Chef and Artist Jeffrey Lazos Ferns invites you to explore Arizona’s Indigenous Foodways and the Sonoran Desert as a living archive of cultural knowledge, focusing on how Indigenous foodways and ecological relationships have shaped Arizona communities over generations. Through stories of indigenous plants, including the Sonoran Desert tree pantry, Sonoran Desert cactus pantry, and the […]
PRESENTATION DESCRIPTION Many Arizonans call the Sonoran Desert and its striking landscapes home. Long before our urban centers and city lights lit up the dark desert skies, the Tohono O’odham were cultivating and shaping the land with abundant agriculture—from squash and beans to corn and cotton. For generations they passed down their rich knowledge and […]
Along the 850-mile Arizona Trail, which spans the length of the state from Utah to Mexico, diverse ecosystems showcase how climate change is actively altering life as we know it across the Southwest. During fall 2025, The Arizona Republic newspaper’s climate reporter, who earned a Ph.D. in ecology before becoming an award-winning journalist, spent seven […]
Join Dr. Kate Rose and Armand Ramirez for a fun, all-ages, interactive performance that uncovers Arizona’s rich blended heritage through traditional folk music and dance. Featuring live fiddle music and storytelling, this experience reveals how pioneer musicians, whose roots spanned old worlds and new terrains, integrated their traditions with those of neighboring communities. Connection with […]
PRESENTATION DESCRIPTION Communication and secrecy were key to the successful operation of the Underground Railroad. Safety was more important than quickness. Both fugitive slaves and members of the Underground Railroad learned to code and decode hidden messages, and to disguise signs to avoid capture. There were code names for towns on the routes and code […]
PRESENTATION DESCRIPTION This presentation discusses the significance of the American Southwest in the early 20th century when national attention shifted to the canyons and deserts of the American Southwest. Although American scientists, artists, writers, fur traders, and explorers had been visiting the Southwest since the early 19th century, the arrival of the railroads eased access […]