The Tucson chapter holds meetings between September and May each year, with a summer break. We meet on the second Thursday of each month at 7:00 pm. We hold “hybrid” meetings, where we meet both in person and also on Zoom. The live meetings will be in the ENR2 (Environment and Natural Resources 2) building at the University of Arizona, located on 6th street near Park. We meet in Room S215. Parking is available in the 6th St parking garage adjacent to ENR2. A credit card is required to pay for garage parking. If you are not on our mailing list and wish to attend one of our meetings on Zoom, email us at NativePlantsTucson@gmail.com to request the Zoom link. Videos of past meetings can be found on our YouTube channel.
Chapter meeting for December, 2024
MEMBER’S SHOWCASE AND HOLIDAY GATHERING
December 12, 2024 meeting, presentation, 7pm
U of A campus, Environment and Natural Resources Building (ENR2), Room S255
1064 E. Lowell Street, U of A Campus, Tucson, AZ
MEMBER’S SHOWCASE AND HOLIDAY GATHERING
Jillian Cowles – Chasing Wildflowers
Logan Phillips – Tucson’s Birthplace Open Space Coalition
Our December meeting will feature the Member’s Showcase. Two of our esteemed AZNPS members will regale us with presentations about topics in which they have a particular interest. After the talks, we will have a social hour, with cider and goodies and the chance to chat with friends. If you are able, please bring a holiday food treat to share.
Jillian Cowles will share her amazing photographs of some rare cactus and other plants that she has sought out over the past year. Jillian is the author of “Amazing Arachnids,” an amazing book published by Princeton University Press about the arachnids (spiders, mites, and other cool stuff) of the Southwest. Her photos are always a delight.
Logan Phillips is a Tucson poet, educator, and community activist who will tell us about the Tucson’s Birthplace Open Space Program (https://tucsonopenspace.org/). This effort, in which he is deeply involved, is focused on restoring the area between A Mountain and the Santa Cruz River, in the area near Mission Garden, into an open space and urban wildlife refuge that will honor the history of the Santa Cruz basin.
Save the date: January 9, 2025, at 7:00 pm. Wendy Hodgson from the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix will talk about “Yuccas and their Moths.”
JOIN OUR CHAPTER E-LIST
Join Our Chapter E-list: If you would like to receive announcements about field trips and meetings via e-mail, send a note to the Tucson Chapter email to be added to the list. Stay informed by joining us on Facebook.
Usually the most up-to-date information about upcoming chapter events can be found on our Facebook page.
Caring for agave and baby cacti? Consider volunteer opportunities at the Pima County Native Plant Nursery! Located at 5845 N. Camino de la Tierra, the Pima County Native Plant Nursery grows native plants for public projects and is looking for volunteers to help with weeding, watering and propagation. The nursery is open Monday to Friday 7:00am to 3:30 pm. Email Amy for available times/days and details. Plant salvage at Cortaro Farms from Camino Del Oeste to Thornydate prior to road improvement project.
Chapter News
Sara Plummer Lemmon – for whom Mount Lemmon is named – is finally getting her due!
Posted on Nov 03, 2021
On November 1, 2021, Wynne Brown’s new book The Forgotten Botanist: Sara Plummer Lemmon’s Life of Science and Art, was officially released by the University of Nebraska Press. Some of you may remember Wynne’s wonderful presentation to the Tucson chapter of AZNPS about 3 years ago, back when we were still meeting at Ward 6 offices. After 6 years of Wynne’s energy, effort, and dedication, her account of one of Arizona’s remarkable women is now available for your reading pleasure.
Here is a link to an AZPM story about Wynne and her research, from 2019.
Tucson Chapter PICNIC and PLANT RAMBLE! Saturday, September 11 at 11:00 am
Posted on Sep 02, 2021
After a long period of virtual-only meetings, let’s have an outdoor get-together! Join us on Saturday, September 11, 2021, for a “bring your own everything” picnic and plant ramble at 11:00 am at the Molino Basin Campground and picnic area about 6 miles up on the Catalina Highway in the Coronado National Forest. We can meet and chat in the relative safety of the outdoors, and after lunch, several members will lead short plant walks in the vicinity.
In the spirit of COVID, we will provide exactly NOTHING. You will need to bring your own lunch, beverage, and chair or stool or blanket. Bring a hat, water, sunglasses and sunscreen, and anything else you will need. Depending on the size of the group, we may cluster around a picnic table or two, or we may just gather near the parking lot. But for those of us who are vaccinated and feel comfortable with such a gathering, we hope to see you there. We are especially looking forward to meeting any new members of our chapter who have not yet been able to attend any events in person! However, please be prepared to practice social distancing and wear a mask.
The Bufflegrass Battle is front page news, July 18, 2020
Posted on Jul 23, 2021
Total victory might be out of reach, but Tucson’s war on weeds isn’t a hopeless quagmire.
Experts say buffelgrass and other invasive plants can be brought under control with effort, patience and proper care.
rare cactus and other plants that she has sought out over the past year. Jillian is the author of “Amazing Arachnids,” an amazing book published by Princeton University Press about the arachnids (spiders, mites, and other cool stuff) of the Southwest. Her photos are always a delight.
