River Run Network Creek Walk: Guess That Arroyo Biking Tour and Storytelling

Come bike the Greyhound Wash - El Paso & Southwestern Greenway and share stories about your experiences with the arroyos of Tucson and beyond. Did you used to play in the washes as a child, hide from your parents when a teenager, explore them in college, and forget about them as an adult? Your stories and experiences could be added to the limited series book, GUESS THAT ARROYO: TUCSON, produced by Watershed Management Group and Worker, Inc.

Herman Lopez Vice-Mayor of the City of South Tucson in collaboration with Christian Aguilar of Watershed Management Group, Angelica Miriam Rascon of the University of Arizona and Joaquin Murrieta, will lead a 2-3 hour bicycle ride through one of Tucson’s urban arroyos – Greyhound Wash. The informal gathering will start at 9:00a.m., and proceed along the arroyo following the El Paso & Southwestern Greenway bike path to 11:00a.m., where the group will turn back to the point of origin. Along the way, Herman, Joaquin, Christian and Angelica will talk about the arroyos relationship between planning, culture, and nature. They will be asking you, “What do you see when you look at an arroyo? What memories do you have about arroyos?” Do you have any relationship with the arroyos?

This walk is part of a larger project between Watershed Management Group and Worker, Inc. In the Spring of 2023, they will present the book, GUESS THAT ARROYO: TUCSON. The bilingual book will depict a series of photographs from 10+ arroyos in Tucson, asking the reader to identify them on a map. Included in the book will be a narrative with stories from the community addressing themes of environmental planning, social and cultural relationships, and biodiverse corridors. By sharing your story, you agree to allow the authors to take liberties with the content. All effort will be made to conceal the identities of persons in the stories.

Funding for this project is made possible through a grant from the Southwestern Foundation for Education and Historical Preservation.

Created in 1995, Worker Inc. is a company that explores human connections to the landscape and bridges the theories and practices of social sciences, urban design, architecture, and art. Worker, Inc. has produced exhibits, books, and ephemera to engage the public in that exploration. www.workerincorporated.com

Watershed Management Group is a Tucson based not for profit organization that specializes in the health of our watershed from an urban perspective. They have a variety of programs that range from restoration-education-engagement-inspiration and advocacy for the heritage of flowing rivers in our city. www.watershedmg.org

This event is organized through WMG’s River Run Network. If you are not yet a member, we will add you to the River Run Network (RRN) when you register for this event. RRN membership is free and gives you access to a variety of virtual, dispersed, and physically distanced events including creek walks, restoration activities, river clean-ups, and free educational workshops.