

• Beware of wild animals that are known to frequent the Organ Mountains and other areas nearby: bobcats, mountain lions, coyotes, foxes, deer and African oryx. Never approach or attempt to handle a wild animal.• If hiking with a dog, take into consideration its needs and safety requirements for the trek.

• Dispose of waste properly and use the “Pack it In, Pack it Out” motto to help keep wild areas pristine.

LAS CRUCES — Jonathan Tylka and Kevin Boyko might be the first people to climb all 30 peaks of the Organ Mountains — and they did it in just 38 hours without stopping or sleeping.

Tylka, 29, and Boyko, 28, are experienced climbers, doing so since each was a teenager.

Tylka, originally from St. Louis, Missouri, is a flight systems test engineer at White Sands Test Facility. He has lived in Las Cruces since 2011 and said the challenging mountain climb has been eight years in the making.

“I moved to Las Cruces from the Midwest and I had never seen mountains like this before. I was a really active rock climber in Missouri, Illinois and Arkansas and I was just completely captivated by those mountains,” Tylka said.

“I actually broke my leg when I first moved here at Ski Apache and I was completely cooped up. I lived up Baylor Canyon Road and I woke up every morning and looked up at those mountains. I needed to set a huge goal for myself to keep me from going crazy not being able to go out and about.”

Sheer determination

Determined to get back on his feet, Tylka said he sought out several different climbers in the small climbing community to accompany him on his endeavor.

This was not Tylka’s first attempt to climb all of the Organ's jagged peaks. In 2014, he and another group of climbers mounted 22 peaks but were forced to stop due to bad weather. Their journey was documented in the American Alpine Journal.

“At the time I was climbing with a guy named Aaron Hobson and I told him about my idea to climb all— the peaks in a push because he was one of the most active Organ Mountains climber and he thought I was crazy. He said it wasn’t possible,” Tylka said. “This was the fifth attempt that I’ve pushed on. Even though we climbed 22 peaks I was still unsatisfied knowing the weather was so terrible that we were kind of hampered. I was looking for a really strong partner because my partner for that moved away.”

That’s when Tylka met Boyko through a mutual climbing friend.

“When Kevin moved into town he had heard about the traverse and he approached me and said he was really interested in doing that. We became really good friends and climbing partners,” Tylka said. “Kevin is a really strong climber and we were able to do this last attempt.”

Boyko, 28, born in Venezuela and raised in Florida, is a graduate student and research assistant for the water science and management graduate program at New Mexico State University. He has been living in Las Cruces since 2016.

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The climb

On Friday, May 3, at 5:45 p.m., Tylka and Boyko started their adventure to successfully climb all 30 peaks of the Organ Mountains.

The rugged, majestic Organs rise precipitously to the east of Las Cruces.

“People travel all over the world to do big alpine traverses like the Tetons Range in the Rocky Mountains and the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California. People even go to Chile and Pakistan to do linkups and this one in the Organs has never been done which is crazy,” Boyko said. “It doesn’t have its shortage of people who are good climbers that’s coming though. They try but they think it’s too hard.”

According to “A Climbing Guide to the Organ Mountains” by R. L. Ingraham, the first documented climbs of Organ Mountain peaks were in the early 1890s, but most were done in the mid 1950s by climbers stationed at nearby Fort Bliss Army Base.

On day one, it took the duo almost two hours and 25 minutes to climb up the Organ Needle, which, at 8,990 feet, is the highest peak in the skyline.

Most would call climbing the top of the needle a day, but for Tylka and Boyko they kept on trekking — hitting every high point of every formation.

Overnight, they traversed to the base of Third Peak and on the second day they climbed to the summit of the middle of the Rabbit Ears. That night they climbed to the Nordspitz Peak and on the third day the climbers went on to Baylor Pass Hiking Trail and then to the Aguirre Spring campground.

Only the essentials

Tylka and Boyko's backpacks came in at just under 40 pounds and each said it was important to pack light so they could move at a faster pace.

“We brought all of our climbing gear, started with nine liters of water each and some food and that’s it basically,” Boyko said. “I also brought four sets of batteries for our head lamps and we brought two jackets and some leather gloves.”

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Boyko said climbing in warmer temperatures could sometimes be more brutal than climbing in colder temperatures because your body needs more water — a crucial resource in the harsh desert climate.

“Accomplished climbers have been here in Las Cruces but a lot of people that do this kind of stuff are in much colder terrains. With snow, you can melt it and drink water and you don’t need to carry a lot of water that will hold you down,” he said. “That's why we didn’t bring any sleeping bags, we just brought an emergency blanket and packed as light as possible.”

Physically and mentally fit

Tylka said he spent hundreds of hours scoping out the Organ Mountains before he was even ready to attempt to climb all the peaks and said he trained at the Bataan Memorial Death March to be physically prepared.

“It’s not a technical rock climb and it’s not something you can just hike,” he said. “I trained extra hard for this to be physically fit because the Organs are unforgiving. It doesn't care about people.”

Boyko said to climb mountains like the Organs, climbers must always be calm and relaxed to avoid dangerous situations.

“If you’re doing everything right, you’re fine, but you have to be attentive,” Boyko said. “Most of the nerves happened beforehand. I couldn’t really sleep the night before, but it wasn’t that bad once I was there.”

Both climbers said safety is the number one rule, not just for themselves but for their friends.

“The good thing is we had service the whole way. We sent text messages every so often and Jon is part of the search and rescue team,” Boyko said.

Tylka, who is part of the Organ Mountain Technical Rescue Squad, said he and Boyko made sure to tell their loved ones and search and rescue members where they were heading.

“We had a group text that included my wife, Kevin’s girlfriend and a leader of the Organ Mountain Technical Rescue Squad,” Tylka said. “I wanted to make sure my family and friends knew exactly where we were. It’s also important to go climbing with a professional or someone who really knows what they’re doing. A twisted ankle is the same as a broken ankle up there and there’s no fast rescue. It would take forever to go down.”

Sweet victory

After two sunrises and two sunsets without sleeping, at about 8 a.m. on Sunday, May 5, Tylka and Boyko finally accomplished their mission.

“I don’t remember being that tired even though we were up 38 hours, until we got to the car and it hit us,” Boyko said. “Everything started hurting and my feet were really swollen. Overall, it wasn’t that bad, it could have been much worse. I just wanted to go to sleep in the dark.”

Boyko said his girlfriend met the two at the bottom and brought them both a victory beer and two chicken sandwiches.

Tylka said his favorite part of the whole experience is how smooth it went.

“Our ropes didn’t get caught and we didn’t get hurt,” he said. "Mountain climbing might not be for everyone, but it’s a great way to stay healthy and stay outside."

As for climbing all the peaks again, Tylka and Boyko said they would do it again.

Jacqueline Devine can be reached at 575-541-5476, [email protected] or @JackieIsDevine on Twitter.