The Friends of the Tubac Presidio and Museum (FOTTPAM) is pleased to announce their acceptance of a 2023 Santa Cruz Valley National Heritage Area grant of $19,970 to fund their new Sonoran Food Heritage Indoors-Out exhibit hosted at the Tubac Presidio State Historic Park & Museum.
Tubac, AZ (Sept. 13, 2023) The Friends of the Tubac Presidio and Museum (FOTTPAM) is pleased to announce their acceptance of a 2023 Santa Cruz Valley National Heritage Area grant of $19,970 to fund their new Sonoran Food Heritage Indoors-Out exhibit hosted at the Tubac Presidio State Historic Park & Museum. Food is an integral part of culture and provides an enjoyable and accessible gateway to learning about history, environments, people, and places. They plan to leverage these benefits to increase the interest and engagement of visitors and volunteers in the Tubac Presidio State Park and Museum with a focus on regional food heritage. The museum exhibit will be mirrored in outdoor gardens featuring crops from the Old World and those endemic to the Americas. The project will be accompanied by lectures by renowned experts in Southern AZ food-ways. They are also integrating a component to support cross-cultural and cross-generational learning by partnering high school students enrolled in Santa Cruz Valley Unified School District's Culinary and Farming Programs with retirees who have long supported the Presidio as Garden Volunteers.
"We are thrilled to be among a cohort of much-admired sister organizations to receive this inaugural funding, and we deeply appreciate the support of the SCVNHA in helping us reach a new education program goal," says Park Director Julie Robinson.
As a mostly volunteer organization, The Friends steward the Tubac Presidio State Historic Park and Museum for Arizona State Parks and Trails. Working closely with their partners, Vanda Pollard, PhD, agroecologist; Michelle Reid with Museum Pros, LLC; and the Santa Cruz Valley Unified School District, with in-kind support from the Anza Trail Coalition; and matching funds support from the Greater Green Valley Community Foundation, the White Elephant Foundation and the Tohono O'odham Nation, along with the many gifts of time and talent from their volunteer corps, they are excited to begin work on this year-long project!
Tubac Presidio State Historic Park and Museum is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to support Arizona State Parks & Trails by cultivating curiosity and appreciation of local history and diverse cultural traditions through education and stewarding the Presidio's resources for past, present, and future generations. For more information about the museum or to learn how you can volunteer for this project, visit their website at tubacpresidio.org or call 520-398-2252.