Northern Jaguar Project

I started volunteering with NJP after attending their Earth Day Jaguar Celebration in April 2023. Roberto, the Executive Director, was very welcoming. After processing donations and sending out thank-you letters for about six months, Roberto asked me if I wanted to go on the Northern Jaguar Reserve trip, free of charge. I love jaguars and have always wanted to go to the reserve, so of course I accepted. On the trip, I was introduced to the staff in Sahuaripa, Mexico and on the reserve. Again, everyone was very welcoming even though I speak little Spanish. My favorite part of the trip was hiking through the reserve to check camera traps. One of the cameras we checked had a photo of a jaguar, and I was thrilled to be standing in the same place as that magnificent animal. There were also plenty of photos/videos of pumas, bobcats, ocelots, foxes, skunks and javelina. Miguel, the Reserve Manager, was able to show us tracks and scat he believed belonged to a jaguar. I was amazed. I also learned the reserve has not yet reached its "carrying capacity," as the population of jaguars continues to grow. This confirms NJP has been effective in carrying out its mission. I returned from the trip reinvigorated and committed to volunteering with this great nonprofit as long as I am able.

The Northern Jaguar Reserve, just 150 miles south of the Arizona border in Sonora, Mexico, is home to the northernmost breeding population of jaguars in the world, as well as puma, ocelots, and bobcats, ringtails, coatis and a fascinating mélange of plant communities: palm trees, organ pipe cacti, oak trees etc. This is a bi-national effort- the Project is based in Tucson, has a super experienced director and primarily Mexican staff of biologists and vaqueros on the Reserve. Many are english speaking, and all are top notch scientists.

Some non-profits benefit the environment. Some focus on helping communities in need, or on helping children or endangered wildlife. But the Northern Jaguar Project encompasses all those goals. Through this project the NJP has:

- created an important wildlife reserve, focused on providing protection and habitat to allow the jaguars and other cats to expand their populations.
- collaborated with local ranchers in an important program called Viviendo con Felinos- Living with Cats, where they agree to not kill the cats but instead are paid for photos of any of the cats on their ranches. This benefits the cats, of course, but also important is the support the ranchers receive- another revenue stream so they can more easily stay on their land as climate change and drought are making their historic way of life in cattle ranching more difficult and less profitable
- has educated the children and the entire community of Sahuaripa as to the importance of their local wildlife and how by supporting the wildlife they also support the livelihoods of the local people
- has instituted an annual Festival of the Jaguar, with a photo contest of the cats for the ranchers, a bicycle parade for the children and later face painting, games and prizes for kids, and provides a venue for local child and adult artists to show their paintings of jaguars
- has the engendered community spirit and pride in their gorgeous wildlands and wildlife as well as education about conservation; a local art school has resulted and many murals of jaguars decorate the walls of city buildings

I felt truly honored to visit Sahuaripa, the Jaguar Reserve, enjoy the Festival and meet some of the ranchers and many other wonderful local people. This is a non-profit organization that truly delivers to both the local community and to the wild cats. I am proud to say I support it.

As a recent college graduate, I volunteered with the Northern Jaguar Project. They were amazing--giving me opportunities to work with carnivores and recovery programs that are so difficult to break into as a wildlife biologist. They were always well organized and courteous in our communications. They were extremely flexible around my schedule and really valued the service I provided for them. I would recommend them to someone trying to enter my field and study carnivores.

As has been mentioned previously, they are very mission driven and know their focus. When you donate to NJP you know what you are getting: efforts to monitor and restore the most northern population of jaguars in the world

The Northern Jaguar Project is a small organization making a grand impact. They truly understand the importance of coexistence-between jaguars and surrounding communities, and across a border imposed. They have put passion and education at the center of their mission, helping communities, youth, and ranchers fall in love with the jaguar and inspire the necessary action to protect these stunning big cats. I look to the Northern Jaguar Project as an exemplary organization that’s building the relationships and trust necessary to protect wildlife and habitat in the borderlands.

In the past I have found that a lot of conservation NGOs get ahead of themselves and focus on too many issues. In the process, they forget about their "why", or their purpose. The Northern Jaguar Project is not one of these organizations, and despite being established decades ago, they have retained a strong dedication towards their original goal of protecting the northernmost breeding population of jaguars, and that is obvious if you have the privilege to spend any time with them.

I have been working as an intern with the NJP for the last few months as part of my graduate research in conservation, and it has provided me an incredibly unique experience. While completing the fieldwork portion of my project, I worked primarily out of their office located in Sahuaripa, Sonora. Sahuaripa was a town like nothing I have previously experienced, having travelled extensively. It's small cowboy town aesthetic seems to almost be something out of an old western movie and the people are both kind and genuine. A big part of my research included working with local ranchers, and every single individual I met enthusiastically agreed to help, as well as connect with me on a personal level.

I also had the chance to join the local staff on fieldwork in the Northern Jaguar Reserve, which was an awesome experience. We would camp in the field for a week or more at a time, both in the reserve and throughout the surrounding ranches. The area is filled with amazing ecosystems in wildlife that few other people, let alone visitors, have gotten to see. Much of the work we did consisted of hiking to incredibly remote and beautiful locations to check camera traps in an ongoing big cat identification project.

Beyond the experience, I want to also put a few words in about the amazing staff. They were consistently dedicated to helping me complete my project despite being busy with the NJP’s many other initiatives. They also ensured that I was comfortable while in Mexico (I am from the United States) and exposed me to many awesome experiences both at work and during our free time in town. Not only this, but they also provided very comfortable lodging, as well as all of my grocery needs.

All of this in mind, I am happy to give the NJP a 5 Star rating and want to personally recommend working with the group if you have the opportunity!

The Northern Jaguar Project is leading the way and making a difference by focusing on fostering positive relationships between landowners, ranchers, and jaguars. Outreach and education are critical components for helping children develop an appreciation for their natural environment and wildlife neighbors. Educational programs are in place for all ages, from elementary schoolchildren to University students.

This innovative program should be replicated in as many regions as possible.

Keep up the amazing work, NJP!

The shadows cast through a pitaya skeleton in the sunshine. The sound of leafcutter ants as they march through the brush. The smell of care and cariño being cooked in the camp kitchen. When we visited the Northern Jaguar Reserve, the moments of grandeur were unforgettable, yet these subtleties and intricacies sprinkled throughout the landscape were the most profound. They became grounding memories that bring me comfort and remind me that the land connects us to what is wild.

The staff is brilliant, passionate and in-tune with the land and communities they work with. There are few conservation groups with initiatives as dynamic as NJP's Viviendo con los Felinos program. The grassroots ground up initiative truly serves as an aspirational peer model for those groups hoping to create cooperative conservation engagement strategies.

The Northern Jaguar Project is fantastic! They do a wonderful job being a part of their community - in two countries, and bridging them. Everyone at the Project is a joy to meet at one of the many community events they support. The team does a great job in the field and with education and outreach. Their mission is very important to the ecology and and local communities & they carry it out so well. Please support them and the endangered jaguars!

I'm so grateful for the powerful role NJP plays in jaguar advocacy and education, spanning communities and countries. The work they're doing is critical, and they've been engaging, informative and wonderful to work with. Looking very much forward to visiting the reserve someday.

We need more non-profit organizations like the Northern Jaguar Project. They buy and preserve land to provide a safe environment for jaguars and other wildlife. This is a much needed service and worthy by itself. But, what sets NJP apart from other NGOs is their emphasis on community involvement. They have involved local ranchers in providing the proper environment for jaguars and providing an incentive to maintain the jaguar population rather than exterminating it. Without support from the local ranchers any attempt to preserve the environment is likely to fail. In addition, the project provides educational opportunities to children in the area. If these children learn to appreciate and protect the jaguars and their habitat, the goal of the organization will continue regardless of the ability to purchase more land. NJP has combined the best of all resources to provide a supportive environment for jaguars and all other species that live in that habitat, including the local communities.

Top notch organization that works tirelessly to protect the species. Through innovative programs and international partnerships they are working to build a safe future for these animals. The team is fantastic and the work they do is impactful.

