Southwestern Research Station

The Southwestern Research Station will be closed due to the COVID-19 outbreak until further notice as of Thursday March 19th.

No more meal reservations will be taken at this time, the gift shop will be closed, and our birding area and grounds will be closed to the public.

Staff will be mostly working from home, so phone messages will be checked infrequently. The best way to reach us is to send email inquiries to [email protected] or to particular staff members.

We will do everything we can to minimize the impact on our researchers and we hope that a strong response to the pandemic will mean that we can resume normal operations soon. We will keep you updated as we learn more, determine which events must be cancelled, and can get a sense of when we may be able to resume normal operations. If your reservations are cancelled due to this event we will refund your deposit.

We still intend to evaluate and select a student for the 2020 Outstanding Graduate Research Award. We may extend the time-frame in which the award can be used depending on how events unfold.

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The Southwestern Research Station is a biological field station that provides scientists, educators, and students from around the world the opportunity to participate in research, workshops, and classes in one of the most biologically rich environments in the United States.

Located in the Chiricahua Mountains of southeastern Arizona, the Station is situated in the heart of the Madrean Sky Island Archipelago, which stretches from the tropical Sierra Madre Occidental up to the Rocky Mountains. The habitats around SWRS include an elevational gradient from low desert to alpine meadows, rich riparian areas, and a unique blend of Chihuahuan and Sonoran Desert species.

The Southwestern Research Station serves scientists, students, and groups that strive to conserve the world’s biodiversity and add to our knowledge of the natural world. SWRS is a non-profit organization under the direction of the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) In New York. 

Announcements

We are delighted to announce the new Southwestern Research Station Graduate Field Research Award! 

This new fund was endowed by an anonymous donor to support field research by graduate students at SWRS. The purpose of this competitive award is to make extensive station-based fieldwork possible for graduate students, recognizing that such fieldwork provides a uniquely immersive opportunity to explore their study system and develop a sense of place.

The recipient receives an award of up to US $5000 to be applied towards covering station fees, research equipment and supplies, and travel expenses. Supported fieldwork must be in the Chiricahuas or neighboring areas. Regional projects including those with components at neighboring field stations within Arizona will be considered, but supported research must be based in part at SWRS. Due date is March 15, 2020.

Download the award announcement and application instructions here:

Our Course on Coleoptera Taxonomy will be offered at SWRS again in August 2021.  With lead instructor Richard Leschen, and course coordinator Steven Lingafelter students, will learn field methods, morphology, classification, and identification of beetles. 

Our new Trees of the Chiricahuas Course will return for a third year in September, 2020. The course welcomes arborists, ecologists, and other students of tree biology for an intensive five days studying the ecology, soil biology, and desert adaptations of the diverse tree communities of the Chiricahuas. 

All five of our Chiricahua weather stations are up and running! Visit the local transect network page to access data from SWRS, the top of the mountains (Bootlegger Saddle), the desert (Chiricahua Desert Museum), and Chiricahua National Monument.

The 2019 SWRS Newsletter is out! Download it here:

Contact Us

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 520-558-2396

Fax: 520-558-2018

Office hours are 8 am–12pm and 1pm–4pm, Mountain Standard Time. Arizona does not observe Daylight Savings Time. Get mailing addresses and staff information.