Courtesy of John Eriksson

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Arivaca Cienega, a spring-fed marsh known for its natural beauty and abundant bird life, now features an improved trail and an educational pavilion.

The new facilities, dedicated in ceremonies last month, are on land managed by the Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge. The site is near Arivaca southwest of Tucson.

"This is a precious oasis in an arid environment," and visitors now have improved access and expanded information on the area, said Bonnie Swarbrick, spokeswoman for the refuge.

Swarbrick said the educational pavilion is "a large shelter with very colorful and attractive interpretive signs including photos of birds, reptiles, plants and the features of the cienega.

"The reason this cienega, or spring-fed marsh, is here is that there is bedrock close to the surface, which makes the aquifer lie close to the surface," she said. "It creates the marsh and fills Willow Pond."

Swarbrick said other enhancements to the site include two new picnic shelters and improvements to the 1.25-mile Arivaca Cienega Trail, which consists of boardwalk sections in marshy areas of the route.

"The boardwalk was completely replaced" on the trail, which leads through several habitat types including areas of cottonwood and willow trees, she said. The trail will be fully accessible to wheelchairs when some finishing touches are completed this winter.

Many bird-watchers visit the cienega because of the numerous colorful species in the area. Among the birds seen there, depending on the season, are gray hawks, vermilion flycatchers and black-bellied whistling ducks.