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Nov. 8, 2019

UArizona Launches Tumamoc Stewards Program

TUCSON, Ariz. — With anywhere from 1,000 to 2,000 people walking Tumamoc Hill every day, a new program is being developed to focus on protecting the site. Tumamoc Stewards, or Guardianes de Tumamoc, will be a physical presence on the Hill, helping maintain the integrity of the iconic site.

Tumamoc Hill's 1.5-mile, near-vertical walk goes through the 115-year-old University of Arizona Desert Laboratory, an 860-acre ecological reserve and cultural landscape with over 2,400 years of human use.

"Tumamoc Hill is a community gathering spot," said Ben Wilder, director of the Desert Laboratory on Tumamoc Hill. "The amount of use the Hill receives today is the highest in its history."

While the majority of Hill walkers adhere to the rules – staying on the recently repaved path, leaving pets at home and not smoking – Wilder points out it doesn't take much to leave lasting damage.

"Unfortunately, we are beginning to see an increase in the defacing of millennia-year-old pictographs and the movement of archaeological features. In an instant, thousands of years of history are lost."

That is where the stewards come in. Twice a month for two hours a day, stewards will be present on the Hill, interacting with fellow walkers and answering questions. After a one-day orientation, stewards will receive monthly behind-the-scenes workshops and trainings on the science and culture of Tumamoc Hill.

"In reality, the only way we are going to be able to maintain the treasure that Tumamoc Hill is today is with the help and care of those that come here," said Wilder. "And that is totally doable. This program is all about channeling the incredible amount of good energy and stong connections we have to this space."

Desert Lab staff estimate they need 60 stewards in order to have people present during peak walking hours. Given the thousands of people that walk Tumamoc Hill, they are optimistic they will receive enough applications to make the program successful.

"Tumamoc Hill is a pillar of our community. It represents our past, present and future," said UArizona Vice President of Global Environmental Futures Joaquin Ruiz. "Coming together to be the best caretakers of this site we can be is a needed and natural step."

To learn more about the Tumamoc Stewards program, visit http://tumamoc.arizona.edu/tumamoc-stewards or call 520-629-9455. Applications are being accepted until Dec. 16.

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Media contacts:
Ben Wilder
Desert Laboratory on Tumamoc Hill
520-626-3987
bwilder@email.arizona.edu

Anna Seiferle-Valencia
Desert Laboratory on Tumamoc Hill
520-629-9455
seiferlevalencia@email.arizona.edu

The University of Arizona, a land-grant university with two independently accredited medical schools, is one of the nation's top public universities, according to U.S. News & World Report. Established in 1885, the university is widely recognized as a student-centric university and has been designated as a Hispanic Serving Institution by the U.S. Department of Education. The university ranked in the top 25 in 2018 in research expenditures among all public universities, according to the National Science Foundation, and is a leading Research 1 institution with $687 million in annual research expenditures. The university advances the frontiers of interdisciplinary scholarship and entrepreneurial partnerships as a member of the Association of American Universities, the 65 leading public and private research universities in the U.S. It benefits the state with an estimated economic impact of $4.1 billion annually.