activities · 7
what they do
direct service · 6
- Hosting Educational Classes and Workshops Community Garden Programming with EducationThe organization provides educational classes on topics such as gardening, gourd art, and photography, and hosts all-levels outdoor yoga classes.
- Maintaining Educational and Visitor Facilities Water & Desert Ecology Education FacilitiesThe organization maintains facilities such as a new Visitors Center, a Demonstration Garden for water-efficient landscapes, the Gloria Wing Ong Children’s Learning Center, and a Children's Garden.
- Maintaining and Curating Plant CollectionsThe organization maintains 372 acres of Sonoran Desert with nearly five miles of trails and houses a collection of 4,025 taxa and 20,000 desert plants from various regions globally within 135 acres of gardens, including a specific collection of over 100 species of legumes and the 13-acre Wallace Desert Garden featuring 5,000 new plantings and 1,223 taxa.
- Organizing Public Events and Celebrations Interactive Wildlife Exhibits & Animal EncountersThe organization hosts seasonal events and activities including Family Days, Star Gazing, an annual Arbor Day Celebration, the "Flavor of Arizona" event, and the "Welcome Back, Buzzards!" celebration, along with a Spring Plant Sale.
- Providing Educational Tours and Walks Guided Environmental Field TripsThe organization offers daily general tours and specialty walks focusing on birds, ethnobotany, geology, edible and medicinal plants, and desert plant adaptations. It also conducts docent-led tours of the Main Trail and Wallace Desert Garden, sunrise hikes, and butterfly walks.
- Publishing Educational ContentThe organization publishes a quarterly magazine with photos, gardening tips, and news, and provides guides and educational information on butterfly species, lizard species, and wildflowers found at the arboretum and in Arizona.
research · 1
- Botanical Research and Conservation Regional Seed Bank Curation & RegenerationThe organization conducts botanical research, including publishing definitive botanical descriptions and a journal, and established the Desert Legume Program (DELEP) to conserve global legume biodiversity with a seed bank backed up at the Global Seed Vault.
strategies · 4
how they think
Theories of action extracted from this org's own source material. Click any to see the full field of orgs running the same approach.
- Conservation leadership for species and habitat protection species_and_habitat_conservationAdvances preservation of plant biodiversity through habitat protection, endangered species recovery initiatives, and collaboration with government agencies to conserve threatened arid land ecosystems.
- Integrated education, research, and conservation to promote desert ecosystem stewardship education_research_conservationCombines public education, scientific research, and active conservation to foster appreciation and long-term stewardship of desert plants, wildlife, and threatened arid ecosystems.
- Plant science as a foundation for social justice and sustainable agriculture plant science for social justiceLeverages plant science and philanthropy to address interconnected challenges in agriculture, food security, and social justice, emphasizing science-based solutions.
- Public environmental and horticultural education through diverse programming environmental_education_programsDelivers accessible, practical, and experiential learning through guided tours, workshops, and community events focused on desert-adapted plants, ecology, ethnobotany, and sustainable landscaping.
named programs · 10
what they call their work
Arboretum Discovery Tour
Docent-led one-hour tour on the Main Trail introducing visitors to desert plant adaptations and the Arboretum's diverse gardens
Bird Walk
Beginner-friendly guided birding walks offered monthly; Boyce Thompson Arboretum is designated an Important Bird Area by the National Audubon Society
Butterfly Walk
Guided walks led by experts from the Central Arizona Butterfly Association focusing on butterfly species and their host plants
Edible & Medicinal Plant Tour
Tour highlighting useful plants found in the Sonoran Desert; informational only, no harvesting or sampling allowed
Flavor of Arizona
Annual two-day event featuring local food, beverage, and craft vendors; included with admission
Private Tours
Custom one-hour guided tours for groups of 2–75, available by request and tailored to group interests
Spring Plant Sale
Annual public plant sale offering desert-adapted plants; members receive a 20% discount
Summer Golf Cart Tour
Hour-long guided golf cart tour to scenic spots in the Arboretum; limited to 5 guests and offered during summer months
Sunrise Hike
Early morning educational hikes during summer months covering Sonoran Desert ecology and plant survival strategies
Wallace Garden Tour
Walking tour focusing on the legacy of Henry B. Wallace and the unique plant collection in the Wallace Desert Garden, including rare and endangered species
relationships · 23
who they work with
- ASU Foundation Partner — Torrie Young held a development leadership role at the ASU Foundation.
- Arizona Science Center Partner — Dr. Lyana Guevara served as Onsite Manager of CAMP INNOVATION at the Arizona Science Center.
- Arizona State Parks Partner — Brenna Murphy-Reynolds completed an internship with Arizona State Parks.
- Arizona State Parks Partner — Joined with the University of Arizona and Boyce Thompson Southwestern Arboretum Foundation to co-manage the Arboretum, becoming a functional unit of Arizona State Parks for 43 years.
- Audubon Arizona Partner — Dr. Lyana Guevara worked for Audubon Arizona in informal education roles.
- Central Arizona Butterfly Association Partner — Provides a butterfly expert to lead butterfly walks.
- Civilian Conservation Corps Partner — Housed twenty young men from the Civilian Conservation Corps for a revegetation project.
- Crown Cork and Seal Company Partner — Partnered to cultivate cork oak saplings which were given to the public.
- Desert Botanical Garden Partner — Dr. Lyana Guevara worked for the Desert Botanical Garden in informal education roles.
- Forest Service Government — Obtained Special Use Permits from the Forest Service for experimental agricultural purposes.
- Kim Gray Partner — Executive Director leading members-only tours and sharing organizational vision
- Local First Arizona Foundation Partner — Shelbi Storms served as an AmeriCorps VISTA with Local First Arizona Foundation, working on economic development and local food systems.
- Make-A-Wish Arizona Partner — Torrie Young held a development leadership role at Make-A-Wish Arizona.
- National Audubon Society Partner — Named Boyce Thompson Arboretum an Important Bird Area.
- Phoenix Zoo Partner — Dr. Lyana Guevara worked for the Phoenix Zoo in informal education roles.
- Tempe Sister Cities Partner — Dr. Lyana Guevara participated in the Tempe Sister Cities Educator Exchange Program.
- US Fish and Wildlife Service Government — Kim Gray collaborated with the US Fish and Wildlife Service on endangered species recovery initiatives.
- University of Arizona Partner — Joined with the University of Arizona to co-manage the Arboretum and reinvigorate the research program, and later established the Desert Legume Program as a joint project.
- Valley of the Sun United Way Partner — Torrie Young held a development leadership role at Valley of the Sun United Way.
- Wallace Desert Garden Partner — Added to the Arboretum's collections, contributing desert plants from various global regions.
- Wallace Foundation Funder — Gifted its collection of 6,000 plants to the Arboretum, leading to the creation of the Wallace Desert Garden.
- epcactusandrockclub Partner — Collaborated to save cacti from a construction site in El Paso, Texas.
- keystoneheritagepark Partner — Collaborated to save cacti from a construction site in El Paso, Texas.