Sustain & Restore

Engage best practices in land management and restoration to sustain native biodiversity, positive recreational experiences and benefits connected with the Sonoran Desert.

Current Progress

This goal includes a variety of initiatives, including research about the impact of using desert parks, research about effective invasive species control and removal and working to return native plants to the landscape.

15

Active Initiatives

24

Total Initiatives

11

Parks Involved in Invasive Species Mapping

Goal 2

Goal 2 Successes

Science in the Desert

Advancing milkweed research and education in Central Arizona

Monarch butterfly populations have declined as much as 90% over the last two decades. Great Milkweed Grow Out is a Desert Botanical Garden initiative that supports monarch conservation by creating habitat at schools and community centers, propagating native milkweeds, and conducting innovative research on monarchs and milkweed.

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Protect Your Open Spaces

DBG Visiting Researcher Guest Speaker

Aug 27, 2026

Partner Event Research

Title

Distinguishing Leaf Scorching from Leaf Discoloration Due to Heatwaves & Drought.

Description

Maxwell Bergström is visiting from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne in Lausanne, Switzerland. He is studying the effects of heat and drought on Fremont cottonwood and Gooding’s willow in the Desert Botanical Garden Research Department.

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Mesa Tree Stewards Cohort 5

Oct 3 - 17, 2026

urban forestry

Become a Community Tree Steward! Join this free, hands-on urban forestry training in Mesa to learn practical tree care skills, improve the local tree canopy, and make a lasting impact.

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Technical Leads

Together we can build a strong future for our environment and protect the natural beauty of Central Arizona.