Take a Hike! Explore, Enhance, and Experience Your Understanding of Arizona with Rodo Sofranac

Queen Creek Library 21802 South Ellsworth Road, Queen Creek, United States

There are only eleven designated national scenic trails in the United States. Our Grand Canyon State has one of them—the Arizona National Scenic Trail! In this discussion, participants will have opportunities to: explore the history of the creation of Arizona’s greatest volunteer project; enhance their knowledge of Arizona’s diverse geography, animals, plants, and especially people—from […]

Arizona Water Use from Prehistory to the Present with Jim Turner

Foothills Library 19055 N 57th Ave, Glendale, AZ, United States

This presentation covers humankind’s water use and food supply interactions with Arizona’s ecology from Clovis culture hunter-gatherers to prehistoric irrigation canals, contemporary Hopi and Tohono O’odham dry farming, and present-day American farmers. We will examine how overhunting and climate change affected the wooly mammoth populations and the agriculture experiments that followed. From early attempts to […]

Dark Skies Over Arizona with Kevin Schindler

Goodyear Civic Square Lawn and Stage 1900 N Civic Square, Goodyear, United States

There’s nothing like standing under a dark, star-spangled night sky to quiet the mind and reduce stress, share an experience of awe with family and friends, and to inspire creative thoughts. Yet such dark skies are a disappearing resource, with only 20% of the world living in a place where the center of our Milky […]

Indigenous Signs and Symbols: Pee-Posh/Kwatsan with Yolanda Hart Stevens

Suprise City Hall, Council Chambers 16000 N Civic Center Plaza, Surprise, AZ

Native Americans in the U.S. are diverse, and their contributions have enriched our lives in countless ways. People do not always realize the origins of Native contributions to the language, culture, and traditions of the U.S. What are Native signs and symbols? What do they mean? Where do they appear? They can represent animals and […]

FREE

Dark Skies over Arizona with Kevin Schindler

Summit Hall of the Palm Ridge Recreation Center 13800 W Deer Valley Dr, Sun City West, AZ, United States

There’s nothing like standing under a dark, star-spangled night sky to quiet the mind and reduce stress, share an experience of awe with family and friends, and to inspire creative thoughts. Yet such dark skies are a disappearing resource, with only 20% of the world living in a place where the center of our Milky […]

FREE

Climate Conversations – Science Dance: Can Dance Move Us Toward Sustainability?

Virtual AZ, United States

Talking about the climate crisis and its impact on the planet and our communities is challenging. Is there a way to bring joy into the conversation? Can art and movement inspire hope and action? One innovative approach is science dance, a program that uses dance to express science concepts. Join marine sustainability scientist and dance […]

American-born: The Story of Scholar, Leader, and Advocate Rose Hum Lee with Dr. Li Yang

Virtual AZ, United States

Rose Hum Lee (1904-1964) was a renowned twentieth-century sociologist known for her studies of the Chinese in the United States. As an American-born daughter of Chinese immigrant parents, she offered a unique insider’s view of social structure and family life in American Chinatowns. Lee earned her doctorate at the University of Chicago in 1947 when […]

Thinking about the American Southwest with Scott Warren

San Tan Valley Library - Bronze Room (Building A) 31505 N Schnepft Road, San Tan Valley, United States

For many of us, the American Southwest is distinctive because of its landscape, culture, and history. We see, for instance, its mountains, deserts, and canyons. We are aware of its diverse cultures. And we have some understanding of the Indigenous, Mexican, and U.S. histories that have brought us to the present moment. But a careful […]

Caretakers of the Land: A Story of Farming and Community in San Xavier with Jacelle Ramon-Sauberan

Tohono Chul Park 7366 N. Paseo del Norte, Tucson, AZ, United States

Farming has always been the way of life for the Tohono O’odham community in San Xavier, located just south of Tucson. Their way of life depended on access to the land and to the water, namely the Santa Cruz River, which nourished agriculture in the area for generations. But a history of division sown through […]

Maria Urquides: Mother of Bilingual Education with Jan Cleere

Pima County Public Library - Oro Valley Library Branch 1305 W. Naranja Drive, Oro Valley, Arizona

Maria Urquides’ Hispanic background made her the ideal teacher for Arizona’s bilingual schools, although she readily admitted she might go to hell for being ordered to punish students for speaking Spanish in the classroom. She stepped on more than a few administrative toes to attain her goal of promoting bilingual/bicultural education to children of all […]

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