2021-2022
Ironwood Forest National Monument was created in 2000 and gets its name from an important native tree species which is found in high concentrations here. It protects 129,000 acres of prime Sonoran Desert habitat west and north of Tucson. The monument contains several small mountain ranges, a thriving population of desert bighorn sheep, and a variety of scenic, saguaro-filled landscapes, as well as historic, cultural, and archeological sites. Friends of Ironwood Forest is a non-profit organization dedicated to the protection and informed management of the natural and cultural resources of Ironwood Forest National Monument. The organization is led by a small all-volunteer board of area residents who use education, community outreach and advocacy to help fulfill the organization's mission.
The inaugural cohort (2021-2022) of Liverman scholars worked in collaboration with Friends of Ironwood Forest to create a series of communication pieces to further engage the public in the protection of the monument. The focal product was a portfolio of social media posts to raise awareness of and increase visitorship to the monument.
Happy Birthday to Ironwood Forest National Monument! The ancestral land of the Tohono O’odham and Hohokam was recognized as a National Monument on June 9th, 2000, by President Bill Clinton. Clinton signed the proclamation that works to protect and maintain biological and geological resources, as well as native history reaching back 5000 years.
