Save the Heart of Reid Park

Parks & Recreation launches “leach up, clean up” campaign

The City of Tucson Parks and Recreation announces launch of the "Leash Up, Clean Up" campaign, kicking off in September, in celebration of Responsible Dog Ownership Month. This initiative encourages all pet owners to keep their dogs on a leash in public spaces and to always clean up after their pets. The campaign aims to promote responsible pet ownership, emphasizing the importance of following local and state regulations, while highlighting the environmental, health, and public safety benefits.

Campaign Goals:

• Encourage responsible pet ownership: Remind the community to keep dogs on a leash and clean up after them.

• Raise awareness: Educate the public about the negative impacts of off-leash dogs and dog waste on the environment, public health, and safety.

• Promote compliance with laws: Increase awareness of Arizona Revised Statutes and Tucson City codes.

The "Leash Up" portion of the campaign emphasizes the dangers associated with off-leash dogs in Tucson's desert landscape, which is home to wildlife such as javelinas, coyotes, and snakes. Off-leash dogs risk attacks or altercations with these animals and other pets, posing dangers to both pets and wildlife. The campaign also highlights the need for dog owners to respect the comfort and safety of others, as many people are fearful of dogs. Additionally, some dogs are uncomfortable around other dogs, leading to altercations and tense times at the parks. It is important to note that sports fields are not a place for animals and off-leash dogs. 

The "Clean Up" aspect of the campaign addresses the importance of keeping public spaces free from dog waste, which poses a health risk to people and is unsightly. It emphasizes that cleaning up after pets is a basic courtesy, as dog poop is unpleasant and should not be left for others to step in. Moreover, dog waste can spread diseases and parasites, such as salmonella, E. coli, and roundworms, which are harmful to other animals and humans. Contrary to popular belief, dog waste is not a fertilizer; it is highly acidic and can damage grass, contaminate gardens, and affect water sources with harmful bacteria.

Get Involved 

Tucson Parks and Recreation invites all community members to participate in the "Leash Up, Clean Up” campaign. By keeping dogs leashed and cleaning up after them, we can protect our environment, safeguard the public, and promote a respectful and welcoming atmosphere for all. A toolkit has been developed to make promoting and educating the community about the dog leash and litter laws a little easier. The toolkit includes template key messages for use on social media, graphics, and artwork for banners and other advertisements. For more information on the campaign or to utilize the toolkit, please visit tucsonparks.info/LeashUpCleanUp. 

Tucson Clean & Beautiful Seeks Youth Tree Leaders

Since founding in 1985, Tucson Clean & Beautiful (TCB) has been at the forefront of sustainability efforts in our city. As a trusted partner of the City of Tucson, TCB has led initiatives in recycling, tree planting, and youth workforce development, leaving a lasting positive impact on our community. 

Currently TCB is recruiting for their Youth Tree Leaders Program, a dynamic initiative designed to empower young people to become environmental stewards. Participants will learn about the crucial role trees play in urban environments, get hands-on experience in tree planting, and develop leadership skills that will serve them and their communities well into the future. 

If you know youth in your life—especially those living in Tucson’s environmental justice communities—this is an excellent opportunity for them to make a difference. Encourage them to apply and be part of a program that not only nurtures the environment but also cultivates the next generation of leaders in sustainability. Together, we can ensure Tucson’s commitment to a greener future continues to flourish.

Want to learn more? See the City of Tucson’s August 2024 Climate Action Report and scroll down to the section on Youth Tree Leaders. Note that Youth Tree Leaders must complete FREE training workshops to be held 8:30–11 a.m. each Saturday in September. Thereafter receive a $30 leadership stipend for participation in each 2-hour tree planting event. To apply email tft@treesfortucson.org with subject line “Youth Tree Leader Applicant” and state why you are interested in this opportunity.  

Extended-Summer & Fall schedules for Tucson pools

Parks & Recreation has posted the schedule for its extended-summer pool openings, as well as the fall schedule for city pools. Detailed information on days and hours for specific pools during these two periods is available on the City of Tucson website. To go there click or tap the image above or click here.

Heat Season Awareness

As part of its heat-relief strategy, Tucson has established a comprehensive network of facilities designed to offer respite from the heat. These include various pools and splash pads, along with designated cooling and respite centers strategically located throughout the city. To ensure all residents have access to these critical resources, public transit will be free of charge, thus facilitating easier travel to these centers.

Residents can locate the nearest facility by clicking the image below to go to the City’s Climate Action Hub website. Scroll down to the heading Heat Season Awareness to find the interactive map showing hydration stations, respite centers, and cooling centers nearest you. (The map was created by partners at Pima County). This proactive approach aims to ensure everyone in Tucson can find a safe place to cool down during the intense heat of the summer months.