The Northern Jaguar Project is an incredible nonprofit that works to protect and expand the range of the jaguar in Mexico. The amazing part about their work is that it also benefits many other species, as well as the farmers and community members in the areas where they operate. By working with, involving, and hiring local community members, they are creating new economic opportunities to make the jaguar and land conservation an asset. This means long-term impact! My interactions with Turtle and other board members have been very positive and informative, and it's clear that the staff and board are passionate about the continued existence of jaguars and the lands and communities where they are found.

I work for a conservation organization in the same region as NJP. My interactions with them have always been both educational and enjoyable. NJP has found that sweet spot that many conservation organizations never find. They are protecting land, educating youth, and partnering with local ranchers in a respectful and mutually beneficial way. No easy task and one they have managed to do well! Jaguars and people benefit from their work not to mention the thousands of other species who find shelter and safety within the 86 square mile NJP reserve in Mexico. I frequently reference them in my own role as a wildlife educator as an example of how conservation can work for everyone. I can not recommend supporting this organization enough and look forward to my future interactions with them.

I got to know about this NGO through a virtual volunteer site. As the event was virtual and considering the timegap, there was no issues with co-ordiantion. The team shared all the relevant information needed for the activity.

During our interactions., I got to know about the cause this team is working for and I am glad that as a volunteer,i could contribute to their efforts. With the efforts taken by this team to ensure the Wildfile is tracked and protected, I am sure the team will achieve immense success in their noble cause and in turn help in maintaining the BIO-Diversity which is the need of the hour.

Hats off to the Entire Team !!!

The Summit Hut has had many collaborations with Northern Jaguar Project, we have hosted them in our stores to present on the amazing work that they have been doing, as well as have them table at a variety of our events. They are so passionate about what they do everyone who is introduced to the organization really becomes inspired with the amazing work the NJP is accomplishing in our own backyard. We look forward to continuing to work with and support NJP.

The Northern Jaguar Project really achieves their mission- to protect the northernmost population of Jaguars in Mexico and into Arizona. This charity is very transparent, and very grounded. A small and efficient staff, partnering with their Mexican counterparts, with the simple goal of expanding critical habitat so that jaguars can peacefully expand their population in a protected preserve. They do this in full cooperation with their Mexican ranching neighbors, and provide surrounding villages with education and support about the value of wildlife ecology. Kudos to NJP

My name is Treven Hooker. I've lived in Tucson AZ my entire life, and feel strongly about the business/organizations/agencies that operate in my city. I do not write reviews often, and I am skeptical of most reviews I read, but I felt it necessary to share my thoughts and experiences about the NJP. I hope this review is helpful.
NJP first engaged me when I was 18. A troubled high school student, NJP invited me to be an intern with them. This invitation and the relationship that would grow from it changed my life forever. But beyond my feelings about the organization, my experience is a testimony to the authenticity of this organization and their work with the communities they're apart of. NJP established a love of conservation, community support, and EE that I had not previously had. They helped me develop confidence and professionalism that propelled me into my career. Furthermore, they continue to invite me to help, which now as a professional EE of the Sonoran Desert, involves helping Mexican youth engage with their wild and wonderful places.
It has been 8 years since my first encounter with NJP, and through that time they have shown me they are who they say they are and they do what they say they'll do. We are incredibly fortunate to have this organization in Tucson and the communities that are within and around the Jaguar Reserve.
All of this did not mention the work they do with the Jaguars! That information is all available and easy to read and understand. They are succeeding in saving an endangered species in North America, and an extinct species in the USA. This info is available. What is not as easy to come by is their support of people and places they work with. From the animals, to the vaqueros, to the ranchers, to the children in the schools of the towns, to the businesses, and to the supporters; NJP makes sure they take care of everyone and every place. The best part is, they operate by listening to the community, rather than imposing their beliefs about conservation on the community. They hold the standard for community support, and each NFP should look to NJP for leadership and guidance.
They are the real deal.

I have supported the Northern Jaguar Project's work for several years, and had the wonderful opportunity to volunteer with them last fall, and I cannot speak highly enough about the organization. The NJP staff are hard working and so passionate, and this comes across clearly in the work they do. I visited Sahuaripa with NJP staff for the Viviendo con Felinos celebration, and it was incredible to see how NJP's work collaborating with ranchers, educators and others has resulted in a community that is excited to protect jaguars and other wild cats. There are many wonderful wildlife conservation non-profits, but NJP stands out as an organization that is working to protect big cats not only by preserving valuable habitat, but by transforming the way people interact with jaguars and the land through education and community outreach. NJP has already done so much to create a safe haven for jaguars, and at the northernmost part of their range, their work will continue to be important in protecting this wonderful species.

I have been volunteering with Northern Jaguar Project for almost two years now, and it has been such a wonderful experience. I have never met a more dedicated group of people. They are so committed to the cause of protecting Jaguars, and work very hard to do so. It is amazing what they are able to accomplish with such a small core group, and the lengths to which they are willing to go to get the work done. It has been a pleasure and an honor to volunteer with them so far, and I look forward to doing so for a long time to come.

I've been a donor of the Northern Jaguar Project (NJP) for a couple of years now and have had nothing but good experiences with them. I'm passionate about wildlife conservation and am interested in donating to smaller nonprofits doing unique work. NJP fits that bill.

NJP helps to protect the northernmost jaguar habitat in Mexico, which is the best hope for the cats to ever return to the United States. They do this through land acquisition and paid citizen science projects with ranchers that turn jaguars into an asset rather than a liability. I love seeing the engagement with the local community, and the camera trap images of jaguars that are captured here are fantastic.

The NJP staff is also lovely. They respond promptly to all of my emails and have even found a way for me to volunteer even though I live out of state. I've been helping out with the camera trap identification program from home, which has been very educational and exciting. Throughout the process they have been patient with my busy schedule and are very appreciative of the work.

I often recommend them to friends because it's such an exciting project, and I know my monthly recurring donation is going to a good place.

The Northern Jaguar Project is staffed by an incredible group of employees, volunteers, board members and the founder to preserve habitat for the critically endangered jaguars of Northern Mexico and into Southern Arizona. Their work with the area ranchers and local people to increase appreciation and protection of jaguars and other wildlife is a huge success.

My husband and I were fortunate to spend almost a week at the reserve in the fall of 2018. The trip was well organized and we were able to see just some of the workings of the project. It was a great adventure as well, with an epic flood requiring our group of 8 to overnight in an open air shed on the property of one of the ranchers when we couldn't proceed any farther on the trip in. We're very fortunate to be involved with this group in any way we can support them and look forward to new successes.

I had the opportunity to spend a few days with NJP at their jaguar reserve in Mexico, their work is a testament to how a small group of dedicated people can make a huge impact. They are doing invaluable work in protecting the jaguar's northern range and I am thrilled to know there are passionate people like them committed to protecting the natural world.

My wife and I have been donors to the Northern Jaguar Project since we first learned of it fifteen years ago. We were impressed from day one with the scale of its ambition and the quality of its execution--but much of what we knew about it was second-hand. Then this winter we were privileged to visit the Reserve in northern Mexico. On that visit the remarkable magnitude of both effort and accomplishment became graphically real to us. The Reserve is magnificent, and the thriving wildlife, evident in tracks, glimpses here and there, and in the multitude of new pictures downloaded from the trail cams we visited, was a thrill to see. Another highlight of the visit was seeing, in action, the professionalism, knowledge, and hard work of NJP's skeleton staff. To us, NJP is a compelling example of what a small group of people can accomplish when they combine vision, dedication, intelligence, and skill.

I was lucky enough to visit the Northern Jaguar Reserve this winter. We spent our days checking wildlife cameras, exploring the different reaches and geographies of the reserve, admiring wildlife tracks along the riverbank, and sleeping deeply under the brilliant Sonoran stars, leagues away from the developed world. The reserve staff are as smart as they are passionate, well aware of the importance of the work they are doing.

What struck me most is that NJP's work protects so much more than just the jaguar. The reserve holds an incredible diversity of plants and animals unlike anywhere I've ever been. The reserve is a refuge for jaguars, but by protecting suitable jaguar habitat, they provide wild spaces for so may more species to thrive. Wildlife cameras we checked had photos of ocelot, mountain lion, bobcat, and many other species.

