Sustainable Tucson

In-Person: Ward 6 office, 3202 E 1st St
Tuesday, September 10, 6:30-8:00 pm

Did you know that the Santa Cruz River is the 4th most endangered river in the United States? Learn how we can protect this precious river by working to establish the Santa Cruz River Urban National Wildlife Refuge.

Designation as an urban national wildlife refuge protects crucial green space, improves and maintains wildlife habitat connectivity, ensures equitable access to the river and surrounding landscape for local communities, and honors the rich cultural and historical connections to the revitalized river. Urban refuges also improve equitable access to the outdoors for local residents by protecting green spaces that support community health and well-being. An urban wildlife refuge designation can protect threatened open space in perpetuity.
 
The ecologically and culturally vibrant Santa Cruz River flows through the heart of Tucson. The proposed refuge boundary would run through both Santa Cruz and Pima Counties. It would include multiple properties along the river to maximize outdoor access and enable holistic habitat protection. The refuge would include several access points along the river where it parallels downtown Tucson.

Our speaker will be Luke Cole, director of the Santa Cruz River program in Sonoran Institute’s Resilient Communities and Watersheds team. Luke joined Sonoran Institute in 2018 and manages the ongoing projects on the Santa Cruz River, working with staff and collaborators to restore and enhance this Living River in the heart of southern Arizona and northern Sonora. Prior to joining the Sonoran Institute, Luke worked for the Washington, D.C. city government tracking the District’s green infrastructure and water quality improvement programs with a focus on coordinating tree planting programs and policy.  Luke has a Ph.D. in environmental sciences from the University of Virginia, an M.S. in oceanography from the University of Rhode Island, and a B.A. in biology from St. Mary’s College of Maryland.
 
Luke will present on this community-led conservation project to protect the health of the Santa Cruz River and the native and endangered species that rely on the river. He will provide an update on how this important project is progressing and provide an opportunity for people attending the meeting to write their support for the establishment of the Santa Cruz River Urban National Wildlife Refuge.

Desert Fishes of the Southwest

Tuesday, July 9, 6:00-7:20 pm

 We’re back – live and in-person (with hybrid option)! 
Join us on Tuesday 7/9 – at the Ward 6 office OR online.  Doors open at 5:30, and the Zoom room opens at 5:50.
 
Address:  3202 E 1st St, Tucson, AZ 85716. 

In the age of habitat loss and climate change, fish play a vital role in the web of life.  Our Southwest region consists of aquatic islands, surrounded by desert.  We have trout up in the mountains, other fishes on the Mogollon Rim, big species living in the Grand Canyon.  The culture and ecology of fish in Arizona is full of complexity.  For example, sport fishing brings $1 billion into our economy each year, yet sport fish deplete native fish by eating them.  Other threats to native species include climate change, groundwater pumping, and other forms of habitat disruption.

Scott Bonar is a Professor of Natural Resources at UA and Leader of the USGS Arizona Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit. He has conducted award-winning work in natural resources programs of state and federal government, universities, and private industry for over twenty-five years, authoring over 100 publications and supervising over eighty employees.

Scott has also authored a book on people skills for natural resources professionals.  The journal Ecology called it a “must read.” He enjoys working with fish managers and administrators on practical problems in fisheries management as well as the human dimensions.
 
Topics he will cover: A Who’s Who of desert fishesWhat fish give to the ecology and the economyFactors affecting desert fishesWhat we can do (or avoid) to protect and restore their populations 
Join us for a fascinating foray into the fisheries of the Southwest!

Perspectives on Tucson’s Rich Agricultural History

Tuesday, May 14, at 6:00 pm

Agriculture has a 4,000-year history in the Tucson basin. Join us at our May monthly meeting, when we will explore that rich history.

Duran Andrews, San Xavier Cooperative Farm Manager, and Kendall Kroesen, PhD, outgoing Outreach Coordinator at the Mission Garden, will offer views of Tucson’s agricultural history, sharing perspectives on its influence through the centuries on the region’s shape and development. They will consider how changes in population, technologies of agriculture, and climate have impacted agricultural development in our region and how they all weigh in the balance as we envision a sustainable future. Opportunity for questions and discussion will follow the presentation.

