MARANA, Ariz. (KGUN) — To celebrate 25 years of the Ironwood Forest National Monument, the Friends of Ironwood Forest are hosting a free event on Saturday, March 22.
The “Meet the Monument” event will be held at El Tiro Gilderport in Marana.
Friends of Ironwood Forest Board President, Tom Hannagan says this is the first “Meet the Monument” event the group has hosted since the pandemic. They serve as a way to create more awareness about the monument.
Located about 25 miles northwest of Tucson, the monument is made up of nearly 130,000 acres and is managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Hannagan says it’s set up as conservation land.
“It’s meant to be kept relatively pristine, natural Sonoran Desert,” he explained.
The Friends of Ironwood Forest aim to protect the national monument by assisting BLM in volunteer activities and supporting research and educational opportunities.
Saturday’s event runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
“We have various exhibitors that talk about different aspects of the monument; the plant life, the animal life, the geology and some of the cultural heritage,” Hannagan said. “Then we also have speakers talking about how the monument was founded, who was involved in that effort and some of the things that have gone on since then.”
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Madison Thomas joined KGUN 9 in July of 2023 as a multimedia journalist. She graduated from Arizona State University in May of 2023 with a degree in journalism and mass communication. She has lived in Arizona her entire life and grew up in Douglas. Madison is thrilled to share the stories from the community she grew up in. Share your story ideas and important issues with Madison by emailing madison.thomas@kgun9.com or by connecting on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook.
