Save the Heart of Reid Park

Old Zoo Parking Lot Closes; New Parking Lot opens.

Monday, April 15, 2024, the old Zoo and Edith Ball Adaptive Recreation Center (ARC) parking lots and entry to those parking lots closed permanently to make way for Pathway to Asia. Guests to Reid Park Zoo, Gene C. Reid Park amenities and ARC now park in the new lot located to the north of ARC. Access the new lot by entering from Lakeshore Lane or following the signs on Randolph Way to the entry next to Hi Corbett Field. It features 433 spaces (90 more than the old lots), including 54 accessible spaces in a loop encircling ARC.

Accessible parking spaces are available on the south side of the loop near the Zoo, as well as on the north side of the loop near ARC’s entrance. Please note that while the loop drive from Lakeshore is open, at times, due to construction, portions will be closed or only one-way traffic will prevail.

After construction is complete on the sidewalk near Pathway to Asia, estimated to be December 2024, the loop will include a drop-off pullout on the Zoo side and the loop will be fully open for two lanes of traffic.

Tucson Delivers—Parks & Connections Updates

Background: In November 2018, City of Tucson voters approved Proposition 407, a $225-million bond package for capital improvements. The bond funds are dedicated to improving City park amenities (playgrounds, sports fields, pools, splash pads, and recreation centers) as well as connections (pedestrian pathways, bicycle pathways, and pedestrian and bicycle safety). For more information on all the projects planned and status updates, visit TucsonDelivers.Tucsonaz.gov.

2018 Parks + Connections Bond Oversight Commission Hybrid Meeting

The Tucson Delivers Program is monitored by eleven members of the public appointed to the 2018 Parks and Connections Bond Oversight Commission. Their next meeting will be Monday, April 29, at 5:30 p.m., virtually and at 900 S. Randolph Way, Tucson, AZ, 85716. Click HERE to join the meeting.

If you wish to address the Commission, please email Joan Landers at info@tucsondelivers.info or call 520.885.9009 by 10 a.m. on Oct. 9, with your full name, mailing address, phone number, and the topic you wish to address. Also, note if you would like to be added to our email distribution list for future notifications and updates.

Proposal for protecting our OLD-GROWTH TREES

Tucson's increasingly powerful wind storms lately are bringing down alarming numbers of our lovely old trees. During the August 2023 Parks and Recreation Commission meeting, I asked for a report on how many elder trees we are losing in our parks each year as a result of storms, disease, and advanced age. Of those causes, powerful microbursts are now posing significantly greater risks to Tucson's valuable old-growth trees than they once did.

As climate change gathers momentum, weather patterns change erratically, and the heat island effect intensifies, Tucson needs its old-growth trees more than ever. Large, healthy trees provide cooling shade that mitigates the city's increasing heat. They also absorb far more carbon than younger trees and are thus more effective in combating climate change.

So, how do we keep old-growth trees alive and healthy enough to survive increasing wind storms in the desert until the younger trees we have planted and continue to plant can take over for them?

Sometimes there’s little we can do to prevent high winds from felling an elder tree. Usually, however, there’s a lot we can do to keep our older trees healthy enough to survive high winds and most storms. For example, we can inspect trees for invasive pests, disease, and damage; trim them at appropriate times; prevent soil erosion around tree trunks and roots systems; and space trees appropriately so a falling tree does not take out others on its way down. There are other examples, of course, but you get the picture

Some of the steps seem obvious, but in a city struggling with multi-dimensional crises, there aren't enough managers or departments, nor is there enough time and money, to promptly and properly address such issues. Common sense measures not readily applicable within existing programs and budgets can be lost in the bureaucracy. In such cases, the only hope of ever applying them may be in asking for citizen donations or tax increases to address a specific initiative.

For example, when nonprofits like Reid Park Zoo need money for improvements, they have many donors from whom they can solicit funds and for whom they can name exhibits. Tucson's Parks and Rec also provides a mechanism for donating to specific projects or to general initiatives requiring ongoing support. And SHRP has a gofundme page, with donations going to Tucson Clean and Beautiful to preserve elder trees on Barnum Hill. Still, it's hard to find big donors for projects that don't create legacies and engrave names on plaques.

It’s my hope we can use Barnum Hill Trees as an educational project on what it takes to help older trees thrive. Start, say, with fencing off one or two older trees that need help. Check for pests or diseases, trim as needed, and deal with soil erosion around their bases. Then erect educational signs informing park visitors why the tree needs help, how we are helping, and how all this combats climate change. In a perfect world, the signs would display a QR code for donating to the project. With sufficient funding, the program could be expanded and even moved to other parks.