NJP is a humble but effective organization doing critical work with limited resources.

Northern Jaguar Project is a incredible group of passionate, dedicated people with drive, innovative ideas, and superb execution of mission and vision. Having now been to the reserve in Mexico, I am forever committed as a donor and feel deeply connected to the mission.

When I think of the Northern Jaguar Project I am reminded of a quote by Margaret Mead, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” I have had the pleasure of not only visiting the Northern Jaguar Reserve but also in meeting and working with the staff and board. The passion of this small group of people can be felt in every encounter and conversation. They work tirelessly to ensure that the land that is the home to the northernmost breeding population of jaguars will endure for lifetimes to come.

I have worked in biodiversity conservation is some of the most remote and wild places on Earth with many talented individuals and organizations. I'm delighted to add the Northern Jaguar Project to that list. I recently got to know the NJP and it staff and board and to visit the Northern Jaguar Reserve in Sonora and can say with enthusiasm that the NJP staff and board are inspiringly dedicated and skilled , and that the reserve is among the most wild places I've ever visited and deserves to be a priority for biodiversity conservation . NJP's strategy of purchasing lands for the core reserve and engaging neighboring landowners through "Viviendo con Felinos" to conserve this northern-most population of jaguars and other wildlife (including three other species of cats) around the core is innovative and being wisely and successfully implemented. What an extraordinary team and reserve! It's truly one of those places that you have to see (experience) to believe.

The Northern Jaguar Project is an amazing organization dedicated to the preservation of jaguars. I had the opportunity to travel to their retreat in northern Mexico near the town of Sahuaripa in the fall of 2018 and it solidified my impressions of the dedication of the staff and board. The relationships they have cultivated with ranchers and community members in the region is amazing. The way the staff cares for the sanctuary is second to none!

The Northern Jaguar Project is far and away my best loved defender of wildlife and the natural world. The brilliant cofounders, Peter Warshall and Diana Hadley, figured out that a strategic investment in a little known part of Mexico could effectively protect critical habitat in the northernmost breeding range of the jaguar. By cooperating with local ranchers and local environmental organizations they have helped create a network of protected habitat, and have begun restoring its health through better grazing management and payments for photos of jaguars (and other cats and wildlife) captured on participating property.
I have traveled to the sanctuary areas near Sahuaripa, Mexico, and seen firsthand how much the group accomplishes in local outreach and onsite monitoring of the jaguar preserve. I met some very hard working individuals in Mexico and in Tucson who are dedicating their lives to this inspiring task.

This is among my favorite nonprofits and I’ve had the privilege of seeing their work firsthand and meeting many of the US and Mexican staff. Their passion, creativity and ethics show in everything they do.

This is a great organization doing important work with a very limited budget. Their ethics are in the right place, their relationships with their partners are good and their science is sound. Hats off to them for their vision and diligence. I will continue my financial support of NJP.

I got to Sahuaripa at night. Field biologists for the Northern Jaguar Reserve Miguel and his wife Carmina were returning from Hermosillo with their one-year-old Luis. I was standing at the corner across from the church. We’d texted back and forth to coordinate the meeting so I could follow them to their house. When Miguel jumped out of his car and stood in front of me with such a sweet smile on his face, I knew this was going to be a great few days together heading out to the remote reserve at least five hours from town.

The next day Miguel packed up the 4Runner and off we went for the trip into the Reserve. Talk about wild mountains!! And bumpy roads. Yet I’ve never been more relaxed in a car while dangling over thousand-foot cliffs and carefully picking our way over such a remote and hauntingly beautiful land.

When we got to Babisal camp, the vaqueros, Braulio, his son Braulio jr, and Manuel, were standing in front of the fire. Warm greetings all round. The next day we went on a hike to check some camera traps and again we were driving through riverbeds that certainly didn’t look like a car could pass. We spent two magic days exploring the reserve, then drove the torturously long drive back to town. And when I left Miguel, Carmina, and Luis a few days later, I felt I’d made great friends. Not only is the work of the NJP important to the animals, preserving the wild cats in the magic land they live in, but it’s even more important, and impressive, I think for all the good will the project establishes with ranchers and visitors alike. Excellent excellent job!! Keep it up!!

I was lucky enough to attend a presentation of this project at REI in Tucson. What amazing work they are doing - in a non intrusive manner - in protecting the species. They definitely need everyone's support.

Every month as I am online reading the updates of NJP, and making my recurring monthly donations, I know my few dollars go to help preserve the habitat and protect these wondrous creatures. I know that the individuals who work with NJP have their hearts and souls in this project. I send the regular updates on to friends and family members and want to aid them in becoming as excited as I am as each jaguar is seen, and share the excitement about cubs being born. I can't think of better news in the currently negative political climate than to know the good being done by all the NJP volunteers and staff.

The NJP’s work to protect the northern most breeding population of jaguars is a success story we can all look to for hope and inspiration. Not only are the jaguars thriving but every organism in their web of life from the smallest plants and insects to the other felids are benefiting una lush cascade effect.

We spent two weeks working on the reserve as volunteers to enhance their facilities for their staff and visitors. It is rugged and remote country. The terrain is do deeply corrugated and dense with thorny scrub that the cats have no trouble eluding detection yet NJPs band of biologists and vaqueros bring proof month after month the cats are living the good life.

I am amazed by what has been accomplished with so little money. People’s hearts are being changed and the cats have a place to thrive.

We had the privilege of doing a collaborative project with Northern Jaguar Project to raise funds and spread awareness of the amazing work this organization is doing. We visited the Reserve in March 2018 and saw first hand, not only their incredible habitat conservation work, but also the very important education they do with local school children and relationship building with local ranchers. This work is helping to build the larger bi-national community that understands and values these apex predators and contributes to preserving their dwindling breeding grounds.
In our line of work we spend a large amount of time in beautiful, remote, wild spaces. The beauty of the Northern Jaguar Reserve, as well as its intense isolation was unlike anything we'd ever experienced. This place is a sanctuary for the next generation of jaguars, ocelots, pumas and more because of its inaccessible remoteness. It is also a sanctuary for this kind of extreme wildness which sadly exists less and less in our world. We are so grateful to NJP and their tireless work towards a future where big cats and their wilderness homes still thrive.

In the past year I've been fortunate enough to make two trips to the Northern Jaguar Reserve. This is one of the most wild and beautiful places I’ve ever been to. It’s truly inspiring to tour the Reserve, learn about NJP’s work, and see the transformation of the landscape - going from over-grazed ranch lands to lush open spaces rich with biodiversity. NJP has created, not only a safe haven for the jaguar and other unique wildlife of Sonora, but they’ve also provided a remarkable experience for visiting scientists, artists, writers, and volunteers alike. It’s an absolute privilege to be able visit the Reserve.
Although the wild lands and animals are a fantastic draw to the Reserve, I’ve been especially impressed with NJP’s work with the surrounding community in Sahuaripa. Projects like these need the support of the local communities in order to be successful. NJP’s hard work and dedication to build these relationships is obvious and it's surely paying off. Always nice to see that time, money, and effort donated to NJP goes directly back to the local community and NJP’s mission of protecting the jaguar and its wild lands.

I retired 5 years ago from a high-stress IT job. Since that time I have committed to doing volunteer work for organizations that protect the environment and educate humans on their impact and why every species matters - to them and Mother Earth.

I have donated my time to many organizations so that I could "try on" their mission and test against my own values and their real commitment vs. just talk and PR.

Only a few have held my time and energy by being committed to the conservation mission and doing it in a way that uses as few resources as possible for the greatest impact.

The Northern Jaguar Project (NJP) is at the top of that list. They work hard, and they have real, tangible results.

Choose wisely, do your homework, test the mission against your values and you will undoubtedly find that NJP is worth your time and money.

I am so committed to their work and their organization that I just recently applied for a position with them - something I vowed to never do again (have a paying job) after retirement.

It's amazing - they are amazing - help them continue to be amazing and protect this planet.

