Botanic Briefings
Event Description
Join us for monthly informative presentations from Desert Botanical Garden staff and other local experts.
Feb. 11: Diamonds are Wherever: Seeking Ecological Treasure in the Namib Desert’s Restricted Diamond Mining Area
Webster Auditorium
– Dr. Joe McAuliffe, Director Emeritus and Senior Research Scientist
Following the discovery of diamonds in the southern Namib Desert in 1908, access to this area has been severely restricted. To this day, few ecologists have had the opportunity to examine this extremely arid region. Dr. Joe McAuliffe had the unusual opportunity to spend two weeks working in this area in 2022, and will share some of what he saw and learned during that experience.
March 17: The Hassica An Garden: an ethnobotanical and research site in the Comcaac Land of Sonora, Mexico
Dorrance Hall
- Raul Puente, Curator of living Collections & Research Botanist
Since 2015, Desert Botanical Garden’s researchers have been making trips to the coast of Sonora as part of our columnar cacti studies, along with collecting seeds and herbarium vouchers, in land belonging to one of the most enigmatic indigenous groups in the Sonoran Desert region of Mexico: the Comcaac Nation. The Comcaac, in the past known as the Seri Indians, are famous for their knowledge and ample use of native plants as food, medicinal, construction and handcrafts, such as baskets and ironwood carvings. We have been helping to develop a piece of land adjacent to the village of Punta Chueca, as a long term plot for research on the climate change impact on columnar cacti, as well as an ethnobotanical trail to promote plant uses among local youth and visitors.
April 15: Safeguarding Our Desert Icon: Inside the Saguaro Initiatives at Desert Botanical Garden
Dorrance Hall
- Tania Hernandez, New World Succulents Cactus Scientist
The Saguaro Initiatives are a set of research, conservation, and community-science programs led by Desert Botanical Garden to understand, protect and restore saguaros across the Phoenix Valley and our changing desert. This talk will share what we are learning about saguaro genetics, health, survival, and resilience in the face of rising heat and drought, and how these efforts connect science, volunteers, saguaro owners and long-term conservation. Attendees will also learn how the community can participate in helping safeguard this iconic species for future generations.
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accessibility
CAZCA is dedicated to hosting inclusive, accessible events so all participants can engage in and enjoy the program. Please email us with your accessibility needs at cazca@dbg.org.
Do I need to Register?
Registration is not required. Price is included with Garden Admission or Membership
Event Partners
CAZCA functions through extensive partnerships to stand together and further our conservation efforts.
Other Events
ASU Wind Symphony and Wind Ensemble “State 48”
Feb 11, 2026
Join the ASU Wind Symphony and Wind Ensemble on Feb 11th as they present a special evening that celebrates our beloved state through music. Inspired by the Arizona and the beautiful Sonoran Desert, the night of music will include the world premier of Spenser Arias' piece "Preserving Desert" and a Q&A with CAZCA Program Director, Challie Facemire, on the conservation of Sonoran Desert open space.
CAZCA Speaker Series- Fire as a tool for Invasive Plant Management
Mar 11, 2026
Join us for an interesting conversation about how Alan Sinclair, President of Siphon Draw Fire and Fuels, uses controlled fire application to target and manage invasive plants, like stinknet, and the impacts it may have on our Sonoran Desert Ecosystem.
