![]() More than 200 species of resident or migrating butterflies make homes at the butterfly center over the course of the year, including the vibrant Mexican bluewing, the tiny vicroy’s ministreak and the black swallowtail, which carpets the wild dill at the property with its eggs each spring. A barrier that will add to the nearly 700 miles of walls and fences that already exist on or near the border. At the same time, they drive desperate asylum seekers to risk their lives in the unforgiving desert.”įor Donald Trump, the new section of the barrier is making good on a campaign promise to build a “ big beautiful wall”. ![]() They weaken genetic diversity, fragment habitat, and trap animals in deadly floods. ![]() “They block wild animals from accessing the food, water and mates they need to survive. ![]() “Border walls are death sentences for wildlife and humans alike,” said Amanda Munro of the Southwest Environmental Center, an organization that works to restore and protect native wildlife and habitats. “Families trying to come into this country will be pushed into the desert to die.” “This is not just that they will drive ocelots to extinction,” said Nicol, referring to the critically endangered wild cat found in the Rio Grande Valley. Marianna Wright walks at the center near a border patrol truck. With construction of the wall due to begin in February, people like Nicol fear that the barrier will not only destroy habitat and undermine ecotourism but also lead to an increasingly deadly border as undocumented immigrants are pushed further and further into marginal and dangerous areas. The various patches of land that provide refuge for these animals will become “less viable, with less and less places for them to go”.Ī July letter sent from US Customs and Border Protection to a not-for-profit environmental group and seen by the Guardian describes the route and possible components of the project as including a 30ft-tall concrete and steel wall, roads, and a 150ft “enforcement zone” where all vegetation will be cleared. “Walls have fragmented our habitat,” said Scott Nicol, co-chair of the Sierra Club Borderland team. For us, the economic impact is potentially catastrophic.” “Many of the properties people choose to visit to see birds, butterflies and threatened and endangered species are all going to be behind the border wall. “Environmental tourism contributes more than $450m to Hidalgo and Starr counties,” said Wright, referring to the adjacent counties in the valley. ![]() An employee at the center waters the native plants. ![]()
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