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The Mesquite Stewardship Program is an educational program for local community members interested in exploring the nutritional, societal, ecological, and economic value of the mesquite tree and its surrounding habitat. Together participants learn about the benefits and uses of the regional natural resource, the iconic mesquite tree.
In Gary Nabhan's "Mesquite Manifesto" he states, "Within the US, border counties have twice the level of poverty and food insecurity as the national average. But how do we deal with the irony that some of these same counties harbor the highest levels of biodiversity anywhere in North America? In other words, they have an abundance of underutilized natural resources that may help lift residents out of poverty, if properly managed. Mesquite (Prosopis spp.) is one of them. A mesquite-based restoration economy may help keep in place those who do not wish to leave their homes to cross border and take refuge in cities for lack of other economic activities." |
MESQUITE STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM
BRN Senior Fellows, Gary Nabhan, ethnobotanist and author, and Laurie Monti, cultural ecologist, have hosted several educational workshop series in Patagonia including topics such as the history and uses of mesquite, cooking with mesquite flour, as well as pod harvesting walks teaching community members how to harvest pods. Mesquite milling workshops followed including use of a hammermill that has been purchased and made available for community use to make mesquite flour. These workshops led to the formation of the Mesquite Stewardship Program to further build skills, learn, and connect across different communities in Southern Arizona with a shared passion for mesquite.
Mesquite Stewards are committed to expanding the general knowledge about mesquite’s food uses and nutritional benefits, valued-added products that can be made from mesquite, learning new skills, championing the use of mesquite, exploring mesquite's role in a restorative economy, and its importance in our landscapes for habitat and wildlife.
The Mesquite Stewardship Program provides ongoing workshops, educational talks and field trips for participants.
Is it free to join? What is the time commitment?
If you’d like to learn more and join the Mesquite Stewardship Program, please contact Juliet Jivanti, Educational Coordinator, jjivanti@borderlandsrestoration.org.
Mesquite Stewards are committed to expanding the general knowledge about mesquite’s food uses and nutritional benefits, valued-added products that can be made from mesquite, learning new skills, championing the use of mesquite, exploring mesquite's role in a restorative economy, and its importance in our landscapes for habitat and wildlife.
The Mesquite Stewardship Program provides ongoing workshops, educational talks and field trips for participants.
Is it free to join? What is the time commitment?
If you’d like to learn more and join the Mesquite Stewardship Program, please contact Juliet Jivanti, Educational Coordinator, jjivanti@borderlandsrestoration.org.
UPCOMING DATES & EVENTS
Check back soon for workshop & programming dates.
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"And yet, as global temperatures continue to rise, as groundwater levels plummet, and as rivers and reservoirs dry up, social conflicts and poverty will inevitably worsen in the US/Mexico borderlands. How do we move toward a cohesive, binational plan with tangible solutions to alleviate these problems? We feel that a concerted effort to better utilize the many arid adaptation of mesquite trees can leverage new solutions."- Gary Nabhan
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