On its various properties, the City of Tucson has some amazing, huge trees that are not getting much attention. Wouldn’t it be interesting to catalogue all of these trees? We could even make an excursion list of these trees for citizens and tourists, similar to the list of Tucson’s amazing murals. Trees are just as important and beautiful to some people as human-made art. They are arguably more important in addressing the heat index and climate change.

— Manon Getsi, Co-chair, Save the Heart of Reid Park (posted Sept. 2, 2023)

In the News: Recent Stories

Volunteer for Community Planting Day at Cele Peterson Rose Garden in Gene C. Reid Park, March 24, 8:30–11:30 a.m. The department needs volunteers to help plant 126 rose bushes as well as distribute mulch and compost to ensure a beautiful bloom season. Volunteers should bring their own gloves if possible.

Join Us at Pop-up Cafe at Reid Park, March 23, 2024, 10 a.m.–Noon. Learn more and give your input on the results of our alternative analysis of the Camino Miramonte–Palo Verde Bicycle Boulevard, a Bicycle Safety and Mobility Project that aims to create a network of safer and more comfortable bicycle routes.

Public Meetings on Parks’ Proposed Rate/Fee Revisions. The City is hosting a series of in-person and two virtual public town hall meetings for the community to find out more about the revisions and provide feedback prior to the April 9 Mayor and Council meeting to consider approving the recommended fees. If adopted, the proposed rate change plan would go into effect beginning in FY 2025 and progressing through FY 30.

Party to Celebrate Reid Park’s New, Expanded Parking Lot. Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023, from 9 to 10:30 a.m., the public and the media are invited to help open the new lot with a special tailgate party. The Zoo is providing free doughnuts and coffee (and juice for the kids) as an incentive for guests to familiarize themselves with the new lot.

Tim Steller's column: Randolph golfers should compromise on paths for walkers, runners, Arizona Daily Star, Dec. 4, 2023. (Don’t subscribe to tucson.com? Click the link above; then click the “Reader View” icon in that page’s address field.)

Holiday Arts and Crafts Fair at Reid Park Nov. 25–26, 2023. The City of Tucson Parks and Recreation department is excited to announce the return of its annual Holiday Arts and Crafts Fair in Reid Park. Come get a jump on your holiday shopping.

Randolph Golf Complex and Park Opportunity Study. In a July 18, 2023 memorandum, Timothy M. Thomure, Deputy City Manager, apprised Mayor and City Council of findings and recommendations from a Tucson Parks & Recreation Department (TPRD) “study on increasing open space around the Randolph Golf Complex and Randolph Park, while maintaining the integrity of golf and identifying opportunities to increase the audience for the clubhouse and restaurant amenities.”

For stories previously posted here, see In The News Archive.

Who we are

Learn about Save the Heart of Reid Park on our “Who We Are” page. Read about the threat the SHRP coalition confronted, our current mission vis-à-vis that threat, our vision for the future of Reid Park, and why this initiative truly matters.

Birds in Reid Park

One Arroyo Chico resident, during daily walks in the park, has seen 102 different aviary species attracted by the old-growth trees and the two beautiful ponds. This astonishing variety of birds in turn attracts to the park large numbers of visitors.

About Gene Reid

Under the guidance of his father, who operated a tree farm in Tucson, Gene Reid evolved into a tree expert before the term arborist came into vogue. Reid Park’s visionary namesake would have been appalled at the notion of removing Barnum Hill’s vibrant trees.

What’s at Stake

Explore our Issues pages, starting with the Park’s history, to understand what drives our initiative. See how the zoo’s initial expansion plan would further reduce the park’s free-access space and degrade the environment by destroying flora and displacing fauna.

Our trees Need Help!

SHRP and Tucson Clean and Beautiful are working together on a project to improve the health of Barnum Hill’s majestic trees. We have $12,000 in funds but need an additional $3,500. Learn more by visiting our gofundme site and making a generous donation.

Our advocacy video

Watch a professional video that is the felicitous result of a collaborate effort between two sibling coalitions: Save the Heart of Reid Park and Expand Reid Park. It advocates not just to save the heart of Reid Park but also to expand its free-access public space.

What We’re Doing

Browse our Media pages to read our January Op-Ed, along with 100 other letters published in the Arizona Daily Star. Watch videos related to the park and our protests there. Examine many articles, editorials, special features and other resources related to our effort.

Our Stance on Options

Save the Heart of Reid Park believes All Reid Park green space is precious and is to be retained. Thus, on the City of Tucson survey concerning the best options in Reid Park with regard to the Reid Park Zoo, our preferences are Options A, G, & H.

South Pond’s Turtles

Elimination of the Reid Park’s lovely South Pond might spell disaster for its resident turtles. Resident turtle expert Pete Polley thinks elimination of the South Pond would have affected the turtles in many adverse ways and their prognosis would have been poor.

Salvemos el corazón de Reid Park: Información en español acerca de la campaña para salvar el parque.