NJP is an extremely effective, “high leverage” operation. Anyone’s conservation money could not be better spent.
NJP works all aspects of conservation: surrounding community, youth as well as the jaguars themselves. NJP employs local people who know the region intimately. I have visited the Reserve and know this first-hand.

I found the trip to the reserve rewarding in all respects and it left me with a very high regard for the NJP and its personnel (esp. Turtle, Randy). As someone very much concerned with the increasingly rapid rate of species extinction, I applaud any effort to preserve threatened and endangered animals (esp. large mammals). Personally, I cannot fathom how anyone could kill such a rare and beautiful creature as the jaguar and am encouraged by the new sighting in southern Arizona. However, I'm worried that that idiot Trump and his goddamned wall will make it increasingly difficult to establish and sustain a breeding population near the border, but am trying to be optimistic (something that is very difficult for me to do).

I had a chance to return to the reserve teaming up with NJP in Dec 2016/Jan 2017. While my first visit cemented a profound respect and admiration for NJP, on my most recent trip I came out with even richer set of experiences and information stemming from their successful work. Randy, Turtle, and Diana, whom I am most intimately connected with, but also the Sahuaripan hands on ground and logistical teams of support across the united states, continue to work tirelessly to promote, educate, reinforce, and push conservation efforts to new heights on both sides of the border. Community conservation efforts are keys to success that implant progress in future generations and The Northern Jaguar Project is tackling creative fronts in the progress of conservation. It is a pleasure to be connected to such an incredible organization and looking forward to seeing more measures of success in the fight for conservation.

The Northern Jaguar Project group has been offering free classes at REI over the past year and has been educating southern Arizona about restoring safe habitats for jaguars and showcasing their incredible reserve in northern Sonora, Mexico.

Just in the past few months alone the NJP has helped to track a number of jaguars as they roam through the mountains scattered around us. Thank you to the NJP for protecting these incredible cats!

We have been working with the Northern Jaguar Project on our new exhibit at the Elmwood Park Zoo, and they are wonderful! They do really excellent work for the conservation of natural habitat of the jaguar in the American southwest, and Mexico. They are easy to work with, and have a kind and dedicated staff.

I was fortunate to visit the Northern Jaguar Reserve last fall on a week long trip. The Reserve is a wonderful success story of converting land that had been denuded from cattle grazing and returning it to its natural state. This encourages the return of the jaguars, other cats, as well as numerous birds, mammals, reptiles, etc. It was awesome traveling in an area that is relatively pristine and wild. One can imagine what it was like before humans changed the landscape. The NJP has an influence far beyond the Reserve, by encouraging ranchers to practice jaguar friendly ranching. The incentive is payment for each cat photographed on remote cameras located on their land. This results in the return of wildlife, such as deer, which means jaguars and pumas don't need to prey on cattle, as their native prey is sufficient. It is a win-win for all. NJP also provides education in the area, creating future citizens that will value wildlife and maintaining an ecological balance. This is all done with a very small and dedicated staff and volunteers. One certainly gets full value for any donation, as there is almost no overhead cost.

How can you beat Excellent ?

Our world is becoming a more crowded place with less room in it for beautiful animals like the Jaguar, and yet NJP has found a way to preserve a key corridor area in Northern Sonora.

I have visited the Reserve ( in Oct of '16 ) and then also attended a series of lectures given at REI as a part of educational outreach that Turtle had setup. The Reserve is stunning and the talks ranged over everything from plants, animals, reptiles, birds and hydrology of the Reserve and how well the Conservation mission is proceeding.

The Staff is dedicated to the protection mission. They have scientific support and local buy-in of ranchers and the adjoining community of Sahuaripa. Having visited the Reserve, I don't see how you could make the overhead any less ... it really is a bare bones, no fat, just muscle organization.

A Donor's dollar goes a long ways with NJP and it's worthy of your support.

Seeing the dedication of everyone working with the Northern Jaguar Project first hand has been a rewarding opportunity. As an intern I shadowed the biologists in the field doing everything from checking camera traps to maintaining rancher relationships. The terrain is rugged and unforgiving, but seeing the hard work pay off is extremely fulfilling. I will always be grateful for my time spent in the field beside such dedicated people who not only love these amazing predators, but the landscape these cats, and other fauna, call home.

I volunteered for the Northern Jaguar Project until I moved from Arizona. During that time, I saw the dedication of all the people working for the Northern Jaguar Project. They have succeeded in creating a habitat for jaguars as well as other wildlife and vegetation. They have worked with communities nearby to protect this habitat and have strengthened their ties with the ranchers and communities that border the Reserve. Because of their effort, the reserve and surrounding ranches support the survival of the jaguar as well as the other wildlife and plants that are flourishing.

As a board member I am extremely proud to know that I am working with such a passionate and determined group of individuals who care deeply about protecting northern jaguars and the breathtaking habitat they live in. It is an honor to be a part of such a special cause.

I was lucky enough to tag along w/ NJP on a Sept. 2016 visit to their remote reserve in Sonora, Mexico. We witnessed the impact of their work first hand through community visits, environmental restoration, and conversations with local conservationist. They are truly cultivating a cultural of environmental awareness and protection for a critically threatened species and ecosystem.

Northern Jaguar Project makes it happen for jaguars. They buy land to protect jaguars. They work to build relationships with communities and ranchers in northern Sonora, Mexico just south of the US border. They pay ranchers when a jaguar is photographed by wildlife cameras out on their land. So smart! Money donated to Northern Jaguar Project actually helps jaguars.

As a nature lover and a lover of beauty, I am grateful to have cross paths with NJP as their work conserves the beauty of nature. Their service to mother earth and all its inhabitants, including Jaguars, is truly remarkable. I have had the pleasure of attending two educational talks from NJP at the Seattle Zoo and at REI in Tucson which I have learned more than I ever thought I could know about Jaguars, sustainable ecosystems, community partnership, global accountability, and most importantly Passion. I have never been on the reserve but the documented beauty of the landscape, the thriving ecosystem, and the exemplary Love demonstrated by the staff of NJP for their work are without a doubt inspiring. I am amazed of what NJP is doing and I am proud to support their efforts to conserve the true beauty of Nature, that is within all of us, which we call our home. J. Zapanta - Colorado

As a long time conservation donor, I’ve become increasingly selective in directing my contributions to small, lean, and energetic organizations with deep experience in targeted projects. The Northern Jaguar Project is just such an organization. Focusing on jaguars as an ‘umbrella species’, the group both buys ranch lands and develops alliances with practicing ranchers, in order to protect jaguars and cohabiting species in a huge, remote, and remarkably pristine landscape in east-central Sonora, Mexico. Their Viviendo con Felinos program (a possible model for wolf reintroductions?) pays ranchers for jaguar images captured on trail cameras, and thus encourages protection, rather than elimination, of these top predators. Local cowboys (vaqueros) with extensive knowledge of the habitat, and locally trained biologists, are trained to service trail cameras and recognize cat sign on the organization’s private lands, and the cowboys also maintain ranch infrastructure. Leadership of the group has extensive experience in ranching, conservation, and the targeted geographic area. Successful breeding of jaguars is well documented, and the large area of extremely isolated and suitable jaguar habitat makes this a potential source area for cats (ocelot as well as jaguar) that might eventually contribute to breeding populations in the U.S. On a recent trip to the NJP Reserve (August, 2016), I verified first hand that my donations are put to good use and not wasted on unnecessary overhead.

Northern Jaguar Project is a wonderful organization that my company has had the pleasure of collaborating with and supporting when possible. They are extremely passionate about their mission and we truly admire their accomplishments in both public education and tangible conservation gains on the ground. I fully support their efforts and will be eagerly following along as they make progress in preserving habitat and restoring the historic range of a species that is so emblematic of our region’s rich biological diversity.

Northern Jaguar Project is highly professional and passionate nonprofit protecting a large region of native species in northern Mexico and the southwestern United States. Their passion for conservation and education is leading to real positive changes in the region. Truly a great cause and nonprofit.

Conservation effort at its finest. Great group working for a fantastic cause.

