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.