Save the Heart of Reid Park

GROUNDBREAKING SET FOR $4.6M REHABILITATION OF HISTORIC FORT LOWELL COMMISSARY

Tucson Mayor Regina Romero, Ward 2 Council Member Paul Cunningham, and the Parks and Recreation department will hold a groundbreaking ceremony on Wednesday, May 28, at 9 a.m. at the Commissary at Fort Lowell Park, 5477 E. Fort Lowell Road., to mark the beginning of a $4.62 million rehabilitation and preservation project. Parking is available on the street, at the parking lot across from the Commissary at 5444 E. Fort Lowell Road and across Craycroft Road at Fort Lowell Park.

The project will focus on restoring the historic Commissary and Donaldson House at Fort Lowell Park, an area that holds deep cultural significance dating back 13,000 years and includes the site of a U.S. Army post established in 1873.

The public is invited to attend the groundbreaking ceremony and celebrate this significant investment in Tucson’s cultural and historic landscape. For more information on the projects at Fort Lowell Park, visit the project website.

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

Help Shape Tucson’s Clean Energy Future, April 29 - May 9, 2025. The City of Tucson invites you to take part in two upcoming opportunities to learn more about Tucson’s clean energy efforts and to share your input on the future of energy in our city: (1) Energy Sourcing Study – Public Forum and (2) Tucson’s Energy Future Townhalls – Part II. 

High School Battle of the Bands, Reid Park, April 6, 2025. Tucson Parks and Recreation is teaming up with Renewal by Andersen, Arizona Daily Star, Best Life Presents, KXCI, Cloud Microphones, and Groundworks to host the third annual Battle of the Bands, Sunday, April 6. Bands with artists 13–18 years old will compete for the grand prize. Grand prize winners will receive a full home recording package, including Ableton Suite and a Cloud Microphone, in addition to a show promoted by Best Life Presents, and an appearance on KXCI’s “Locals Only” radio show. 

Christopher Columbus Park Renamed Danny Lopez Park, Feb. 19, 2025. Tucson’s Mayor and Council on Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025 approved the renaming of Christopher Columbus Park, 4300 North Silverbell Road, to Danny Lopez Park, in recognition of Danny Lopez, a Tohono O'odham educator and elder who dedicated his life to preserving the Tohono O'odham language and culture. 

Parks & Recreation Seeks Community Input on Two Improvement Projects, Jan. 29, 2025. The community is invited to a public open house to view the concept plan for the 22nd Street Path at Randolph Park and Dell Urich Golf Course improvements, as well as concept plans for the Reid Park Outdoor Performance Center. Attendees can ask questions of staff and provide input on proposed improvements. 

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.