TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) – Tucked away on A-Mountain on the west side of Tucson is a nursery full of all sorts of things.
“I take care of the plants and flowers,” says Rose-Anna Cook, Desert Survivors employee.
Rose-Anna is just one of 40 employees who use their green thumbs on this well-oiled machine called Desert Survivors.
“We teach them what it means to have a job and the etiquette that goes with it,” says executive director Karen Wilson. We’re trying to get them to a point where they can go out and get a community job. “
The non-profit association began in the 1980s with only a few employees. Fast forward to today and the operation is bigger and better than ever.
“We have a contract with the state of Arizona and the money we get from that contract is going to pay our support staff,” said Wilson. “All the money we get from our plant sales pays the paychecks of the people we serve.”
Desert Survivors is open to the public. And as you can imagine, running a full-fledged 4 acre kindergarten is not an easy task.
“The boys weed and take care of plants,” says David Garcia, director of program services. “They organize things too and make sure they have a source of water.”
And get yourself this: Everything in stock is from our Sonoran Desert.
“We actually have over 800 species of different native plants here,” says Wilson.
Things like…
“We have velvet mesquites, we have fruit trees. You see it in the desert, we have it,” says Garcia.
But these plants don’t just appear out of nowhere.
“Most of our plants are propagated locally from seeds, trimmings and their mother plants. Our Desert Survivors kindergarten team also propagates seeds in the desert. A couple of times a year you will see them in the desert hills in search of new species “says Garcia.
So why plants?
“It’s just something to work with the earth, to work with plants, it’s very, very comforting,” says Wilson.
And forget about being locked in an office all day.
“I like being outside. I like being outside and doing hard work,” says Angel Varele, Desert Survivors employee.
“There’s room for them out here, they can spread out,” says Wilson. “When you’re not feeling too good about something, there is an area to sit and calm down. It’s really just a magical place.”
Things have certainly changed in the last 40 years, but the secret of success is still the same.
“We see ourselves as this wonderful place where everyone gets along despite their differences,” says Wilson.
A program that not only cares for plants …
“I’ve been doing very well here so far,” says Cook.
But people too.
The kindergarten is open Tuesday to Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Click here for a list of available plants.
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