How the Reuse Movement is Building a Sustainable Future

Tuesday, April 9, 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM

While it’s still important to recycle and build better systems for it, more recycling will not solve our growing municipal waste problem and our over-reliance on single-use products and packaging, all of which are designed to be used immediately and then thrown away.  Somewhere along the way, we forgot that the first two R’s – reduce and reuse – are way more important than recycling for protecting the environment.  Unlike recycling, reusable products are in constant use and conserve existing resources, instead of using new materials.

Join us Tuesday, April 9, at 6 pm for a presentation on the environmental, economic, and social benefits of transitioning from the linear, throw-away economy to one that is regenerative, circular, and equitable.

Our speaker will be Melissa Jung, who serves as Reuse Networks Manager for Upstream Solutions.  Upstream is a leading change agency for the reuse movement in the US and Canada.  It works to spark innovative solutions and forge strategic alliances to help people, businesses and communities shift from single use to reuse.  This work includes normalizing reuse systems, growing and supporting the reuse industry, and creating an enabling policy environment for reuse. Based in Mesa, AZ, Melissa’s focuses most of her time on supporting the education and adoption of reuse systems at the local level.  She networks with a large community of reuse solutioneers that are working to activate change across business and policy sectors.  This includes engaging NGOs, entrepreneurs, local organizations, community leaders, and public officials.

Melissa has been involved in sustainability work for the past 10 years, with a foundation in plastic pollution science as well as a wealth of organizing and advocacy experience.  She is excited about working with reuse advocates in Arizona while enjoying all the outdoors that the state has to offer. 

Converging Trends in Social, Cultural, Environmental,
and Economic Well-Being

March 12, 2024 • 6:00 to 7:30
Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85747920564?pwd=czRwR0lCREVPeHZ1R1IrN1hhUnB2UT09

Developing sustainable and affordable housing is a long-term method to conserve the healthy functionality of livable spaces for the well-being of all.
 
Join us for a conversation with Ann Vargas, Tres English, and David Eisenberg, who have over 80 years of collective experience in the field of housing, from construction and codes to policy and management. These three panelists will illuminate the intersection of climate protection and housing justice, taking a systems view and identifying key steps that we can take for systemic change.

The weather keeps getting hotter and drier in southern Arizona.  In 2021, the EPA reported that Pima is the third fastest warming county in the US.  In 2023, July was Tucson’s hottest month on record.

We need more shade!  This was the chorus from Tucson residents as the City worked on its climate action plan, Tucson Resilient Together.  The Million Trees project is a big part of the community’s effort to cool the urban heat island.  A side-benefit:  according to a report in Science (Bastin et al, 2019), “Photosynthetic carbon capture by trees is likely to be among our most effective strategies to limit the rise of CO₂ concentrations.”  Other benefits of city trees include:

• Cleaning the air
• Beautifying neighborhoods, business districts, parks
• Calming traffic
• Reducing risk of violence
• Providing habitat for birds

Join us for a panel conversation on what we can do to expand the urban forest, especially in parts of Tucson that are currently sparsely shaded. 

Panelists:
Adam Farrell-Wortman, director of horticulture at Tucson Botanical Gardens, manages the care of a diverse palette of herbs, forbs, cactus, shrubs, and trees.  As a garden steward and educator, Adam specializes in regenerative practices such as composting and mulching.  Currently, he is overseeing a study of natural soil regeneration for the health and vigor of trees in the Gardens.
Ann Audrey, lead consultant on Tucson’s Urban Forest Master Plan and author of the guidebook, Native Trees for Tucson:  Ten Best Practices for Using Native Trees to Improve Urban Climate Change Resilience.  Other projects include a response guide to insect and disease threats in urban forests of Arizona and New Mexico, and editing the Rainwater Harvesting Manual, used throughout the US to train rainwater harvesting professionals.
Vikram Krishnamurthy leads the Tree Equity Alliance, a cross-sector initiative launched by American Forests to unite diverse national partners in supporting the national Tree Equity movement.  Prior to joining American Forests, Vikram served as Executive Director of the Delaware Center for Horticulture, an urban greening nonprofit based in Wilmington. In addition to reinventing DCH’s Branches to Chances® workforce and re-entry program, he helped to launch the Delaware River Climate Corps program.  He brings experience in urban forestry, land conservation and local food systems, all of which contribute to his commitment to equity and environmental justice.