Please join us on Friday, February 10 from 3:30 to 5:00 PM for the WRRC’s Annual Chocolate Fest. This year, we are thrilled to be hosting this fun event in-person at the WRRC’s offices! The agenda this year is simple: gather with friends and colleagues, enjoy chocolaty treats, and see the winning photographs from our 2022 Annual Photo Contest. In keeping with tradition, this year’s celebration will be a chocolate potluck! Start thinking about what you would like to bake, concoct, purchase, or brew, then bring your favorite divine chocolate delectation to share.
Brown Bag Webinar: The Rio Reimagined Initiative: River and Community Revitalization Along the Salt – Gila River Corridor
Moderator: Melissa McCann, Director at University City Exchange, Arizona State University
R.J. Cardin, Director at Maricopa County Parks and Recreation
Nichole Engelmann, Biologist, US Fish and Wildlife Service
Tice Supplee, Audubon Southwest Director of Bird Conservation
08/30/2022 - 12:00pm to 1:15pm Arizona Time
A vision for the Rio Salado restoration that started over 50 years ago has been re-catalyzed in 2017 to include 58 miles of community and river revitalization along the Salt-Gila River corridor by active and diverse governmental and community partnerships with the leadership and generous support of the Arizona Congressional delegation and Arizona State University. In 2017, the Rio Reimagined Partnership began convening to discuss the opportunities for reconnecting communities along an existing urban greenway within Metropolitan Phoenix that could embody a new era of urban resilience including environmental, social, and economic vitality. The panel will include an update on the initiative, feature coalition partners, outline active priorities and projects, and share regional challenges and opportunities from various perspectives. This WRRC Brown Bag Webinar will include an update on the initiative, feature coalition partners, outline active priorities and projects, and share regional challenges and opportunities from various perspectives.
Melissa McCann is the Director of ASU’s University City Exchange, which focuses on the integration of the university and the city. She coordinates specific initiatives related to urban design, planning and sustainability strategies. Melissa holds a master of real estate development from ASU and a bachelor of landscape architecture from Kansas State University. She is a registered landscape architect and is a member of the American Society of Landscape Architects and the Urban Land Institute. Contact: Melissa.amccann@asu.edu
R.J. Cardin is director of Maricopa County’s Parks and Recreation Department. He has 25+ years of diverse parks and recreation experience, including local, county, and state government, commercial recreation, and the non-profit sector. Cardin holds a Masters degree from ASU focusing on outdoor recreation and tourism, as well as Bachelors degrees in both Business Administration and Recreation Management from Morningside College in Iowa. Contact: rj.cardin@maricopa.gov
Nichole Engelmann works for the US Fish and Wildlife Service as a biologist in Arizona, based out of the Phoenix office. Nichole has worked on the development of the Safe Harbor Agreement Amendments for the City of Tempe and Phoenix and participates in the Lower Gila River Collaborative. She is currently the local point of contact for the Rio Reimagined Urban Wildlife Conservation Partnership. Contact: nichole_engelmann@fws.gov
Vashti “Tice” Supplee has been Audubon Southwest Director of Bird Conservation since 2005, after a career with the Arizona Game and Fish Department that included experiences in research, habitat management, game management, and urban wildlife. Tice earned her B.S. at Cornell University and M.S. at the University of Arizona. Contact: tice.supplee@audubon.org
Banner Photo: https://rioreimagined.org/
Upcoming Events
Feb 15 12:00PM
Brown Bag
WRRC Brown Bag Webinar: A Living River – The Santa Cruz River from Mexico to Marana
The Santa Cruz River has long been the backbone of the region’s natural and cultural heritage. Although the river has changed since humans first arrived in the region 12,000 years ago, the river still exists and is a “living” entity that continues to support wildlife and communities along its course. Throughout Arizona, the release of effluent maintains flows of many river reaches. The Santa Cruz River is fortunate to have three stretches with effluent flows—one near Nogales in Santa Cruz County and two near Tucson in Pima County.