I attended the Northern Jaguar Project (NJP) presentation at the REI store community room on May 4, 2016. For me, it was an astounding evening-while I had heard about the NJP many times, it was my first close-up opportunity to see and hear (in detail) the full extent of the research and experience of their work, accompanied by breathtaking digital images of Jaguars and other mammals in their natural environment. During a time of declining and destroyed habitats, the NJP Reserve is like a breath of fresh air. The organization, as a non-profit, is stellar. Their accomplishments in just a few short years is amazing. The focus of observing and documenting Jaguars (and other mammals) is unique, and the multinational alliance with Conservationist's in Mexico laudable. Their dedication, working with the local ranchers, speaks to the people skills and good will that such a massive project requires. The Reserve is isolated, which supports the type of scientific study needed, and from what I heard, everyone in the NJP contributes in many and needed ways. Such excellent scientific research is desperately needed, and the NJP is fully engaged in doing exemplary work from top to bottom. The talent of all of the staff and volunteers is indeed amazing, and for such a worthy cause. The Jaguar, as an apex predator, has suffered immeasurable harm in the late 19th century, being exterminated from the U.S. by zealous cattle ranchers and related activities. To study the Northernmost breeding population in Sonora, in an isolated ecosystem, is a unusual and profound gift. I can't say enough good things about the NJP, and will endeavor to become an on site volunteer-it will be a privilege and honor for me as a life-long naturalist. The corollary gift is the ability to study not only the Jaguar habitat, but the rest of the flora and fauna as well. The value, in terms of pure science, is without peer. Their superlative work needs to continue and grow, now and for as long as possible. Again, their value is without peer.

Michael D. Van Buskirk, Tucson, Arizona

I was privileged to visit NJP's Jaguar Preserve recently with several other donors and two staff members. The rugged, remote beauty of the area is at once peaceful and adrenaline-pumping, as is the possibility of encountering one of the big cats (and other exotic wildlife) at any turn in the trail. (No live encounters on this trip, but we did see evidence of their presence in several places.) I was perhaps most impressed by how the organization has developed their program in cooperation with and support of local ranchers and other residents. One of the staffers who led us, Randy, actually lives near the preserve most of the time. The other staffer, Turtle, works primarily out of Tucson, where NJP is based, as is Executive Director Diana Hadley. These folks work extremely hard to move closer to their goal of protecting the Northern Jaguar, a magnificent creature. I encourage anyone with even the slightest interest to see how you can get involved. Steve Dibble, Tucson

NJP staff are are creating a sustainable, long-term home for jaguars in partnership with Mexican organizations and with local communities and individual ranchers. Dedicated staff are getting a tremendous amount done with a relatively small amount of funding.
I personally visited the Preserve in late February 2016, was highly impressed with the staff as well as profoundly impacted by the place, and would be happy to talk with anyone who might be interested in contributing to creating and sustaining this jaguar home. Please contact me through NJP. Jeannie Allen

The Northern Jaguar Project offered me an amazing opportunity to accompany the Jaguar Guardians as an intern Mid-Summer 2015. This opportunity offered me a chance to leave the country, learn and participate in their methods, and stay in the remote wilderness that is the Northern Jaguar Reserve. It was a fulfilling experience, and I am thankful for the opportunity to stay in this truly wild, semi-tropical, place. The conservation efforts of the NJP can be seen within the Reserve, and also with the relationship that is being formed with rancher in surrounding areas. Long term efforts such as these, in my humble opinion, give hope for preserving crucial wildlife habitat and changing the local ethic regarding the environment.

The preserve was only a few hours from a big city, but traveling to it your slowly transported to a different world. During the rain season all the mountains are covered in greenery and you understand why this is the perfect place as a sanctuary.
Working alongside of the guardians I was able to learn and understand how the animals move and live within the wild. The staff are extremely involved in the up keeping of the preserve, and everyone around has a true and pure kindness towards the environment in which they are protecting.
The ranchers and staff are true hero's, they are changing the world of the Jaguars and helping change our world for the better.

On a recent trip to visit the Northern Jaguar Preserve I had the opportunity to meet with ranchers, farmers and community members to learn how they were connected to this important conservation work. I was struck by the passion, dedication and commitment that each person contributes and hearing their unique stories. This project is important work and the grassroots conservation efforts are to be applauded. There is much work to be done and I would encourage anyone to learn more about this nonprofit and how they can contribute. Marie Long

In an era where native habitats for critically endangered species are threatened and seemingly in decline everywhere, there is a 50,000 acre success story in Northern Mexico that gives hope to conservationists and life to the desert.

On a recent visit to the Northern Jaguar Reserve, I was struck by the drastic and visible difference between the land on the reserve and that of its neighbors. After only a few years without cattle grazing, and with some care from skilled and compassionate human hands, the Northern Jaguar Reserve has blossomed into a lush and truly wild landscape that transports visitors and residents (wild native species that is, of course there are no permanent human residents) alike back to a time when humans were not on the top of the food chain. For as the canyons and cliffs, rivers and steams, have returned with abundant desert life of all kinds, it is on this land that the largest population of jaguar (not to mention mountain lion, bobcat, and ocelot) north of the tropics has been able to survive. The vital work that NJP is doing in this area gives me hope that one day this population might again thrive.

The life of the desert and the life of the jaguar are intimately entwined. This is ecology in action and nowhere is it more evident, than on the lush slopes of the Sierra Zetasorra in the Northern Jaguar Reserve.Please support these efforts in whatever way you can.

Northern Jaguar Project is one of the most progressive and effective nonprofits I've had the opportunity to work with over the past 20 years. Although I have been reading about their work for many years, it wasn't until I visited the jaguar reserve in Sonora, Mexico last winter that I was able to better understand what a profound impact this organization has on the land, its animals and people.

NJP helped teach me the true meaning of the word "wild." I have been to wilderness areas on almost every continent, but the mountains, canyons and river on the reserve redefined my understanding of wilderness. If there has ever been an advocate and hero for the jaguar and its environs, it's NJP.

The NJP is a wonderful example of big thinking combined with practical expertise. They're creating a network of committed people that spans an international boundary and connects different people from different backgrounds and experience to the goal of biodiversity and especially protecting an apex predator, the jaguar. Plus, their instagram posts are just plain fun.

Turtle Southern just visited the college where I am a librarian and member of the campus environmental committee. Prior to her visit, I had no idea this organization even existed. I had also assumed that jaguars were pretty much extinct north of Central America. Turtle gave a fantastic talk, with slides of the gorgeous terrain where the project is located. She is an excellent spokesperson, understated yet with an obvious love & dedication for the project and jaguars. We plan to have her or one of the their volunteers back on a yearly basis to have a table at our Earth Day gatherings, in order to share with our students the valuable work Northern Jaguar Project is doing and all that they have accomplished. Thank you for the opportunity to share this with you! Mark Floor

I found the Northern Jaguar Project's website several years ago and have especially enjoyed reading their updates from the field. I have checked back often to see new trail-camera images of the reserve's wildlife and to learn more about the Project’s local outreach programs. Recently, I was given permission to film the "Northern Jaguars" Speaker Series in which NJP presented a very informative program on current jaguar issues. NJP has made images available and given other invaluable assistance for an upcoming documentary on the northern-most jaguars. Without their help and unique imagery, this documentary would not be possible. The willingness of the Northern Jaguar Project to work across the border and with many groups speaks to their dedication.
Chris Barnes
Filmmaker

NJP is an impressive organization that makes the most of their resources. They are particularly effective working between two countries to positively affect critical species protection. The staff are committed, knowledgeable, humble and determined. The unique approaches they take are working! Congratulations and Keep Up the Good Work!!

Consider this---The only Jaguars left in North America are in Mexico! They are trapped there no one to help them to survive except Northern Jaguar project and a a few others who care including some wonderful ranchers and their families. They are not going to swim the Panama Canal. They cannot improve their gene pool--have mercy and help these people!
A friend
Gary Thoms

I am extremely impressed with the conservation work of NJP. The staff are dedicated and passionate as they work to preserve not only jaguars and ocelots, but this special wilderness area that provides habitat for a wide diversity of species, including macaws.
Also, NJP's public outreach efforts help to spread awareness, appreciation and support of these big cats and an understanding of the need to protect this northernmost breeding population of jaguars.

