MESA, Arizona -- Aug. 19, 2020 -- The endangered, native Gila Topminnows at the Mesa Community College Red Mountain Campus support the recovery of their species. The population in the college’s cienega reached a level healthy enough to serve as a source to stock other bodies of water throughout the state.
On August 17 the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) relocated 100 Topminnows to Pima County’s Roger Road Nodal Park ponds to help replenish the species in the wild. The endangered fish were originally introduced to the MCC Cienega in 2016 through a collaboration with the Phoenix Zoo, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and AZGFD. The partnership’s main goals are conservation and nurturing the growth of endangered species so they can eventually be reintroduced in their native environments. MCC Life Science Professor Andrew Holycross and Life Sciences Exhibits Coordinator Paula Swanson have worked extensively on the cienega project, caring for the endangered Topminnows.
Holycross notes how big of an achievement this is for the wildlife team at MCC. “This is the first time our population has been used as a source of fish for new populations, which means we’ve arrived!”
A cienega is a spring that is usually a wet, marshy area at the foot of a mountain, in a canyon, or on the edge of a grassland where groundwater bubbles to the surface. In 2015, the completion of the cienega at MCC Red Mountain marked the start of a new journey to provide students with an on-site exhibit and reserve. With native plants and animals, the cienega incorporates educational signage for faculty, staff and the general public.
The MCC Life Science Department played a significant role in the conservation and regrowth of not just Gila Topminnows, but also other species such as Desert Pupfish and Lowland Leopard Frogs. The endangered species in the cienega provide faculty and students with the opportunity to offer research experiences, the ability to collect data on rare habitats, and to observe endangered plants and animals.
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Media contact: Dawn Zimmer, dawn.zimmer@mesacc.edu or 480-461-7892
The Arizona Game and Fish Department is the state agency charged with conserving the entire range of wildlife within our borders, from big game such as elk and deer to smaller mammals, reptiles and fish. The Department is one of the nation’s leading proponents of the “North American Model of Wildlife Conservation,” which relies on sound science, public participation, active habitat management, strict regulation and active law enforcement to sustain wildlife populations. Learn more at azgfd.com.
Mesa Community College is nationally recognized as an Aspen Prize Top 150 U.S. Community College and is known for service learning, career and technical programs, civic engagement and innovative approaches to education. The college has served as a resource for career readiness, transfer education, workforce development and lifelong learning throughout its 50-year history. Host to more than 30,000 students annually, MCC offers degree and certificate programs online, and at its two campuses and additional locations. Through Guided Pathways with Integrated Support Services, MCC is transforming the ways it champions student success, college completion, university transfer and career attainment or advancement. MCC is a Hispanic Serving Institution and more than 50% of its students are the first in their family to attend college. Its American Indian Institute serves 22 federally recognized Arizona tribes and more than 30 out-of-state tribes. The diverse student body includes more than 400 international students representing over 60 countries. Award-winning faculty are dedicated to student success, providing the education and training that empowers MCC students to successfully compete in the workforce. Located in the East Valley of Phoenix, Arizona, MCC is one of 10 colleges in the Maricopa County Community College District. Visit mesacc.edu to learn more.
Mesa Community College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC).
The Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD) is an EEO/AA institution and an equal opportunity employer of protected veterans and individuals with disabilities. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, or national origin. A lack of English language skills will not be a barrier to admission and participation in the career and technical education programs of the District. MCCCD does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability or age in its programs or activities. For Title IX/504 concerns, call the following number to reach the appointed coordinator: (480) 731-8499. For additional information, as well as a listing of all coordinators within the Maricopa College system, visit www.maricopa.edu/non-discrimination.