Rewilding Earth Podcast – Episode 164 Summary

Cuenca Los Ojos – A Rewilding Success Story Still Being Written with Valerie Gordon
Released: December 29, 2025
Host: Jack Humphrey
Guest: Valerie Gordon (Director, Cuenca Los Ojos)

Overview of Episode Theme

This episode chronicles the extraordinary three-decade journey of Cuenca Los Ojos (CLO), a vast 121,000-acre conservation reserve in the Sky Islands of Sonora, Mexico. Host Jack Humphrey and guest Valerie Gordon, Director of CLO, discuss the project’s evolution from "Restoration 1.0"—human-led interventions restoring water and soils—to “Restoration 2.0”: reintroducing native species and allowing animals (the true ecosystem engineers) to take the lead. The conversation offers a boots-on-the-ground look at what it takes to rewild land in an arid, challenging environment, why local community involvement matters, and previews the exciting imminent reintroduction of bison to the region.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Cuenca Los Ojos: Core Mission and The Shift to Animal-Led Restoration

• Valerie describes CLO’s journey: from initial restoration by human hands (rockwork, gabions, berms) to embracing wildlife as ecosystem engineers.
  • “Restoration 2.0 for Cuenca. We're not changing our mission… We're now using animals who have been missing from the landscape but should be here.” (Valerie, 02:48)
• Focus remains on soil stabilization, water flow restoration, and now, inviting animals—like beavers and soon bison—to shape the land.

2. The Scope and Impact of 30 Years of Human-Led Restoration

• Stunning statistics: 40,000+ rock structures, 1,000+ berms, 80 industrial gabions, 6 miles of formerly dry arroyos now flowing year-round.
  • Valerie suggests: “The best way to get people to understand it is to come and visit… it really is hard to grasp that until you spend hours walking through this perennial stream in the driest time of the year and you're like, wait a minute, we're still in water...” (05:52)
• Impact: Water on the landscape has triggered cascading ecological benefits, reviving fish populations and attracting wildlife.

3. Ecological Richness: From Bees to Birds to Beavers

• Over 400 bee species, 90+ mammal species, 250+ bird species, and several endemic fish.
  • “If you can just picture being in a canyon with flowers that are 7, 8ft tall with bees and butterflies everywhere, and it felt like a Disney movie.” (Valerie, 09:29)
• The wall along the US-Mexico border even affects bee movement, creating a physical and vibrational barrier (11:23).

4. Restoration Challenges: Adaptive Management in a Dynamic System

• Increased water leads to brush and tree encroachment (mesquite, juniper), which can impede water flow.
• CL0 is engaged in constant, adaptive management, including agave reforestation challenged by a weevil invasion.
  • “Restoration is messy.” (Jack, 09:01)
  • “Yes, restoration is messy.” (Valerie, 09:03)

5. Spotlight: Fauna Returns and the Beavers’ Story

• Beavers were reintroduced and thrived, creating “magnificent water features,” but recent monsoons washed out dams; efforts to reestablish their population are underway (12:52).
• Ocelots, black bears, jaguars, and many birds are now returning or passing through.

6. Significance of the Cohombonito Stream

• The stream supports eight native fish species. Its persistence in an arid region is vital for migratory and resident species—"the lifeblood" of the ecosystem (17:28).
  • “A fish can't get away… the fact that we can have, you know, a four or five inch fish in the Combonito is, is pretty amazing.” (Valerie, 17:28)
• Ancient indigenous presence noted—grinding stones in the riverbed signal its long-standing importance (18:50).

7. Community & Economic Vision: Return on Investment in Hope

• Valerie emphasizes ecological restoration as an investment in hope—“there are certain parts of climate change that can be turned around.” (20:07)
• Plans to integrate rewilding with local economies, especially in Agua Prieta—envisioning eco-tourism, educational pullouts, and increased pride and participation among local residents (20:07–23:46).

