Environment
Programs
Since its founding, the International Sonoran Desert Alliance (ISDA) has continuously worked to hold space for and convene stakeholders around topics of preservation and stewardship of the Sonoran Desert. Since its founding in 1993, ISDA has evolved along a ‘Man and the Biosphere’ arc with projects and programs undergoing an iterative development process informed by the needs and aspirations of the peoples living within the natural environment.
BIOSPHERE REGIONS
ISDA’s vision is to establish the region as a showcase for environmental excellence and an international center for arts and culture with a prosperous and sustainable economy offering opportunities for all its residents; a philosophy clearly reflected in ISDA’s work with El Pinacate y Gran Desierto de Altar Biosphere Reserve and the Sonoran Desert Biosphere Region (formerly Organ Pipe Cactus Biosphere Reserve).
home efficiency program
Through partnerships with Arizona Public Service’s Energywise Program, Wildfire and Pima County, ISDA provides home energy evaluations and targeted appliance replacements, upgrades and building interventions for income-qualifying homeowners and renters. Through long-term investments in safer homes, ISDA is helping to build more resilient Sonoran Desert Communities.
Events
TRI-NATIONAL SONORAN Desert SYMPOSIUM
Organized by representatives from the Tohono O’odham Nation, Mexico and the United States, this biennial symposium offers presentations and dialogue about the dynamics of natural and cultural ecology, environmental challenges, and their relationships to peoples--past and present--living in the Sonoran Desert. The Tri-National Sonoran Symposium was established to promote increased understanding, conservation and celebration of the natural and cultural resources of the Sonoran Desert, and to foster communication and productive collaboration dedicated to this purpose.
CACTUS FRUIT HARVEST
The Sonoran Desert Inn and Conference Center and ISDA annually host a cactus fruit harvest. The Saguaro Fruit Harvest Weekend offers a series of culturally and geographically unique activities at the Sonoran Desert Inn, Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, and the Ajo Scenic Loop.
Guests participate in an authentic saguaro fruit harvest, waking up with the sun and harvesting saguaro fruit using traditional kukuipad, long poles made of cactus ribs. Harvesting on National Monument land is generally forbidden--this is a rare opportunity to do so with a Hia C-ed O’odham guide. After the harvest, the guide leads guests in a cooking workshop, where they learn the process of turning cactus fruit into syrup. Other activities offered during the harvest weekend include a campfire lecture about the cultural and historical importance of the saguaro harvest and learning how to make a ku:ipad (picking stick) in preparation for the next day’s harvest.
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