Our new Holiday ’21 Dovetail Collection proudly supports the efforts of Southern Arizona’s Appleton-Whittell Research Ranch. Through Giving Tuesday a portion of proceeds from each sale of Dovetail Collection product will be donated to AWRR to benefit the organization’s ongoing efforts to conserve and rehabilitate native vegetation and wildlife populations in the bioregion, and to continue to reach new, engaged populations of humans who are eager to learn how they can pitch in to help!
From our Founder, Martina:
We were introduced to the Research Ranch in 2020, when we arrived there for another friends-and-bikes gathering known as Super Stoke Weekend.Even from a distance, as we approached the Appleton-Whittell Research Ranch through the expansive Sky Islands landscape of southern Arizona, I could feel how special the area is.
I had the honor of spending the better part of a month at AWRR, getting to know the current property stewards, resident scientists, and the local flora and fauna. If the riding in the Sky Islands weren’t captivating enough (made accessible largely thanks to Sarah Swallow’s ongoing work developing routes that transect the ranch), the area’s culture is as beautiful as it is complex—layered with rich indigenous identities and histories, the clear and nuanced effects of colonialism, and ongoing humanitarian crisis on the US/Mexico borderlands. Riding in the area opened my eyes to a web of relationships, ecological and human, that provoked big questions about community interconnectedness and our roles as guests when we’re adventuring by bicycle.
It’s a wild delight to partner with AWRR in an effort to raise awareness and funds for their research and stewardship. We hope we’ve piqued your curiosity and that you’re drawn in to ride the epic gravel in the Sky Islands and support the ongoing native habitat conservation that Appleton-Whittell Research Ranch is committed to!
Located 60 miles east of Tucson, the Research Ranch encompasses upwards of 8,000 acres of Madrean mixed grass prairie, Madrean oak woodlands and ephemeral riparian habitats, and is comprised of lands owned and/or managed by a complex web of stakeholders, including USFS (Coronado NF), BLM, Resolution Copper Mining Co., The Research Ranch Foundation, The Nature Conservancy, and National Audubon Society. Audubon manages the Research Ranch as a sanctuary and field station via contractual agreements with each of the above entities, with a strategic plan to achieve broad-scale conservation results by leveraging its network and engaging diverse people — this is where you come in! To learn more about AWRR and its mission and goals, please visit their site where you can dig into lots of relevant information. Support the Research Ranch with a purchase from the Dovetail Collection by Tuesday, November 23rd, and by making donations directly to the organization via button on their site.
