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." |
"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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LocationPhysical Address:
1 School Street Patagonia, AZ 85624 Mailing Address: P.O. Box 121 Patagonia, AZ 85624 |
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