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
Floristic survey of Rio Vista Natural Resource Park in Tucson
Posted on Oct 04, 2020
John Scheuring and Gay Gilbert on a plant survey. Identifying plants without leaves, flowers or fruit is challenging!
In June 2020, the Tucson Chapter of AZNPS took on an important new project: to create a plant list for the Rio Vista Natural Resource Park in midtown Tucson. The Rio Vista Conservation Project, in collaboration with the City of Tucson Department of Parks and Recreation, approached the Tucson Chapter to ask for help. The Rio Vista Conservation Project attempts to identify and solve problems that might threaten the park’s integrity, and works to develop a long-term conservation plan that will guide the park in managing its resources effectively. They wanted an up-to-date survey of the vegetation and plant species diversity in the Park to inform their ongoing conservation goals.
Despite the challenges of working on this project during the pandemic while maintaining social distancing and protecting public health, Tucson chapter members Suzie Husband and Melanie Campbell-Carter took the lead in organizing the plant census project and maintaining the collective records of plant surveys. Eleven volunteers made 23 visits to the park in June and July, surveying and documenting the plants then present. Even in this drier-and-hotter-than-ever-before summer, 74 plant species were identified.
Because many plants in Arizona show strong seasonality, the group plans to continue the plant surveys throughout the seasons, with the next one scheduled for the end of September and into October, 2020. They also welcome more volunteers who might want to participate in this important project. This is a wonderful opportunity for interested citizens to increase their knowledge and to hobnob with other plant experts. If this piques your interest and you would like to volunteer or find out more, send an email to: plantsurvey2020@gmail.com. Melanie Campbell-Carter and Suzie Husband will be glad to respond to your questions.
Frank Rose “Retires”
Posted on Aug 03, 2019
The plant walk in the Catalinas on Thursday, August 1, was a little different. Frank Rose, the long-time leader has decided to slow down, and to a lot of his friends and followers that means this was the last plant walk he will lead as a “regular”. It was a cloudy and cool day, and botanizers saw a nice variety of blooms, including Thalictrum fendleri and Salvia arizonica. Lots of great food was eaten afterward.
Frank has been a singularly powerful advocate for native plants. Arizona Native Plant Society, his friends, his fans, and his followers have all been extremely grateful for his powerful leadership in putting nature’s bounty at the forefront of our lives.
Frank, may all your future plant walks be as sweet.
Sabino Springs Homeowners Association: Walking the Walk on Invasive Grasses
Posted on Jul 27, 2019
The Conservation Task Force of the Sabino Springs HOA began consulting with Arizona National Golf Club in 2016 to determine the best ways to manage the invasive plants in their community and throughout the Golf Course. When the Sabino Springs HOA signed a lease to operate the Golf Course mid-2018, Dr. John Scheuring, Conservation Director of Arizona Native Plant Society, toured the course with Golf Course Superintendent Rick Darby to consult and advise an action plan to start control and eradication of a rapidly growing populations of buffelgrass and fountain grass. With all the needed Course improvements the recommended plan exceeded the scope of work that had already been scheduled on the Golf Course. The results are a textbook example of how to manage buffelgrass and fountain grass. Dr. Scheuring toured the Course again in June 2019 and was thoroughly pleased with the results of progress made by the Golf Course Maintenance Staff’s dedicated efforts. He noted “The results will become a best practice example to other Golf Courses and park areas throughout the Tucson Metropolitan area”.
Rick Darby, Superintendent of Arizona National Golf Course
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.