Protect Trees from Heat Stress Now

High temperatures combined with dry conditions place stress on our trees and other plants just as much as us! You can help prevent wilt, die back, pest, and other impacts from heat stress by providing extra water to your trees during periods of high heat. Follow watering best practices to avoid wasting water while protecting the value and life of our canopy and shade. Tap or click image below for guidelines.

Tucson Delivers—Parks & Connections Updates

Background: In November 2018, City of Tucson voters approved Proposition 407, a $225-million bond package for capital improvements. The bond funds are dedicated to improving City park amenities (playgrounds, sports fields, pools, splash pads, and recreation centers) as well as connections (pedestrian pathways, bicycle pathways, and pedestrian and bicycle safety). For more information on all the projects planned and status updates, visit TucsonDelivers.Tucsonaz.gov.

The Tucson Delivers Program is monitored by eleven members of the public appointed to the 2018 Parks and Connections Bond Oversight Commission. If you wish to address the Commission, please send email to info@tucsondelivers.info or call 520.885.9009 with your full name, mailing address, phone number, and the topic you wish to address. Also, if you want to be added to our email distribution list for future notifications and updates, please note that in your communication.

Proposal for protecting our OLD-GROWTH TREES

Tucson's increasingly powerful wind storms lately are bringing down alarming numbers of our lovely old trees. During the August 2023 Parks and Recreation Commission meeting, I asked for a report on how many elder trees we are losing in our parks each year as a result of storms, disease, and advanced age. Of those causes, powerful microbursts are now posing significantly greater risks to Tucson's valuable old-growth trees than they once did.

As climate change gathers momentum, weather patterns change erratically, and the heat island effect intensifies, Tucson needs its old-growth trees more than ever. Large, healthy trees provide cooling shade that mitigates the city's increasing heat. They also absorb far more carbon than younger trees and are thus more effective in combating climate change.

So, how do we keep old-growth trees alive and healthy enough to survive increasing wind storms in the desert until the younger trees we have planted and continue to plant can take over for them?

Sometimes there’s little we can do to prevent high winds from felling an elder tree. Usually, however, there’s a lot we can do to keep our older trees healthy enough to survive high winds and most storms. For example, we can inspect trees for invasive pests, disease, and damage; trim them at appropriate times; prevent soil erosion around tree trunks and roots systems; and space trees appropriately so a falling tree does not take out others on its way down. There are other examples, of course, but you get the picture

Some of the steps seem obvious, but in a city struggling with multi-dimensional crises, there aren't enough managers or departments, nor is there enough time and money, to promptly and properly address such issues. Common sense measures not readily applicable within existing programs and budgets can be lost in the bureaucracy. In such cases, the only hope of ever applying them may be in asking for citizen donations or tax increases to address a specific initiative.

For example, when nonprofits like Reid Park Zoo need money for improvements, they have many donors from whom they can solicit funds and for whom they can name exhibits. Tucson's Parks and Rec also provides a mechanism for donating to specific projects or to general initiatives requiring ongoing support. And SHRP has a gofundme page, with donations going to Tucson Clean and Beautiful to preserve elder trees on Barnum Hill. Still, it's hard to find big donors for projects that don't create legacies and engrave names on plaques.

It’s my hope we can use Barnum Hill Trees as an educational project on what it takes to help older trees thrive. Start, say, with fencing off one or two older trees that need help. Check for pests or diseases, trim as needed, and deal with soil erosion around their bases. Then erect educational signs informing park visitors why the tree needs help, how we are helping, and how all this combats climate change. In a perfect world, the signs would display a QR code for donating to the project. With sufficient funding, the program could be expanded and even moved to other parks.

On its various properties, the City of Tucson has some amazing, huge trees that are not getting much attention. Wouldn’t it be interesting to catalogue all of these trees? We could even make an excursion list of these trees for citizens and tourists, similar to the list of Tucson’s amazing murals. Trees are just as important and beautiful to some people as human-made art. They are arguably more important in addressing the heat index and climate change.

— Manon Getsi, Co-chair, Save the Heart of Reid Park (posted Sept. 2, 2023)

In the News: Recent Stories

Randolph Park & Golf Complex Opportunity Study Meeting, Sept. 24, 2024. Tucsonans are invited to a kickoff meeting and question-and-answer session on the future of Randolph Park and the Randolph Golf Complex. Hosted by Tucson Parks and Recreation Department and design consultant team, the upcoming meeting is the next phase of an ongoing community conversation. To view the full Randolph Opportunity Study (PDF, 42MB), click here.

