The Amphi neighborhood is one of the hottest areas of Tucson. This historically underserved midtown neighborhood has a lack of mature vegetation, creating an urban heat island effect that makes temperatures soar.
Last November, WMG helped to build a rain garden at Prince Elementary School, continuing our more than five-year-long relationship with the neighborhood, which began when we installed rain gardens at Amphitheater High School and Satori School. Now those school rain gardens serve as inspiration for new projects in the area.
Rain gardens are simple basin structures that harvest rainwater to nurture native trees and plants, which help to reduce temperatures. WMG’s community conservation projects always actively engage participants in the learning process. At Prince Elementary we held three education sessions with students, teachers, and parents to learn about the culture and history of the local watershed, the principles of water harvesting, and finally, being part of the design process.
“For them to design their own rain garden — that builds so much enthusiasm,” said Joaquin Murrieta-Saldivar, WMG's Cultural Ecologist Director. “It’s amazing the excitement that students have to design their own garden. When students start teaching parents that's a very inspiring thing.”
Resilient communities are built when neighbors help neighbors, and this project was made possible thanks to the support of St. Philip's in the Hills Episcopal Church, a long-term partner that has supported several projects in the Amphi neighborhood as well as their own church campus.
“All these partnerships are helping us to cool down the city, and to empower people to take action for the health of the community as well as the health of the watershed,” Joaquin said. “It takes us back to the natural systems that belong in the Sonoran desert.”
WMG has also done work in the Amphi neighborhood on the Literacy Connects campus, which hosts the “New Roots” program that brings refugees together to share agricultural skills and connect to their new home through taking care of the land.
Manuel Barcelo, WMG’s Native Edible Tree Intern, was able to work alongside refugee families to plant a veggie garden and additional landscaping.
“When working with emergent English learners it is important to remember they are not beginning thinkers, but beginners in learning a new language.” Manuel said. “The cross-cultural collaboration we were able to achieve together was incredibly inspiring and gave me hope for the future of Tucson.”
WMG is continuing to work to bring heat equity to the Amphi neighborhood through new projects at Literacy Connects, and by building rain gardens to cool bus stops in the area.
Do you want to sponsor a rain garden project in your neighborhood? Contact Joaquin Murrieta at jmurrieta@watershedmg.org.