Will you take two minutes to protect the natural assets of Tucson’s parks? Please join other advocates in signing a statement of support for science-based, ecologically appropriate park management.
Friends of Rio Vista is a founding member of Alliance for Ecological Park Management. AEPM members believe that natural areas in parks should be actively managed for ecological health because natural resource conservation is one of the highest and best uses of these sites.
Photo credit: Anonymous by request.
AEPM is building a roster of organizations and individuals who share our goals. Our letter of invitation appears below (it’s also attached to this message, along with AEPM’s statement of purpose and goals). You can fill out and e-mail us the attached form—or you can fill out the form online here. And please share this invitation with your friends, neighbors, and colleagues.
We’re counting on you to amplify your love for Rio Vista Natural Resource Park by speaking up for the ecological gifts that we receive from all parks in the Tucson area!
Dear Rio Vista supporter:
The founding members of Alliance for Ecological Park Management (AEPM) invite you to join us in advocating for science-based, ecologically appropriate management of Tucson-area parks. We collaborate with the Tucson Parks and Recreation Department and other stakeholders in working toward AEPM’s vision. Our statement of purpose and goals is attached.
Our intention is to create a roster of organizations and individuals who support AEPM’s goals. Together, we can be a powerful force not only for advocacy but also for sharing experience and expertise in best practices. In this way, we can protect the biodiversity that Tucson-area parks harbor and the ecological services that they provide.
You or your organization can join this roster by signing the attached statement of support. By signing this statement, you indicate only general support for AEPM’s purpose and goals. If AEPM takes a position on a particular issue in ecological management, individuals and organizations will have the opportunity to endorse that position—but your endorsement would be strictly optional.
We also invite supporters on the advocacy roster to indicate areas of expertise and technical assistance that they might be able to offer to park managers in accomplishing our mutual goals. Examples include restoration ecology, landscape architecture, biological inventory, and rainwater harvesting. The attached statement of support includes a space for indicating your or your organization’s areas of expertise and potential technical assistance.
If you have any questions or need more information, please e-mail Jennifer Shopland at ecologicalparkmanagement@gmail.com. You can also fill out an online sign-up form here.
Thank you very much for considering this invitation. We’re encouraged by the groundswell of interest and support that AEPM has received so far, and we hope to see your name on the advocacy roster.
With all good wishes,
Sheila Bowden, Friends of Fort Lowell Park
Barbara Jones, Friends of Danny Lopez Park
Kendall Kroesen, former Tucson Parks and Recreation Commissioner
Jennifer Shopland, Friends of Rio Vista