Tucson Meet Yourself

Festival

October 17th - October 19th

The Living Desert Alliance is hosting a table at the Tucson Meet Yourself festival in downtown Tucson this Saturday, October 17th thru Sunday the 19th.

Located in front of the Joel D. Valdez Main Library, 101 N. Stone, this event celebrates the diverse cultures and traditions of Southern Arizona and helps support, honor, and promote the traditional arts and heritage practices of the region 

So, come on down and enjoy the festivities. There will be plenty of food, music, dance and folk art, PLUS, entry is FREE.

Make sure to stop by our table for a meet and greet

and to learn more about the Living Desert Alliance.

See You there! Click here to plan your visit.

Updated Pima Prospers Plan Puts County on Track for Next Decade

On Tuesday, October 14^th, the Pima County Board of Supervisors (PCBS) voted 4-1 to approve Pima Prospers 2025. This wide-ranging plan, actively supported by the Coalition for Sonoran Desert Protection and numerous environmental organizations, commits the County to continue to manage its open space lands and coordinate with other land management agencies to improve community health, preserve the County’s historic heritage, and help combat climate change.

The Living Desert Alliance applauds the members of PCBS who voted to approve this plan and all citizens and citizen groups who wrote the board and attended the meeting in support. Bravo!

Click here to review the PCBS Bulletin announcing this important action.

An ICE Detention Center in Marana?

Learn more at a

Community Forum, Oct 23rd

Management and Training Corp., a company operating ICE facilities around the U.S., has purchased the now-closed Marana Community Correctional Treatment Facility, 12610 West Silverbell Road, for millions of dollars.

It seems unlikely they'd spend that kind of money without a plan to build an ICE facility right in Marana’s backyard and only four miles away from the growing Gladen Farms community. The implications of this facility, with a capacity of 450 inmates, being reopened are concerning, especially regarding noise pollution, increased traffic, ancillary support requirements and services.

To learn more, join a community forum led by County Supervisor Jen Allen on October 23rd from 6:30 – 8:00 pm at Coyote Trails Elementary School, 8000 N Silverbell Rd., Tucson. Let your voice be heard at this important community event.

The Santa Cruz Valley National Heritage Area

Connecting People to Historical

and Cultural Foundations

The Santa Cruz Valley National Heritage Area (SCVNHA) connects people to the historical and cultural foundations and the living landscape of the Santa Cruz Valley and actively work towards its long-term stewardship. They achieve their goals by connecting and engaging partners in the territory in voluntary and collaborative efforts, respecting living traditions, and private property rights.

Their October 2025 newsletter offers a wide variety of paths and trails of the Santa Cruz Valley which has served as a crossroads for humankind for more than 12,000 years. They explain that these ancient footpaths were traced through the natural landscape, many beginning as game trails, then becoming vital hunting, trade, and migration routes for countless people. Some modern roadways were originally the well-developed transits of Native Americans, who studied and navigated the terrain for ongoing safety and simplicity. Today, they serve many purposes.

SCVNHA encourages you to venture where many have roamed before you, whether it’s along a rugged mountain or in an urban environment.

Click here to start your adventure and to explore their informative website.