Santa Cruz Valley National Heritage Area

Order Up!: Pond Damsels
2026-09-08 19:00 - 20:00 (America/Phoenix)
Join a Pima County Conservation Lands and Resources naturalist on Zoom for a monthly peek into the world of insects and other invertebrates.

The 8th annual Santa Cruz River Dragonfly Festival is here and to celebrate we explore the pond damsel family, the largest damselfly family in the world. If you see a damselfly just about anywhere in the US and Canada, it is likely a pond damsel. The presentation will help get you ready for the festival field trips (or a trip to your local pond or stream).
Reserve a spot!

Plant Propagation at Borderlands Restoration Network
2026-09-08 09:00 - 12:00, 2026-09-03 09:00 - 12:00, 2026-09-01 09:00 - 12:00, 2026-08-27 09:00 - 12:00 | Borderlands Nursery & Seed, 42 San Antonio Road, Patagonia, 85624, United States
Spend your morning at Borderlands Nursery & Seed with a great group of plant lovers propagating native plants that will restore the landscapes of the borderlands. Bring water and be prepared for outdoor work.

Dragonfly BioBlitz
2026-09-08, 2026-09-07, 2026-09-06, 2026-09-05, 2026-09-04, 2026-09-03, 2026-09-02, 2026-09-01 | Santa Cruz River
Let’s catch them all — help us find all the colorful dragonflies and damselflies that are returning to the Santa Cruz River! For decades, the river was dry, but now it is flowing in many sections thanks to the release of high-quality recycled water in Pima and Santa Cruz Counties. Beautiful dragonflies and damselflies have come back to the river, but we need your help to find them all and show the world how successful these river restoration efforts have been. New species are still showing up on the river and you can help find them!
To participate in this community science project, you only have to have a camera, smartphone, or tablet, and an account with iNaturalist. In coordination with our annual Santa Cruz River Dragonfly Festival, we tally how many species we can find along the river each September. But don’t stop there! Continue to add observations anytime throughout the year.
Everyone is invited to participate! Just follow these easy steps:
1. Create an iNaturalist account and download the app or use the web interface
2. Visit any number of numerous locations along the Santa Cruz River and take photos of the dragonflies and damselflies you see
3. Upload your photos and observations to iNaturalist and we will include them in our tally of all the species found on the river!
Learn more about the Dragonfly BioBlitz here!

ASARCO Discovery Center & Mine Tours
2026-09-05 09:30 - 10:30, 2026-09-04 09:30 - 10:30, 2026-09-03 09:30 - 10:30, 2026-09-02 09:30 - 10:30, 2026-08-29 09:30 - 10:30, 2026-08-28 09:30 - 10:30, 2026-08-27 09:30 - 10:30, 2026-08-26 09:30 - 10:30 | ASARCO Mineral Discovery Center, 1421 W Pima Mine Rd, Sahuarita, 85629, United States
The ASARCO Mineral Discovery Center & Mine Tours’ vision has been to educate communities on the vital importance of the copper mining industry to civilization, to educate students and teachers in earth sciences, and to preserve Arizona’s mining history.’
Join the mine tour for a firsthand look at the copper transformation process. Ticketed mine tours are approximately 65 minutes long.
Tours at 9:30 am, 11:15 am
SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE MINE TOUR

Closed-toed shoes are required to take the tour. No Crocs, sandals, or flip-flops will be allowed.
We suggest bringing a water bottle (filtered water station is available in the Center).
Please dress comfortably.

Healing Herb Walk
2026-09-05 09:00 - 10:00 | Mission Garden, 946 W Mission Ln, Tucson, AZ, 85745
Learn about some of the 50 medicinal plants in Mission Garden’s Moore Medicinal Garden. The plants are native to the American Southwest deserts and in many cases have been used for millennia. Modern herbalists are keeping this tradition alive at Mission Garden.

111th Sonoita Labor Day Rodeo
2026-09-05 08:00 - 2026-09-07 17:00
111th Labor Day Rodeo!
September 5, 6, & 7, 2026
“Best Little Rodeo in Arizona”
Over 700 entries w/cash & buckles awarded to the top contestants of the Southwest.

Merchandise and Concessions on site
steak Fry & DANCE Saturday & Sunday
Steak Fry 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Live Music starting @ 7 p.m.
Saturday -Southern Rein
Sunday – Zander Rodriguez

