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Metropolitan Tucson Convention & Visitors Bureau
TUCSON & SOUTHERN ARIZONA Tucson, Ariz., 2008-The Tucson and Southern Arizona region offers fun and rewarding projects for the growing segment of travelers who practice "voluntourism" which mixes volunteer service with vacation time. Travelers favoring short-term adventures that "give back" will find local organizations and projects that are a natural fit for those seeking to contribute to sustainable natural attractions, work with like-minded people and enjoy the great Arizona outdoors. Visitors can learn about and participate in the cultivation and distribution of the seeds to grow ancient native southwestern beans, tomatoes, gourds and more. Native Seeds/SEARCH is a Tucson-based non-profit organization working to conserve, distribute and document the adapted and diverse varieties of agricultural seed that is native to the Southwestern United States and Northwestern Mexico. Those interested in arid-land gardening can volunteer at the group's Conservation Farm in Patagonia, Ariz. If outdoor enthusiasts ever wonder how their trails stay so beautiful and safe, we invite them to help find the answer by using a little elbow grease! Public lands in Tucson and Southern Arizona accommodate hundreds of thousands of visitors every year who come to experience nature in the Sonoran Desert. Hikers, mountain bikers and horseback riders who enjoy area parklands can return the favor by helping with cleanup, fix-up and restoration projects. Local organizations offering volunteer opportunities include: "The Friends of Sabino Canyon" provides a volunteer work program that includes trail restoration and facility enhancement in the wake of heavy rain and flooding that occurred in summer 2006. Visit http://sabinocanyon.org/joinus.htm for more information. Arizona Trail Association (ATA) volunteers build and maintain the Arizona Trail, a continuous, 800-mile, non-motorized trail across Arizona from Mexico to Utah that is 90 percent complete. Visit http://aztrail-build.org/index.html for more information. The Federal Bureau of Land Management of Southern Arizona provides experienced and novice workers with opportunities to build, maintain and repair trails and campgrounds and historic sites. Featured non-profit organization, the Friends of the San Pedro River hosts projects that include landscaping, surveying, trail maintenance and preservation of historic monuments in San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area and other federally managed areas. Details are at www.volunteer.gov/gov/resultsZ.cfm?states=AZ. More information about voluntourism in Tucson and Southern Arizona is available at the website of the Metropolitan Tucson Convention & Visitors Bureau (MTCVB), www.visittucson.org/visitor/voluntourism2/. The MTCVB is an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the Tucson-area as a convention, visitor, and film production destination. It is financially supported by the City of Tucson, Pima County, the Town of Oro Valley and its nearly 800 individual and business members. Visit the MTCVB website at www.visitTucson.org, or call 1.800.638.8350 for further information. # # # |
