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Meet Stacie Beute from Desert Botanical Garden

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Stacie Beute, Kim McCue, and RJ Cardin.

Stacie, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
In 2012, Desert Botanical Garden formed and convened the Central Arizona Conservation Alliance (CAZCA) to resolve a fundamental challenge to conservation—the pervasive disconnects between and among organizations, governments, and communities working to achieve conservation outcomes. Today, CAZCA works to align and unify the efforts of more than 60 organizations to conserve, restore, and raise awareness for open space in Central Arizona. Through community engagement, collaboration, and strategic regional coordination, the program works to ensure a sustainable regional open space system that supports healthy ecosystems and healthy communities. We are so proud that CAZCA has become an indispensable, regional connector facilitating collective impact.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
CAZCA is an example of what happens when people are authentically listening to what and where the needs are in a space and committed to collaboration for collective impact. Our at approach at Desert Botanical Garden in leading the Alliance has been one of meeting partners, collaborators, and community members where they are, honoring their knowledge, experience, and perspectives, listening deeply, and working together to define and make progress toward shared goals.

That’s not to say there are no challenges. Many of our partner organizations compete for the same financial resources, and not all of our organizational cultures understand and appreciate this kind of model. Those challenges create tension, no doubt, but we move past it through transparency and true commitment to sharing resources.
Outside the partnership itself, we face tremendous obstacles with regard actually implementing change to improve conservation outcomes on the ground. The status quo is SO strong.

When tracked back to their roots, conservation problems are actually systems problems– they are created by the way we make decisions, our processes, our culture…. Changing culture is tremendously difficult and complex. Changing policy, regulation, ordinance, code, or even guidelines is complex. Conservation requires us to work on the ground, in the council chambers and legislatures, in the lab, and in the hearts and minds of people. It is a long game, and it can be grueling.

What other choice do we have though? We’re not going to give up! As my friends say, “Poco a poco.” 🙂

Please tell us about Central Arizona Conservation Alliance, Desert Botanical Garden.
While the Conservation Alliance program was new in 2012, Desert Botanical Garden was founded in 1939 and is an Arizona treasure. For more than 75 years, the Desert Botanical Garden has been teaching and inspiring visitors from the local community and around the world, providing research, exhibits and more designed to help people understand, protect and preserve the desert’s natural beauty.

The Garden’s commitment to the community is to advance excellence in education, research, exhibition and conservation of desert plants of the world with emphasis on the Southwestern United States. We will ensure that the Garden is always a compelling attraction that brings to life the many wonders of the desert.

Some highlights of the Garden:

140 acres
55 acres under cultivation
50,000+ plant displays showcased in beautiful outdoor exhibits
1 of only 24 botanical gardens accredited by the American Alliance of Museums (formerly American Association of Museums)
821 volunteers
66,075 volunteer hours
107 regular staff members
633,041 attendees each year
40,544 member households
31,120 school children on guided field trips

Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
I don’t know how there can be any such thing as a favorite childhood memory!
Memories are tied up with so many different feelings and experiences– each too nuanced, too tied up with context, and too important to pick a single favorite. There’s no way I could do it.

There is a favorite feeling I have from childhood though, a sensation really, from our summer break when I was a kid in Michigan. It’s the feeling of absolute freedom and endless warm days, adventures on bikes, crabapple fights, swimming, and only coming home after the sun set and crickets began to chirp. All of those days were outdoors. Dear Lord those were perfect days. Those days set my connection to nature.

Pricing:

  • General admission to the Desert Botanical Garden is Adult: $24.95 Youth $12.95 (3 – 17) Children under 3 are admitted free.
  • Annual memberships start at $79

Contact Info:

Image Credit:
Photo with Desert Botanical Garden by Adam Rodriguez
Photo with green building by Osha Davidson
Photo with woman and little girl by Osha Davidson

Getting in touch: VoyagePhoenix is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.

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