Featured Stories

Dear Tohono Chul Family, Hasn’t this monsoon season been WONDERFUL?! I cannot think of a more welcome gift, after a refreshing family vacation, than to return to billowing thunderclouds and cooling rains that quench the dusky landscape and transform it into the lush and verdant greens of a tropical forest....

Dear Tohono Chul Family, So much about this past year has been unsettling. Last year at this time I was writing to you during the height of the pandemic. Tohono Chul was closed and its future uncertain. The sky was filled with lung-searing smoke from the Bighorn Fire on the...

Dear Tohono Chul Family, New joy in the gardens today! Your smiling faces! Now as the public health safety allows, and for those fully vaccinated and who are comfortable shedding masks outdoors, I am delighted to see the big smiles. And that brings an even bigger smile for me. A...

Dear Tohono Chul Family, What a pleasure to be writing to you from my favorite, sunny bench here at Tohono Chul on this glorious spring morning as the pandemic is finally easing its grip, the gardens are bursting with bloom and the trees are filled with birdsong. Gathering together in...

Dear Tohono Chul Family, Some Valentine’s gifts are meant to be shared. This glorious one is shared with you—our family of donors, board members, members, volunteers, and friends—because it truly is your gift. My last letter brought thanks, and the celebratory news that you met the matching gift challenge made by a...

Dear Tohono Chul Family, Writing to you on this misty January morning, I’m thinking of the sunny spring days to come when the pandemic may finally ease, wildflowers will burst into bloom and we will be able to gather together in the gardens. Until then, this letter comes with sincere...

Dear Tohono Chul Family, As the Winter Solstice and the year’s longest night draws near, I hope you are finding comfort in the promise of a brighter New Year. At Tohono Chul, staff and volunteers are tending the winter gardens, filling the shops with holiday goodies, and the galleries with...

Dear Tohono Chul Family, In case you haven’t guessed, Tohono Chul family, my Mission is to bring you Good News. Not good news dressed in unrealistic optimism. Or good news graded on a curve. Real, honest-to-goodness Good News. And it’s here. But first, the context. Because real good news shines against...

Dear Tohono Chul Family, Maybe you know the old maxim, “There is no good news that comes without a challenge attached.” If you don’t know it, that’s probably because I just made it up. As you know, I always try to open these letters with some good news. And I...

Dear Tohono Chul Family, Something to look forward to. Something to be thankful for. Both may seem scarce these days. But in these letters to you, written under less-than-ideal circumstances, it hasn’t been a struggle to find something to look forward to, as well as something to be thankful for....

Dear Tohono Chul Family, In the few weeks since my last letter, our local and our statewide situation has once again shifted dramatically. Not only have the monsoon rains unfurled a new season of natural beauty and renewal, but we are also seeing tentative progress in containing the COVID-19 virus...

Dear Tohono Chul Family, In the short two weeks since my last letter, our local (and statewide) situation has shifted dramatically… The life-threatening wildfire fire on the mountain has now been 92% contained with relief from monsoon rains. The smoke has largely cleared and blue skies are once again the...

Dear Tohono Chul Family, I hope that in these turbulent times you are well and finding comfort with those you love. Since I last wrote, a short two weeks ago, we have experienced another frightening rise of the microscopic menace here in Arizona, plus massive wildfires on the mountain. I...

Dear Tohono Chul Family, I truly hope this finds you well and caring gently for yourself and your family. It has been 12 weeks since Tohono Chul closed to ensure the health and safety of staff, volunteers and visitors. And although it has often seemed overwhelming, writing these letters to...

Dear Tohono Chul Family, Every challenge presents an opportunity to learn and grow. And nothing in Tohono Chul’s 35-year history has put that maxim to the test like this current pandemic. Fear and anxiety brought on by uncertainty can be paralyzing. But with immense gratitude for your outpouring of support...

Dear Tohono Chul Family, Are you ready for some good news? A glimmer of hope that we will not only endure this tragic pandemic together, but emerge even stronger? Here are some reasons to be hopeful for Tohono Chul, for the community, and for you and your family: 1. Members. Over the last 5 years,...

Dear Tohono Chul Family, In this distressing time, I wish I could bring you news about when the COVID-19 crisis will end and when you will all be welcomed back to enjoy the gardens. While there is little news to share about what the future holds, I can offer an...

Dear Tohono Chul Family, Thank you for your understanding, kindness and devotion in these unimaginable times. Your outpouring of love and support has been absolutely overwhelming. You will be hearing from me periodically to update you about Tohono Chul as we seek to minimize the effects and mitigate the losses...

Dear Family, It is heartbreaking to be writing to you about how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting our beloved Tohono Chul. But because you are family, we must be open, honest and supportive of one another throughout this challenging time. We are bound together by a shared love of the Sonoran Desert and we...

Dear Tohono Chul Family and Friends, For your health and safety and for that of staff, volunteers and the general public all of Tohono Chul is closed starting Tuesday, March 17. This is a necessary precaution given the best available science about the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and how to contain its...