Sonoran Desert Sanctuary

09/19/2025

The next step for the campground it to make it ADA accessible, so that no veteran or trauma survivor is turned down because of physical challenges. If you can, please help support this next phase of the sanctuary! Every little bit helps - even $7 buys a bag of concrete!)

Very few wilderness retreat programs for veterans and trauma survivors have ADA accessible facilities. It is our goal at the Anderson-Arroyo Foundation to provide wilderness trauma therapy retreats to ALL veterans, first responders, and trauma survivors regardless of physical challenges. With your d...

08/09/2024

I can't believe I forgot to post this! This is the blog about the botanical garden we planted last spring with the help of a group of volunteers from Europe and generous donations of plants and cacti. As of August, I can happily update that most trees, shrubs, and cactus cuttings have survived the insanely hot summer. It is a lot of hard work to maintain until the plants take hold, but once they are established, they should thrive in the Desert. Thank you to everyone who made this possible!

Thanks to two major donors, we now have a botanical garden! We wanted this for the future, and the future became now! This botanical garden establishes a biological island, the beating heart of our land regeneration effort. These tree canopies will shade the ground, provide nesting for the local and...

03/13/2024

Major cactus donation to the Sanctuary Botanical Garden!

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C4ZIm4wPzbh/?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

11/28/2023

I am raising money to benefit the Anderson-Arroyo Foundation. We are building a… Gen Anderson needs your support for Our First Wilderness Retreat Campground!

11/28/2023

Hi Everyone! It is Giving Tuesday, so we are reposting our campground fundraiser. Thanks to the donations we have received, we can complete the restroom! Next, we want to put up the two yurts donated! Every dollar counts. Thank you so much for your help! We will be hosting retreats for veterans this spring, thanks to you!

I am raising money to benefit the Anderson-Arroyo Foundation. We are building a… Gen Anderson needs your support for Our First Wilderness Retreat Campground!

05/27/2023

https://sonorandesertsanctuary.com/post/a-pair-of-great-horned-owls

One of my favorite poems (whose author might be Mary Oliver or David Whyte, at the moment I cannot remember) recounts the magical experience of spotting a deer in a field, not because the deer stood out, but rather the deer blended in so well, that the only way the observer noticed it was the feelin...

05/26/2023

As the temperatures have warmed, we are seeing more snakes and lizards out and about doing their thing. The last two weeks held some welcome surprises; a Gila Monster and a Mohave desert tortoise. I have only seen a Gila Monster in the wild on two other occasions, so it was exciting to see one at th...

05/26/2023

https://www.sonorandesertsanctuary.com/post/the-reptiles-are-awake-and-active

As the temperatures have warmed, we are seeing more snakes and lizards out and about doing their thing. The last two weeks held some welcome surprises; a Gila Monster and a Mohave desert tortoise. I have only seen a Gila Monster in the wild on two other occasions, so it was exciting to see one at th...

05/25/2023

This year's super bloom was just spectacular. And it is still going on thanks to the strange May-soon (May + monsoon) rains! We had rain three days last week. Keep sending it! The lake reached nearly 20 feet above full and is still over capacity, bringing much-needed moisture and topsoil to the regi...

05/25/2023

The super-bloom was just amazing this year! Consider booking a retreat for April of 2024 to take advantage of next year's flowers.

This year's super bloom was just spectacular. And it is still going on thanks to the strange May-soon (May + monsoon) rains! We had rain three days last week. Keep sending it! The lake reached nearly 20 feet above full and is still over capacity, bringing much-needed moisture and topsoil to the regi...

12/26/2022

We are almost finished with our first campground! We have already raised over $70,000 in materials and infrastructure needs. But we need your help to raise the yurts, install solar and build an awesome BBQ area. With your help, we can begin offering wilderness retreats to Veterans and other trauma survivors suffering from PTSD and Moral Injury.

I am raising money to benefit the Anderson-Arroyo Foundation. We are building a… Gen Anderson needs your support for Our First Wilderness Retreat Campground!