8. Wildlife Corridors & Highway Crossings

• Highway 2 bisects the reserve; animal crossings are critical. CLO and partners are in dialogue with transportation officials to improve or create wildlife underpasses/overpasses (23:46–25:46).

9. Major News: Bison Return to Sonora

• CLO is poised to reintroduce 25 Wind Cave bison, absent from Sonora for ~300 years (26:01).
  • “[We’re] ready to welcome 25 bison to Sonora very soon… they're going to arrive and it's going to be really magnificent.” (Valerie, 26:01)
• Bison are endangered in Mexico and strictly protected, complicating their management compared to the US (27:24).
  • “...you can't manage them… But what that's meant is that no one has wanted to have bison because… they just reproduce and then become a big impact on the landscape.” (Valerie, 27:24)
• CLO is working with Mexican agencies to adjust the bison’s legal status for balanced management.

10. Future Aspirations: Predators, Expansion, Collaboration

• CLO dreams of restoring full trophic interactions (e.g., jaguars and bison on the same landscape).
• Expansion of the reserve, partnerships with other landowners, and collaborations with Wildlands Network, Rewilding Institute, and others are critical to scaling rewilding success (33:24–35:41).
  • “We need more prey base if we're going to start engaging with more predator work. We need to do studies to make sure that we have the prey base and prey base needs room to run and, and so do predators.” (Valerie, 33:24)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Restoration Philosophy:
  “Restoration 2.0 for Cuenca… We're now using animals who have been missing from the landscape but should be here.” — Valerie Gordon (02:48)
• On Landscape Transformation:
  “You spend hours walking through this perennial stream in the driest time of the year and you're like, wait a minute, we're still in water…” — Valerie (05:52)
• On the Paradise Feel:
  “If you can just picture being in a canyon with flowers that are 7, 8ft tall with bees and butterflies everywhere, and it felt like a Disney movie.” — Valerie (09:29)
• On Restoration Realities:
  “Restoration can be messy.” — Jack (09:01)
  “Yes, restoration is messy.” — Valerie (09:03)
• On Wildlife’s Challenges:
  “This fancy wall that is going up between the US and Mexico, actually… makes it very hard for bees to actually travel through.” — Valerie (11:23)
• On Bison Management in Mexico:
  “...you can't manage them… But what that's meant is that no one has wanted to have bison because… they just reproduce and then become a big impact on the landscape.” — Valerie (27:24)
• On Hope as a Return:
  “I think the return on investment is hope.” — Valerie (20:07)

Important Timestamps

• [02:48] Philosophy of Restoration 2.0 and animal-led rewilding.
• [05:52] Scope of restoration works: rock dams, perennial water, and ecological transformation.
• [09:29] Vivid description of restored floristic and faunal diversity.
• [11:23] Unintended consequences of the border wall on bee movement.
• [12:52] Beaver reintroduction—success, setbacks, and future plans.
• [17:28] Ecological importance of Cohombonito stream and native fish.
• [20:07] On return on investment: hope and climate change reversal.
• [23:46] Wildlife corridor challenges posed by Highway 2.
• [26:01] Announcement: imminent bison reintroduction.
• [27:24] Complexities of bison management under Mexican law.
• [33:24] Necessity for reserve expansion, more prey base, and partnerships to realize full rewilding potential.

Conclusion & Final Thoughts

Cuenca Los Ojos stands as a beacon for restoration success in a harsh environment—a site where enduring work and patience yield remarkable ecological recoveries. Valerie Gordon’s passion and candor about the challenges, lessons, and hopes for CLO offer a masterclass for conservationists and rewilding enthusiasts. The upcoming return of bison marks a new chapter echoing the broader vision: letting nature’s original architects lead, while humans provide the support, strategy, and boundary-pushing energy to keep the rewilding story unfolding.

For more information, extra resources, and ways to support Cuenca Los Ojos, visit rewilding.org/pod and follow Cuenca Los Ojos on social media.