A magical evening along a flowing creek in Tucson
Tanque Verde Flow & Feast 2024
Tanque Verde Flow & Feast 2024 (photo credit: Nicci Radhe)
May 4th was a special night at Tanque Verde Creek.
The River Run Network, a program of Watershed Management Group, held its 7th Annual Flow & Feast event on a beautiful spring evening. 138 people came and were able to walk along the creek, make crafts, participate in a storytime, and eat the deliciously catered food from Tumerico in the heart of Tanque Verde Creek.
Flow & Feast Activities
To kick off the event, participants were welcomed to go
on an early evening Creek Walk led by WMG staff. As groups traveled through the wet channel they were able to see the work many WMG volunteers have put in to remove Arundo, an invasive species, and see the beautiful flow of the river.
Jim Washburne, WMG’s Sr. Project Specialist, was one of the Creek Walk leaders and enjoyed taking people through the channel, showing-off the hard work of Arundo removal. His favorite part was, “being able to share all that with some new people...it was impactful for growing the community interested in this issue.”
The walk lasted about an hour, and was definitely educational, Washburne said, as he loved receiving the many questions people had.
The Tanque Verde Bosque (photo credit: Nicci Radhe)
Jim Washburne the invasive species Arundo donax on the Tanque Verde Creek Walk (photo credit: Nicci Radhe)
Tanque Verde Creek supports a large riparian
environment - a wetland full of diverse plants and animals, vital to our community’s water supply. Another Flow & Feast activity, Fairy House Making,was a creative way to help people connect to that riparian environment.
Julie Regalado, WMG’s Education Program Director, helped lead both children and adults in building their own fairy house. It helped people engage with the natural world, pay attention, make choices, engage relationally, and perhaps make some discoveries, Julie said.
Participants make their fairy houses all around the area, some on the edge of the water, some further back, and one in a tree. The time spent making them was an opportunity for collaboration, sharing, and chatting, but also for some alone time and reflection.
Then there was the Ceremonial Boat Releas - to celebrate the water and land where Flow & Feast takes place, participants crafted paper boats and released them in the flow of the Tanque Verde Creek. The release of the boats was a fun and collaborative way to bring everyone together for the night.
Building Fairy Houses from natural riparian resources (photo credit: Nicci Radhe)
"Fold, fold, fold your boat, gently down the creeeeek..." - Max Wingert, WMG Communication & Outreach Manager (photo credit: Nicci Radhe)
After the ceremonial boat release, dinner was served! People lined up to fill their plates with delicious tacos, rice, tamales and more from Tumerico.
The sun had started to set, making the air cool and the area comfortable. As everyone settled into their lawn chairs, or found an area to sit on the ground, Jordan Wiley-Hill got ready to share stories while people enjoyed their food.
Jordan, a professional storyteller and educator at the Fox Theatre, was asked by WMG to share stories of water at the event. He told a few of his own and asked the crowd to share their stories about water with those around them. As more people told their experience, it inspired more stories in others, Jordan said. 
“My favorite part of the event was walking around and hearing SO many stories about water being told – it felt like such a beautiful and deeply human moment,” Jordan said.
Participant Reflection
Misty Blue was invited to come attend Flow & Feast as one of the Arundo removal volunteers, and brought along her partner Scott Jackson. At the event Misty went on the Creek Walk and released her paper boat down the stream.
“I was happy to finally show my partner where I hang out on Saturdays doing Arundo removal,” Misty said. “It is such a beautiful area!”
Connecting with the creek [aka flows out, toes out] (photo credit: Nicci Radhe)
Volunteers
Flow & Feast wouldn’t have been possible without the help of the many volunteers.
Mary Caldwell, an Arundo removal volunteer, helped attend to the composting toilets at the event. Mary has volunteered many times for WMG and enjoys doing so. For her, Flow & Feast is an important event because she is able to get together with people who share a common interest, our environment.
Boy Scout Troop 141 also came out to help support the event. Troop 141 has been working with WMG for two years, and twice a year they come out to Tanque Verde Creek to help Jim remove Arundo.
Volunteers from Flow & Feast 2024 (photo credit: Nicci Radhe)
They were more than proud to lend their help and leadership once again. “Service is an important part of Boy Scouts,” said Stephani Taylor, the assistant scoutmaster and advancement chair for the troop. “Our slogan is 'Do a good turn daily.'” 
The troop accompanied Jim on the River Walks, helped teach others how to create the paper boats for the boat release, collected the boats so they wouldn’t get lost downstream, and even washed the dishes from dinner.
“The boys were proud of the work they have done and were happy to see the effects of their efforts,” Stephani said.
The 2024 Tanque Verde Flow & Feast was made possible by WMG’s program manager of the River Run Network, Lauren Knight, WMG staff, volunteers, and all who came out to take part in the event. It was a night of community, education, and fun.
Learn more about the River Run Network
Building boats with the Boy Scouts of Troop 141 (photo credit: Nicci Radhe)
Lauren Knight and River Run Network Intern Isabel Arreola (photo credit: Nicci Radhe)
Want to come to next year's Flow & Feast? Want to learn how to live more sustainably? Want to help restore year-round river flow in the desert? Want to bring back the beavers, too?
Sign up for the Tucson Action Bulletin and make a difference now.
Land & Water Acknowledgement
Watershed Management Group acknowledges that we live, learn, work, and engage with community on the ancestral lands of the Hohokam and Sobaipuri, and those of the Apache, Pascua Yaqui, and Tohono O’odham, whose relationship with this land continues to this day. We acknowledge that water in the Sonoran Desert is of great spiritual, physical, and ecological significance to be protected, cherished, and celebrated.
We invite you to learn more about the indigenous communities, the lands we inhabit and the history of the land and its people by visiting www.native-land.ca