I'm a biologist involved with reestablishment of jaguars in the U.S., which will not be possible without colonization from the source population in Sonora that is being protected and nurtured by NJP. Without NJP it's likely that the Sonoran population would disappear or at least diminish to the point where it could not realistically provide colonists for a future U.S. population. Keep up the good work NJP!

I am a professional biologist with strong interests in protecting ecosystems using approaches that work with people in the environment. For about the last 5-7 years, I have been keenly impressed by the work of the Northern Jaguar Project and have donated to them regularly. They have acquired a substantial region for habitat, have surveyed and are cognizant of many creatures within the property to try to promote besides the keystone jaguar species. As I can attest from various exchanges with their staff, they are informed by current studies and experiences in wildlife conservation and enhancing compatibility with human populations in the areas of environmental justice and sustainability. Importantly, the group is actively working with the landowners and residents around the preserve over a number of years to understand, educate and work with on behalf of the unique habitats of the region. This latter part is hugely crucial and Northern Jaguar Project has been a leader in working collaboratively with the residents. Lastly, NJP has their heart deeply in their work on behalf of wildlife and people. One way this is show is that they operate on a very modest administrative budget for their salaries and staff.

I have been donating to the Northern Jaguar Project for several years, and I believe it to be a very worthwhile organization. I found out about NJP when I met Peter Warshall in Tucson. He told me about NJP's program that pays ranchers for photographs of jaguars, discouraging them from poaching. I later looked up NJP from their website learned that they had a wish list of needed items. This was something concrete that I could help with and I decided to organize a donation of supplies through my school. I believe in the Northern Jaguar Project's cause, and try to contribute whenever I can. I think that protecting jaguars is incredibly important as they are the one of the keystone species in the area, and by protecting jaguars' habitat, NJP is also protecting the habitat of countless other species. NJP's website gives lots of good information to someone wanting to learn more, but living far from Arizona, and the occasional newsletters and email updates really keep me in formed about what the staff and researchers are doing. NJP protects jaguar habitat and works with the nearby community in really innovative ways in order to save the jaguar, and I think it is a really great organization.

I visited NJP's reserve in Sonora, MX in 2013 and was floored by the staff's passion for their mission and commitment to the community they work with. A small, intent, and passionate group, NJP carefully and responsibly uses their time and resources to ensure that jaguars and other big felines can thrive in their habitat. Thanks to NJP, a paradigm shift is happening: admirable ranchers and their families around the reserve are not just tolerating these majestic animals; they are now choosing to defend their survival and value their role in the region's ecological system.

Compared to so many environmental conservation organizations, NJP is transparent and clear about its intent. If you want to support NJP, know that your resources will be well-stewarded to support an important cause. And be sure to visit - it is a very safe area, residents are hospitable and friendly, and the landscape is just breathtaking!

Very unique, wholly necessary, and inspiringly successful organization. What truly makes the success of NJP come to life is the people who are involved. I heard about what the organization did and was very impressed, but there is no comparison to visiting the reserve, which I had the opportunity to do last fall. I came down for a week to volunteer and help build the central "people area", (leaving most the rest left to the animals and very few human visitors). I was not only able to help build infrastructure, but I learned so much in the process! Being there made me happy, knowing I was surrounded by so much wildness that was honestly, legitimately being reserved or resurrected back to a space where wildlife will be safe and can thrive. Every staff of NJP was real, down to earth and honestly passionate about their work. The reserve is breathtaking and what it represents is even more so!

My wife and I spent a wonderful week at the Reserve in the Spring of 2012 making adobe bricks for their guest quarters. It is readily apparent to any visitor that this is a special place and the Northern Jaguar Reserve is a special group. The extensive camera tracking, the fencing out of cattle, and their efforts to eradicate invasive buffelgrass are all helping to preserve a last wild habitat for the keystone Jaguar and all the species down the web of life. Bravo!

I spent some time this spring volunteering for NJP, doing photo documentation of various areas of the reserve to show the changes in plant communities over time after the removal of cattle from the land.
It is great to watch the Northern Jaguar Reserve return to a wild state after centuries of grazing. It was also great to see the work they are doing to speed the recovery of riparian habitat. It's a large undertaking, but NJP is doing a lot with very little. I support their work 100%

In the spring of 2012 I was lucky to have been able to spend some time working for the Northern Jaguar Project on the reserve in Sonora. It was one of the greatest experiences of my life. I was first impressed with the dedicated staff that run the whole operation so smoothly. Then, after spending just a few days there, traveling around with fellow biologists and reserve staff, I fell in love with the place and didn't want to leave. It is such an amazing place. It is so important to have large landscapes such as this protected, not only for the jaguars that occupy it, but also for the many other heartbeats out there and the rich and diverse flora that exists there. I feel honored to have had the experience.

My experience with NJP last fall in Sonora was amongst the most cherished I've had in recent years. The work was rewarding and educational. The importance of NJP's work was not only felt but seen.

I only have a few favorite non-profits that I donate to in our region. NJP is certainly in my top tier. Very few organizations have as big of of an effect on the ground for wildlife and a healthy landscape. I have spent quite a bit of time in the area of NJP reserve and have seen dramatic improvements since the reserve was formed.

The land they protect is not only gorgeous and wild, but very biologically significant. While their primary aim is to protect jaguars, innumerable other species of plants and animals benefit. From a huge population of Black Hawks to the northernmost nesting Macaws to Ocelots and River Otters, this area needs NJP.

They have amazingly also garnered the support of locals who are often weary of environmental organizations. For this reason they are able to influence an even larger area than the reserve itself, protecting the essential core of Jaguar habitat. The Jaguar population in this area is key to the survival of the species in northern Mexico.

I highly recommend supporting the efforts of NJP.

I was extremely fortunate to volunteer with NJP on their reserve in Sonora. Not only did the experience make the jaguar feel like a real animal rather than an abstraction, it also helped me appreciate NJP's broader conservation work across an amazing landscape. Everyone I met, from ranch hands to administrative staff, was incredibly dedicated and professional. NJP may be small, but they are a gem of a nonprofit.

In February 2013 I volunteered for two and a half weeks at the Northern Jaguar Reserve, primarily assisting the Reserve Guardians with remote cameras. I came away very impressed with the quality and energy of all the people involved in this project - the young biologists, the vaqueros with their lifetime of local knowledge, and those involved with administration. I am also impressed with the model of involving human neighbors to the reserve, primarily cattle ranchers. As almost all conservationists involved with large cats realize, support by local people is crucial to the survival of predators.

The location of the reserve itself seems perfect - remote, relatively intact ecologically, varied, and close enough to the US border to possibly act as a source for emigration of jaguars to Arizona and New Mexico. There seem to be healthy populations of other mammals, including predacious cats, birds, and reptiles. Protecting jaguars as a keystone species here will also help protect many other species.

I came away with the sense that the vast majority of any dollar I contribute to this project will be used for direct acquisition and protection of habitat, or building the support necessary to preserve viable populations of jaguars at the northern edge of their range.

Eric Holle
Haines, Alaska

The Northern Jaguar Project is doing some of the most important conservation work in our hemisphere. By preserving habitat for these fascinating and beautiful cats, the NJP also preserves a portion of the uniquely diverse Sinaloan Thornscrub ecosytem. They are doing what I wanted to do after first visiting this region nearly 30 years ago. And they are doing it better...working to ensure local support, doing restoration projects, making inventories of this ecological crossover between the neotropics and temperate regions, etc. Follow your favorite jaguar by trail camera on their website, or check your knowledge of northern Mexico's wonderfully varied plant and animal communities against their species checklist. These folks work on a shoestring where land can be purchased for less than $50/acre. As a friend once said to me, "If it doesn't hurt a little bit, you probably haven't given enough". So give until it hurts, then be sure and put them in your will.

