A Note from Executive Director Jamie Maslyn Larson
November 26, 2024Dear Tohono Chul Community,
I have been feeling reflective as we approach our 40th anniversary next year. Since Dick and Jean Wilson began laying out Tohono Chul’s trails in the 1980s, the world has changed tremendously. Their vision for Tohono Chul was to “keep something natural in the middle of all the development so that people could come easily for a few hours.” However, the Wilsons could not have predicted the impact that climate change and prolonged drought would have on our gardens.
Knowing how much you rely on Tohono Chul’s gardens for your well-being, happiness, and sense of community, we must find ways to adapt to these challenges and ensure that our gardens remain a haven for you and for future generations. With your support, we have already achieved so much!
Growing Towards a Sustainable Future
- Tree Succession Plan: We have fewer shade trees today because of the prolonged 23-year drought and more intense storms. So we embarked on a comprehensive tree succession plan which will ensure that our trees are properly managed, identifies new tree plantings, and assesses our trees for climate risk. We have planted several large sized trees in key areas, inventoried and assessed 75% of our tree collection and our propagations department is growing over 250 desert trees for future tree planting.
- Water Conservation: Tohono Chul’s antiquated, manually operated system requires a total overhaul, transitioning to modern, app-based clocks and meters, rewiring valves to the clocks, and changing out hundreds of sprinklers to low-water drip emitters. To date, approximately 50% of our irrigation is now upgraded to this water-wise and manual-labor free system.
- Dark Skies Compliance: We’ve completed the installation of new lighting so that we meet Dark Skies regulations. This not only reduces light pollution but also enhances nighttime beauty, allowing visitors to enjoy the gardens under the stars while preserving our nocturnal wildlife’s natural habitat.
Enhancing the Garden Experience
- Children’s Garden: We’ve refreshed all garden beds with new plantings, removed invasive species, and improved irrigation lines. This creates a more engaging and sustainable space for our younger visitors and their families.
- Desert Palm Oasis and Mesquite Bosque: We’ve removed dead and invasive plants and have introduced new native species, revitalizing these areas for a more immersive desert experience.
- Queen of the Night Cacti Cultivation: We’re currently growing over 300 Queen of the Night (Peniocereus greggii) cacti. Many of these will be planted throughout the gardens, promising even more spectacular Bloom Night events in the future.
- Plant Propagation: Our nursery team propagated over 1,200 plants in preparation for our Fall Plant Sale that took place in October. This effort supports our mission of promoting desert-adapted plants and provides you with the opportunity to grow a piece of Tohono Chul at your own home.
A Shared Vision for Tomorrow
In a world that’s constantly changing, we believe that places like Tohono Chul are more important than ever. We all need somewhere to escape, to breathe, to reconnect with nature and each other. Our hope is that when you walk through our garden, you feel a sense of peace and belonging—a place where the outside world’s worries simply melt away.
Thanks for being a part of our family and for helping us create a haven of beauty and community in the heart of the desert. We invite you to make plans to visit your desert oasis for a few hours, just as the Wilsons dreamed for us.
With heartfelt gratitude, | Con sincera gratitude,
Jamie Maslyn Larson
Executive Director
jamie@tohonochul.org