Bugs & Bites/Bichos y Bocadillos
2026-09-03 18:00 - 21:00 | Playground Bar and Grill, 278 E Congress St, Tucson, 85701, United States
As part of this year’s Santa Cruz River Dragonfly Festival, we are pleased to host our fifth annual Bugs & Bites at the Playground. Join Sonoran Institute’s Santa Cruz River team and local experts Scully Young, Julius Schlosburg, and Doug Danforth as they unveil the mesmerizing world of dragonflies, fireflies, and bee flies. Join us for a fun family-friendly evening while relaxing in a fun downtown Tucson venue!
We will have real-time interpretation into Spanish for all the presentations.
Como parte del Festival de Libélulas del Río Santa Cruz de este año, nos complace presentar nuestra cuarta edición anual de Bichos y Bocadillos en el Playground Bar & Lounge. Acompaña al equipo del Río Santa Cruz del Sonoran Institute y a expertos Scully Young, Julius Schlosburg, and Doug Danforth, mientras desvelan el fascinante mundo de las libélulas, las luciérnagas y las moscas abeja. ¡Únete a nosotros para disfrutar de una noche divertida, familiar y relajada en un animado lugar del centro de Tucson!
Contaremos con interpretación en tiempo real para las presentaciones en inglés y español.
Where/Lugar: Playground (278 E Congress St, Tucson, AZ 85701), open only for this private event
When/¿Cuándo?: Wednesday, September 3rd, from 6:00 P.M. to 9:00 P.M. Presentations will start at 6:30 P.M.

Scully Young is an aquatic invertebrate researcher who did their studies at the University of Arizona’s School of Natural Resources and the Environment.

Julius Schlosburg is a Tucson-based conservation photographer focusing on water, landscape, and the interaction between the built environment and natural ecosystem. For the last 6 years he has been obsessed with Arizona fireflies and the ways in which they can help demonstrate the complex interdependencies which underpin the habitats in which they are found.

Doug Danforth is a retired middle school science teacher. He is an avid photographer and naturalist. He is the co- author of “70 Common Butterflies of the Southwest” and of “Damselflies and Dragonflies of Arizona and Sonora”. Besides birds, butterflies and dragonflies he has always been intrigued by the variety, beauty, and behavior of Bee Flies and has begun studying them more intensely.
All are welcome to join! While this is an open-door event, registration is requested but not required. Food menu and drinks will be available for purchase at Playground.
¡Todos son bienvenidos a participar! Aunque este es un evento de puertas abiertas, se solicita registro (pero no es obligatorio). Habrá menú de comida y bebidas disponibles para su compra en Playground.

REGISTER/REGISTRATE

National Park Week
2026-08-30 08:00 - 17:00, 2026-08-29 08:00 - 17:00, 2026-08-28 08:00 - 17:00, 2026-08-27 08:00 - 17:00, 2026-08-26 08:00 - 17:00 | Saguaro National Park West-West at the Red Hills Visitor Center, 2700 North Kinney Road, Tucson, 85743, United States
Join in celebrating America’s stories during National Park Week August 22-30, 2026!
Love national parks? There’s a holiday for that! Join the weeklong celebration of all things “national parks” happening August 22 to 30, 2026. Wrap up summer by coming out to explore nature and history, join ranger programs, earn your Junior Ranger badge, and more. Entrance fees are waived for US citizens and residents on August 25, 2026, for our 110th birthday.
Celebrate America’s Story
This year’s National Park Week theme is “Celebrate America’s Story” in honor of the nation’s 250th anniversary. Come visit where many of America’s important stories are shared—in our national parks. Make your own stories exploring stunning natural landscapes, reflecting on our nation’s inspiring history and rich culture, and enjoying the great outdoors.
Share your national park stories on social media using #NationalParkWeek, #NationalJuniorRangerDay, and #NPSBirthday.
National Park Week Theme Days

Satuday, August 22: Kickoff Saturday and America 250 Grand Pix
Sunday, August 23: Safety Sunday
Monday, August 24: America in Motion Monday
Tuesday, August 25: National Park Service 110th Birthday & Fee-Free Day
Wedneday, August 26: Watch Wildlife Wednesday
Thursday, August 27: Thankful Thursday
Friday, August 28: Freedom Friday
Saturday, August 29: Staff Saturday
Sunday, August 30: Junior Ranger Day

Paton Center Habitat Ambassadors
2026-08-26 09:00 - 11:00 | Paton Center for Hummingbirds, 477 Pennsylvania Ave, Patagonia, 85624, United States
Join Tucson Bird Alliance’s restoration team in enhancing and maintaining habitat around the Paton Center grounds.

Position Description:

TBA’s restoration department has been hard at work acquiring new grounds and developing valuable native habitat types at the Paton Center over the past few years and we need your help to continue this work. Events will focus largely on invasive species removal and weeding but could include any of the following activities:

Weeding and planting the Paton meadow to support pollinators
Trail maintenance and building for improved visitor experience
Invasive grass and vine pulling and management
Brush clearing and hauling
Irrigation system maintenance to support native plants
Paton Center yard and grounds maintenance
Native seed collection

We welcome you to register for these events if you are interested in any of these tasks and a TBA staff member will reach out in advance of each event to provide a more detailed plan for the day.

Requirements:

Please come prepared to work in direct sun and in hot temperatures during warm months. We recommend wearing long sleeves, long pants, and a hat as well as sturdy close toed shoes. Please also bring a refillable water bottle.

Date:

October-May: 10-12 pm
June-September: 9-11 am

Number of Openings:

We are looking for 10-15 volunteers for each date. Registration required. Please click HERE link to sign up for the date(s) you would like to volunteer.