Mike Van Note (thornscrub aficionado)

I realized a dream when I went to Sonora and volunteer at the Northern Jaguar Reserve. I helped mostly with habitat restoration (bufflegrass removal and gabion building). It was so rewarding to be part of such a great project and to be in a place where jaguars roam. I spent more than a month in the reserve, discovering a completely new ecosystem for me, seeing an amazing diversity of birds, tracking wild cats. My most memorable sighting was of a bobcat. We sat and watched each other for 40 minutes! Its curiosity finally satiated, the bobcat walked away with unmistakable feline grace and disappeared quickly, as if the earth had swallowed it. Maybe one day I'll see a jaguar! I already think of going back in the near future.

I went down to the Northern Jaguar Preserve in Sonora to help with a project building adobe structures on the preserve. The land there is amazing and Naturalia and the Northern Jaguar Project are amazing stewards for it. Their work allows animals such as the jaguar a place to live and is encouraging relations between surrounding ranchers and the jaguars. They do amazing work and take very good care of their volunteers.

I believe the Northern Jaguar Project is making huge strides in conservation of the northernmost breeding area for jaguars, and I am honored to be involved with this nonprofit. What I think is special about the Northern Jaguar Project is they are thinking broadly, considering all aspects of what makes this special ecosystem tick. Not only are they directly concerned with the jaguars calling this area home, but also the condition of their habitat and ultimately, their prey populations. I am involved in helping with their Feline Photo project, where I help identify wildlife in photos and prepare files for each camera location. As a wildlife biologist myself, I very much agree with the approach to using motion-triggered cameras. Much information can be gained about a species (and its neighbors!) while being a safe and cost effective "hands-off" technique. Last November my husband (who's a restoration ecologist) and I had the opportunity to travel to the reserve and we enjoyed every minute of exploring such a wild, beautiful place. Our mission to traveling there and meeting with Rick Williams, the reserve manager, was to discuss some of the options of improving the landscape in the reserve. They discussed areas of fire danger, slowing the progression of non-native grasses, as well as replanting disturbed areas with native plants. Again, the Northern Jaguar Project is thinking of the ecosystem as a whole in this example, which I think is the reason they are able to make such strides in jaguar conservation efforts. The Northern Jaguar Project has our continued support!

I can't think of a better organization to be a part of. I know that everything I donate to them whether it be an insect guide or field clothing, will go to great use and will help in a small part to bring the Jaguar back to its northern most habitat in the USA. Hats off to all the people at NJP for all their efforts in making this beautiful cat a part of Americana again.

I have worked with the Northern Jaguar Project on and off for the past year. I have been involved in conservation in Sonora for the past decade. NJP is one of the most effective and professional organizations in the Hemisphere. Their work has done more for conservation in Sonora than anyone else. They are a pleasure to work with, and an inspiration.

As a volunteer since 2005, I have had nothing but positive interactions with NJP. They have an incredible vision and niche, doing more to conserve the northern jaguar than most other efforts combined. Their dedication to collaboration with the local communities of northern Sonora, in addition to their assistance in conservation land acquisitions, has engendered an unprecedented level of appreciation and support for jaguar conservation far outside the boundaries of the reserve.

The NJP does a fantastic job where no one else is willing to step up and help. As past president of the Jaguar Club of Central Arizona (the automobile!) I met Diane and Turtle a few years ago and signed up as a monthly donor. For the cost of a glass of wine every month, the work they provide for saving one of the last habitats of New World great cats is priceless. Once gone, there is no turning the clock back. The presentation for the Jaguar Clubs of North America national meeting was great and hopefully the message will be heard across the country.

I was invited to go along on a trip to Sonora, Mexico in March of 2012 to volunteer with the Northern Jaguar Project. The group was helping make adobe bricks for some structures being built on one of the old ranches on N.J.P's 90,000 some acres of land. I had a really great time. The volunteers from the states and the crew that lived on site were all really awesome and we all had a great time and made 2003 bricks (a few more than they needed for the first building!). It was so beautiful in this amazing "edge" of two climates, where the arid Sonoran desert meets the rainforest! The flora and fauna mixture is something you just have to see to believe (oaks mixed in with mesquites, palo verde, organ pipe cactus, native palms...and a mixture of beautiful birds and butterflies, etc.). There is fresh water from a spring running through the land and a river. This is a magical place and the most remote I have ever been (4+ hours out of Sahuaripa on a one way road out and back). They are working with the local community and farmers, educating and trying to preserve a space for the jaguars (didn't see any, except on their hidden cameras) and I recommend anyone who has a chance to go lend a hand, meet some cool people and experience this really special place!

The Northern Jaguar Project, and its in-country partner Naturalia, are working hand in hand and with surrounding neighbors and communities in Sonora to create the first vital link in what could become a wonderful wildlands corridor down the entire spine of the Sierra Madre Occidental in northwestern Mexico. By focusing conservation efforts on such a noble, charismatic, enigmatic creature, they are simultaneously providing an umbrella of protection for all forms of life in this immense stretch of the Sierra. I am impressed that NJP and Naturalia are educating children and adults alike about the incredible natural wealth of Sonora. Perhaps most important to me, NJP and Naturalia conduct themselves with humility and respect for local cultures and customs. I would like to see their conservation work emulated by other like-minded organizations in northwestern Mexico. I am proud to be a supporter of NJP.

I got to go down to the Jaguar reserve in Mexico and help build adobe bricks for a structure. It was an incredible trip. The Northern Jaguar Project is doing an amazing job of protecting a large important tract of land. It is very unique biologically and important for so many species including Jaguar to have an area that that is kept free of cattle. They work very hard and do good work.

Since I am a volunteer for Northern Jaguar Project, I see the outstanding work they are doing in conserving wild and natural land, saving the jaguar from extinction and providing a healthy ecosystem for so many plants and animals. At the same time, they are building a strong relationship with ranchers and residents nearby. Northern Jaguar Project provides incentives that have led to a change in attitude towards hunting. I see incredible photos of the variety of plant and animal life on the preserve and know that this organization is wholly committed to its goal of saving the jaguar and its habitat

I am very proud to be a supporter of this hands-on ecological/conservation organization involved in preserving and expanding critical habitat for the northernmost population of one of the most beautiful and dramatic of all New World mammals. I am very hopeful that as a result of the work of the Northern Jaguar Project these magnificent cats may reclaim a portion of their historic range in the United States.

The NJP is staffed by diligent and hardworking individuals. Always a pleasure to visit the field site and a day does not go by that we have not learned something new. Additionally, they do an amazing job working with the scientific community but their outreach with the local community is groundbreaking.

I have served as the Southwest Representative of Defenders of Wildlife since 1993, and I am affiliated with Northern Jaguar Project (NJP) because it plays a critically important role of immediately protecting the northernmost remaining population of jaguars in the world and dozens of other rare and important species. This is a key component of a broader recovery strategy developed and implemented by several other cooperating organizations. NJP also supports high-importance field research which is being used to guide landscape-scale conservation programs, and is working cooperatively with landowners/ranchers, agencies and other conservation organizations to ensure their great work expands to provide benefits throughout the U.S./Mexico border region. The group is directed by an all-volunteer board, with program implementation overseen by a small, but deeply dedicated staff. It truly is a lean and mean organization which is providing renewed hope for recovery of the American jaguar and all it represents.

As a board member I feel very fortunate to be associated with the other individuals that comprise the board of Northern Jaguar Project. They are dynamic and dedicated, recognized experts in their fields, and give to the project a lot of experience and knowledge, as well as a lot of hard work.
I personally worked early-on in identifying and purchasing the lands of the Northern Jaguar Reserve, which, along with local community based outreach and education, have been Northern Jaguar Project's greatest achievements. Together these projects should give permanent protection to the northernmost jaguar populations and all species under their umbrella. It has not been an easy task, and there is still a tremendous amount of work to be done, but 11 years after my first visit to the area, it is still sometimes hard to believe that we have a viable reserve in place and that the adjoining cattle ranching community is accepting our efforts and our assistance.
One of the keys to success has been our partnering with Naturalia A.C., a Mexican non-profit, to hold title to the reserve and help administer programs. With Naturalia's help we are better able to use Mexican professionals, students, and local labor, and thus the project is not seen so much as a foreign intrusion.

