NAU Students Cap Stone Projects - Circle Z Ranch

During the spring semester of 2025, three groups of senior environmental science students at Northern Arizona University completed these capstone research projects centering questions pertaining to different aspects of the ecosystem surrounding Circle Z ranch. They collected data on site at Circle Z and synthesized their findings which can be found below. 

Here is a brief prelude to each of the capstone projects completed spring, 2025: 

• Liam Daly and Valerie Virginia McKeever surveyed endangered plant populations within the floodplain of sonoita creek to determine which species might be at particular risk to changes in watershed dynamics. 
• Anya Sokoloff, and Ian Michael Stepanek measured cottonwoods throughout the floodplain to both map their locations, and to determine their relative ages In an attempt to better understand the history of cottonwood recruitment around sonoita creek and began creating a long-term restoration plan to ensure their population health into the future.
• Ruby I Parker,  Amanda Catherine Hammer, and Kevin Coronado set wildlife cameras in strategic locations near Sonoita creek. The data collected from these cameras will be continually added to public databases that researchers are using to identify trends in wildlife populations. 
• Below you can view the presentation posters these students created from their work

This partnership with the University is an ongoing effort to utilize the incredible location of Circle Z ranch and this ecosystem’s unique qualities to create educational opportunities for students going into land conservation / restoration fields. 

In the summer of 2024, Circle Z hosted a three week field course with NAU students emphasizing the evolution of the landscape over millennia using modern scientific methods for understanding changes in ecology, geology, and geomorphology. There was a specific focus on medicinal plants, human history, and watershed dynamics interwoven with field trips to local restoration projects and meetings with professionals working to preserve local biodiversity. During the course, each student designed and implemented their own small research project using data collected on site. The course was a transformational experience for all of us, and we left feeling humbled but also deeply inspired to continue this incredible work. 

These projects are part of our longer-term dream at Circle Z to create more learning and engagement opportunities for people from all walks of life to find inspiration and connection to this incredibly important ecosystem.