Sahuarita Library

Community Townhall

Saturday, April 12th: 11 AM-12:30

670 W Sahuarita Rd, Sahuarita

Join Save the Scenic Santa Ritas leadership and local community members to learn the latest on the Copper World open pit mine and how you can become involved.

Learn the facts:

• 6 open pit copper mines across the Santa Ritas, destroying the northern ridgeline.
• Foreign mining company extracting copper from Arizona for processing overseas.
• 2-4 billion gallons of water use per year.
• 500 ft. HIGH waste dumps next to neighborhood homes and schools.

STOP COPPER WORLD!

This is even more important now that a current executive order streamlines mining permits.

RSVP Here

Climate Community Day at Pima Community College

Pima Community College (PCC) presented Climate Community Day on April 8th, at their Downtown Campus.

They featured engaging sessions on climate action and sustainability, from the Arizona Youth Climate Coalition, an afternoon keynote presentation by Alison Hawthorne Deming', and a Career Panel featuring local businesses and innovators.

The event included over thirty environmental organizations; many who are already partners with the Living Desert Alliance.

Attendees explored PCC's efforts in sustainability, connected with community leaders, and discovered ways to become involved in climate solutions.

Living Desert Alliance leadership presented information about our organization including ways to become involved in community environmental efforts.

Another successful PCC event. See you there next year!



This week is

Food Waste Prevention Week

Benefits of Food Waste Recycling

Food waste recycling salvages lost food and its associated resources. Wasted food isn’t just about the food; it’s also water, transport, energy, and labor. Recycling food waste can create tens of thousands of jobs, drive innovation, generate clean energy, boost soil health, and generally improve the standard of living for innumerable individuals.



Click Benefits of Food Waste Recycling to review our January 16th newsletter and learn about local recourses.

Click here to learn of national efforts to educate everyone on the importance of food waste recycling.

University of Arizona

Compost Cats

Cats with a Long Tale to Tell

Since the Compost Cat's humble beginnings in 2011, this program has diverted over 30 million pounds of organics from local landfills, making them a critical partner to waste management and broader sustainability efforts at the University of Arizona, the City of Tucson, and across the region.



Today, Compost Cats shares the Office of Sustainability’s mission and purpose, focusing on organic waste reduction and diversion, community outreach and engagement, public education, and research facilitation.

Their main projects are tailored to address specific community needs like,

• promotion of food security
• reduction of greenhouse gas emissions
• increasing carbon soil sequestration and
• the creation of accessible experiential sustainability education.

They collaborate with governmental entities, local school districts, UArizona departments, and numerous non-profit organizations and businesses in the Southern Arizona community to inform, inspire, and engage campus and community stakeholders about environmental stewardship and strengthen connections across the region.

Click here to learn more about the Compost Cats,

and the great service they are performing for our community

Rotary Club

of Tucson Verde

Our Newest Community Partner

Rotary Club of Tucson Verde members are a diverse group of local professionals who share a drive to give back to the community through service, continued learning, and friendship.

​Their mission statement says it all. “We Invest our time and resources on projects that will improve the ecological and sustainable environment of our community and planet. No project is too small.”



They follow the Rotary Foundation Trustees, and the Rotary International Board of Directors focus on supporting the environment. This focus has resulted in more than $18 million in Foundation global grant funding being allocated to environment-related projects over the past five years. This funding gives local clubs, such as the Rotary Club of Tucson Verde, even more ways to bring about positive change our community.

An invitation to Rotary club meetings is NOT required. They are always open to anyone interested in hearing a speaker, learn more about their organization, or make new friends.

Meetings occur on the first and third Wednesdays of each month from 5:30 - 7pm at 1510 E Grant Rd Tucson, AZ 85719.

Click here for a calendar of meetings and community events.

For more information, contact: jenrotaryclubtucsonverde@gmail.com.

Tres Rios Water Reclamation

Facility Tour

Wed, April 23rd. 9am-2pm

7101 N Casa Grande Hwy

Tucson, AZ 85743

Join the Living Desert Alliance leadership and members of the Watershed Management Group on a fascinating and educational tour focusing on the science and technology behind wastewater treatment being performed at this facility for the protection of our community.

The Tres Ríos Water Reclamation Facility serves metropolitan Tucson and treats approximately 30 million gallons of wastewater per day (MGD).

More information on this informative tour in next week's newsletter.

Tucson Verde Rotary Home Tour

Sunday, April 27, 2025 10:00am to 2:00pm

Tickets: $25.00

Enjoy the day visiting different locations and homes throughout Tucson displaying environmental features focused on sustainability. A great opportunity to meet new people and learn how to make a better tomorrow for our community.

Stops include:

• Off the grid home highlighting passive solar, water harvesting, and a cooling tower
• 43-acre earth friendly mud adobe cohousing community in the desert
• Urban all-electric infill in the Mercado with sustainable building examples
• Santa Rosa Barrio eclectic modern build with a 1911 art studio renovation and a fun courtyard
• 7,000 sq.ft. Barrio Viejo urban infill home built in 2003 with an old soul feel
• Transformation of a 1929 garage to artist studio with water harvesting in Iron Horse
• Backyard infill and award-winning ADU in midtown
• Watershed Management Group's Living Lab tour to engage, learn, and share.

Click here to learn more about this

exciting tour and purchase tickets.

Major Downtown Tucson Save the Santa Ritas Rally

Saturday, May 3rd from 2 to 4 pm

Mark Your Calendars

Save the Scenic Santa Ritas (SSSR) invites you to join them, along with numerous southern Arizona environmental organizations, community leaders, and concerned citizens to oppose the Copper World Mine open pit mine.

The rally will take place on Saturday, May 3rd from 2 to 4 pm at Tucson Federal Building near Congress/Granada. Prominent local leaders, including Adelita Grijalva and Kevin Dahl, have confirmed speaking appearances along with representatives from environmental groups, indigenous peoples, and affected citizens.

Visit the SSSR Facebook Page to learn more and stay up to date on this important event.

Spring Fair &Plant Sale

April12th, from 9:00 am – 3:00pm

3736 E. 2nd Street

Join the Iskashitaa’s Refugee Network campus to celebrate spring in their garden. This year, they are expanding the 3rd Annual Plant Sale to include the garden, art space, and activity area.

Learn about their sustainability efforts, meet neighborhood resources and shop at local artisans’ tables. Experience small batch, hand-crafted jams & marmalades from the IskaShop table.



Sure to be a fun, educational, and welcoming event!

Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum

SAVE OUR SAGUAROS!

Beat Back Buffalograss and Stinknet

Join the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum (ASDM) and volunteer to combat invasive plants such as buffelgrass, stinknet and arundo.

Buffelgrass out-competes saguaros for space, nutrients and water. It also poses a serious fire risk both in the desert and in our city. Join others in their efforts to combat this weed. There will be live Desert Museum animals, tasty pastries and more.

Next event:

Catalina State Park Buffelgrass Dig

Saturday, April 5, 2025

Time: 8 am- 12 pm

Click here for links to multiple invasive plant removal events.

Click here to learn Stinknet from Stinket.org, a community of volunteers working in tandem with the ASDM to fight and stop the spread of this weed.

Pima County Seeks Community’s Input

on Climate Plan

Series of public input sessions April through June 2025

Pima County and its coalition partners are holding a series of public sessions beginning April 3rd and running through the end of June, with each one dedicated to focusing on reduction measures for greenhouse gas emissions from seven different sectors. See our March 27th newsletter for additional details.

All sessions are free and open to the public.

To register for any of them, visit: www.pima.gov/ClimatePlan.