I got in contact with the Northern Jaguar Project when their board members approached the conservation organization I work for (Naturalia), looking for a partner to implement an ambitious conservation strategy for the northernmost population of the endangered jaguar in the Mexican State of Sonora. It was year 2003 and we had never worked together before, but they looked very genuine and committed to this goal. They told us that if we were able to raise the first amount of funds to purchase the first piece of land to create the Northern Jaguar Reserve, they would be able to fundraise to purchase additional land to increase the size of the reserve. We launched that strategy together and were able to purchase the first 10,000 acres for the reserve then NJP moved very fast to raise the additional funds to help us acquire another 35,000 acres. Our relationship has been very honest and straightforward and thus we have established a very functional partnership both to manage the reserve and to implement additional projects to effectively protect the jaguar population in this region. With just a few years old, NJP has become one of the most respected conservation organizations in Southern US and Northern Mexico. I have been able to work with both the staff and board of this young organization and am able to say that all of them are honest people entirely devoted to nature conservation and specially to secure a future for jaguars.

Northern Jaguar Project, along with their partners Naturalia and Defenders of Wildlife, have done more for wildlife conservation in northern Mexico than any other NGO that I am aware. By gathering support from 100's of foundations and individual supporters, NJP purchased the first private conservation reserve for jaguars and other wildlife in N. Mexico, and its a large remote area where jaguars have a good chance of persisting over time due to these actions. I have worked in northern Mexico as a wildlife biologist for 12 years and can say without reservation, I know of no other group that has done more for conservation in the region than NJP. Moreover, NJP has made major strides at educating landowners about predator conservation and compensated them for losses of livestock due to predators, as well as provided incentives to not killing predators on private lands

We were so impressed by the level of professionalism, dedication and enthusiasm in everyone we worked with at the Northern Jaguar Project. They are an incredibly well-run organization and operate as efficiently as possible to make sure that the most amount of funds possible goes to their great work. It is such a pleasure working with them and we are grateful to have them as a client.

Turtle, a representative from NJP came to my 4th/5th grade class to give a presentation on Jaguars in the Sonoran Desert and give my students information about the organization. My students were mesmerized by the photos of jaguars and by the fact that these animals live in our very own desert. Turtle's presentation was well-prepared, full of facts and information geared toward my group of kids and the content we're learning in class. My students had tons of questions which clearly showed their interest in this topic. I know this educational presentation will linger in the thoughts (and hopefully) actions of my students for a long time.

The Northern Jaguar Project fulfills a unique role by focusing on large wild cats of the Southwest US and Northern Mexico. They have established a large reserve in Northern Mexico in cooperation with local ranchers who have been living with jaguars for generations. Their work is critical to ensuring the long term survival of these charismatic apex predator species.

The NJP is essential in the effort to save and restore the world's northernmost jaguar population, shared by Mexico and the U.S. In its 8 years, it great achievement has been the creation of a 70 sq mi protected area in Sonora, Mexico, not far from the US border. It works effectively with local ranchers and communities to reign in poaching of the great cats and build support for species recovery. NJP is an outstanding example of a binational conservation partnership!

I have been most impressed with the Northern Jaguar Project's work. They are a small, lean organization with a narrow focus but a huge vision. They have always been more than willing to answer my questions, provide information and promote cooperation among jaguar fanatics. Their Denver gathering brought together interested parties from the US and Mexico and the information shared and contacts made have proven invaluable to me. Diana, Turtle and the rest of the NJP staff are first-rate.

I had an opportunity to attend the presentation at ASU by some of the bikers who rode 350 miles in support of the jaguar. I was amazed at the slide presentation showing these beautiful creatures roaming freely in the Mexican wilderness preserve. I admire the dedication of all of the participants to recover land for the jaguar so that someday my children might see this wonderful animal in the wild.

I am a docent at Reid Park Zoo (Tucson) and helped get other docents to the NJP presentation. It was standing room only - a very good presentation and lots of interest from all attendees.

As a co-founder of the organization I have been intimately involved with its development and evolution since it began. I have been both surprised and very satisfied at the success of the organization to date. During the past 7 years, we have created an efficient cooperative relationship with our Mexican partner, Naturalia, A. C.; have raised the majority of the funding to acquire a 70-square mile wildlife reserve in Sonora, Mexico; have managed the reserve for landscape level restoration with preservation and expansion of all its wildlife populations; and have conducted on-going species inventories of wildlife, plants, birds, and butterflies. Our fund-raising and office expenses are a small proportion of our budget, the vast majority of which goes directly to support restoration and wildlife projects on the reserve. Our co-founder and treasurer, Rick Williams, developed the original concept for the Fotos Felinos project, which rewards neighboring ranchers for remote trip-camera photos of living carnivores. We have received surprisingly strong support from the Sonoran community nearest to the reserve and from the local cattle growers organization. We cooperate with the rural university closest to the reserve. We are a small, focused, practical, and efficient organization, with dedicated board members, each of whom brings a specific skill set to the group. Our one part-time employee is accomplished, efficient, creative, and very dedicated to the organization.

Northern Jaguar Project, in collaboration with Naturalia, other conservation organizations, and local ranches in northeastern Sonora, is the driving force for conservation of the northernmost jaguar population and the fabulous ecosystem upon which it depends. The Northern Jaguar Reserve is one of the wildest places in North America, situated on the western edge of the Sierra Madre Occidental and at a crossroads between the New World tropics and the temperate biological communities of the United States. It is a place of discovery – every time we go we find something unexpected – often tropical species not known to occur so far north. NJP’s work is critical to keeping this place wild into the foreseeable future.

work to help secure habitat and create and retain corrdors and conectiity in Mexico as well as bi nationaly. Provide medical intervention for the capitive population and provide educational and public awarness campaign support.

I see the work that NJP is doing in Mexico as critical to conservation work north of the border. While NJP's campaign has direct benefits in the ecosystems in which it works, the focus on connectivity and corridors to protected habitats in the U.S. cannot be underestimated. Time and time again, NJP has thought of creative solutions to problems working with private landowners, and they have had significant success protecting land and species by protecting the jaguars of Sonora. I see NJP as a

1st saw a tiny squib in the Albuquerque paper, met US & Mexican reps at a presentation held at the zoo. Next met more of the personnel at another meeting in Santa Fe. Was duly impressed by their genuine love of the project and that they were doing it all on faith and a prayer for the animals, not to have a cushy job or line their pockets. Have carefully watched them grow, obtain matching funds and fight the entrenched bureaucracy plus learn how to woo and win over foreign landowners who were absolutely key to completing the extended refuges. Please help them finish setting-up and funding proper management so that jaguars can once again safely traverse their native North American homelands.

This is the only reserve to protect the females of the northern jaguar population which is somewhere between 800 and 1500. It is bi-nation (with Naturalia) and, to everyone's surprise,has been enthusiastically received. NJP/Naturalia now own and manage over 70 square miles and ten jaguars have been recorded. NJP/Naturalia started a camera-trap program which rewards ranchers for protecting the five felids. If they get a photo, they get a reward. This positive project is far better than paying for dead cattle. The reserve has many many volunteer researchers who keep finding new birds, plants, reptiles, etc at new geographic locations. The sanctuary will be the protected source for jaguars to return to the US and NJP is working on the corridor.

NJP has made all the difference in our collaboration to protect jaguars. My job involves networking with several other US non-profits and I can honestly say that NJP is unique in making such a huge contribution in resources, expertise and passion with such a small group of mostly volunteers. Jaguars in Northern Mexico will always be grateful for the support these committed and capable folks have sent this way. In 2008 our Reserva del Jaguar del Norte more than tripled its size thanks to NJP. Keeping up one of the longest-running jaguar monitoring efforts in the area has only been possible because of them. Their support to community related projects and openness to support so decidedly in an area that has been overlooked by major conservation groups, are just examples of their commitment. A BIG THANKS to everybody in NJP for helping my country protect its biodiversity.

I was fortunate to work with NJP on water quality testing/monitoring and was amazed at the reserve itself, and had great experiences working with the board, the staff and the biologists during the project.

NJP is the real deal. They're a very stripped down and effective organization. It's amazing what they have accomplished and continue to get done with how few people are carrying out the work. I support this organization 100%.