Old Zoo Parking Lot Closes; New Parking Lot Opens. Monday, April 15, 2024, the old Zoo and Edith Ball Adaptive Recreation Center (ARC) parking lots and entry to those parking lots closed permanently to make way for Pathway to Asia. Guests to Reid Park Zoo, Gene C. Reid Park amenities and ARC now park in the new lot located to the north of ARC. Access the new lot by entering from Lakeshore Lane or following the signs on Randolph Way to the entry next to Hi Corbett Field.

Volunteer for Community Planting Day at Cele Peterson Rose Garden in Gene C. Reid Park, March 24, 8:30–11:30 a.m. The department needs volunteers to help plant 126 rose bushes as well as distribute mulch and compost to ensure a beautiful bloom season. Volunteers should bring their own gloves if possible.

Join Us at Pop-up Cafe at Reid Park, March 23, 2024, 10 a.m.–Noon. Learn more and give your input on the results of our alternative analysis of the Camino Miramonte–Palo Verde Bicycle Boulevard, a Bicycle Safety and Mobility Project that aims to create a network of safer and more comfortable bicycle routes.

Public Meetings on Parks’ Proposed Rate/Fee Revisions. The City is hosting a series of in-person and two virtual public town hall meetings for the community to find out more about the revisions and provide feedback prior to the April 9 Mayor and Council meeting to consider approving the recommended fees. If adopted, the proposed rate change plan would go into effect beginning in FY 2025 and progressing through FY 30.

Party to Celebrate Reid Park’s New, Expanded Parking Lot. Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023, from 9 to 10:30 a.m., the public and the media are invited to help open the new lot with a special tailgate party. The Zoo is providing free doughnuts and coffee (and juice for the kids) as an incentive for guests to familiarize themselves with the new lot.

Tim Steller's column: Randolph golfers should compromise on paths for walkers, runners, Arizona Daily Star, Dec. 4, 2023. (Don’t subscribe to tucson.com? Click the link above; then click the “Reader View” icon in that page’s address field.)

Holiday Arts and Crafts Fair at Reid Park Nov. 25–26, 2023. The City of Tucson Parks and Recreation department is excited to announce the return of its annual Holiday Arts and Crafts Fair in Reid Park. Come get a jump on your holiday shopping.

Randolph Golf Complex and Park Opportunity Study. In a July 18, 2023 memorandum, Timothy M. Thomure, Deputy City Manager, apprised Mayor and City Council of findings and recommendations from a Tucson Parks & Recreation Department (TPRD) “study on increasing open space around the Randolph Golf Complex and Randolph Park, while maintaining the integrity of golf and identifying opportunities to increase the audience for the clubhouse and restaurant amenities.”

For stories previously posted here, see In The News Archive.

Who we are

Learn about Save the Heart of Reid Park on our “Who We Are” page. Read about the threat the SHRP coalition confronted, our current mission vis-à-vis that threat, our vision for the future of Reid Park, and why this initiative truly matters.

Birds in Reid Park

One Arroyo Chico resident, during daily walks in the park, has seen 102 different aviary species attracted by the old-growth trees and the two beautiful ponds. This astonishing variety of birds in turn attracts to the park large numbers of visitors.

About Gene Reid

Under the guidance of his father, who operated a tree farm in Tucson, Gene Reid evolved into a tree expert before the term arborist came into vogue. Reid Park’s visionary namesake would have been appalled at the notion of removing Barnum Hill’s vibrant trees.

What’s at Stake

Explore our Issues pages, starting with the Park’s history, to understand what drives our initiative. See how the zoo’s initial expansion plan would further reduce the park’s free-access space and degrade the environment by destroying flora and displacing fauna.

Our trees Need Help!

SHRP and Tucson Clean and Beautiful are working together on a project to improve the health of Barnum Hill’s majestic trees. We have $12,000 in funds but need an additional $3,500. Learn more by visiting our gofundme site and making a generous donation.

Our advocacy video

Watch a professional video that is the felicitous result of a collaborate effort between two sibling coalitions: Save the Heart of Reid Park and Expand Reid Park. It advocates not just to save the heart of Reid Park but also to expand its free-access public space.

What We’re Doing

Browse our Media pages to read our January Op-Ed, along with 100 other letters published in the Arizona Daily Star. Watch videos related to the park and our protests there. Examine many articles, editorials, special features and other resources related to our effort.

Our Stance on Options

Save the Heart of Reid Park believes All Reid Park green space is precious and is to be retained. Thus, on the City of Tucson survey concerning the best options in Reid Park with regard to the Reid Park Zoo, our preferences are Options A, G, & H.

South Pond’s Turtles

Elimination of the Reid Park’s lovely South Pond might spell disaster for its resident turtles. Resident turtle expert Pete Polley thinks elimination of the South Pond would have affected the turtles in many adverse ways and their prognosis would have been poor.

Salvemos el corazón de Reid Park: Información en español acerca de la campaña para salvar el parque.