Saturday, September 24th and Sunday, September 25th (two tour alternatives)
Meet at the Waterman Restoration Site in Tucson
Directions: 19 Miles east of I-10 on Avra Valley Road, turn left at the Pioneer sign, drive one mile ahead and bear left all the way.
Please wear sturdy shoes and bring a camelback or fanny pack for water. We will be walking slowly but over uneven and sometimes rocky terrain.
8:00 AM- 10AM
Limit: 12 participants
RSVP to nativeplantstucson@gmail.
The Waterman Restoration site on Ironwood Forest National monument is now in full desert recovery with over 110 native plant species and a gradually increasing number of insects, birds, small mammals, reptiles and even visits of desert sheep. In the mid-2000s this same site was known as the “Mother of all Buffelgrass Patches”.
After generous recent rains, the desert is now coming alive. Perennial plants are leafing out and new plants are emerging underfoot. We will stroll through a desert in various stages of restoration, walking among mid-size and newly emerging desert trees, ocotillos, and bushes; learning how to identify them in different phases. We will learn about many overlooked plants that are powerful restoration agents and soil builders. We will see plant succession in action among trees and shrubs. We will also see how simple water harvesting techniques have brought life-giving moisture to the landscape and healed areas that had been bare and apparently “sterile”. Best of all we will discover new things from participants who happen to see something unexpected or who have knowledge or observations to share with the group.
This will be an opportunity to enjoy the desert together and learn from one another!
