Arizona

When Josiah Austin bought Cienega Ranch 25 years ago, it was in rough shape. The 19,000-acre spread on the Arizona-Mexico border takes its name from the cienega, or grassy marsh, that used to fill the valley floor, a lively green oasis in an otherwise austere landscape.

600-acres located immediately adjacent to the North Santa Teresa Wilderness Area, improving public access to the 6,600-acre wilderness area and the nearby 26,800-acre Santa Teresa Wilderness Area in the Coronado National Forest.

Marilyn Hanson retired from teaching biology in 1999—but she’s not the type to take it easy. Instead, she put on work gloves, picked up a shovel, and charged into the desert with the Sonoran Desert Weedwackers.