Since moving from California to Arizona in the 1990s, Myles Traphagen has never noticed so many floundering native plants in the wild as he has in recent months.
Traphagen is a scientist who works as the Borderlands Program Coordinator at Wildlands Network. He's also the science coordinator for the Malpai Borderlands Group in southeastern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico.
During recent visits to various parts of this region, he's come across countless Hooker’s manzanita, Alligator juniper, Emory oak, and Arizona oak that have succumbed to the drought or are trying to hang on to life.
"I ran the vegetation monitoring and research program for the Malpai Borderlands Group tracking rainfall and vegetation in southeast Arizona and southwest New Mexico for 10 years, and the last 3 years have been the hottest and driest that I, and every rancher I know, has ever experienced," says Traphagen.
Additionally, he says a spring at Kent Springs Cabin in Madera Canyon went dry in September 14, 2025, the first time in decades according to those who have been around for a long time.
"We were there when it went dry and the caretaker said that was the first time the spring went dry in his 30 years there."
Moving forward, scientists says a highly productive winter rainy season between now and February could provide a valuable boost to plants and animals in the wild, especially if followed by a good 2026 summer monsoon and winter rains after that.
Experts say the weather is becoming more unpredictable in many places around the world, and that could lead to series challenges for wildlife that evolved in our regions over thousands of years.
