Participants

The original plan in the spring of 2023 was to create as many public Pollinator Pathway Gardens as possible in the "main street" area of the Arivaca townsite.  However, the project soon grew to include three gardens approx. 1-2 miles outside the townsite in an area called "the Forties".  In 2025, the project expanded again with the Home Gardener Program, and there are now 45 local private properties registered as pollinator-friendly and pesticide-free!

Each of the public pollinator gardens:

• Is in a location where plants and pollinators can be observed by pedestrians;

• Contains an appropriate soil and amendment mixture for SW native plants;

• Contains native, flowering shrubs and perennials that attract and nurture pollinators, have year-round interest, and are low-water-use and low-maintenance;

• Most contain a simple and efficient drip irrigation system and timer, so that watering will be a low-cost expense for property owners and have a low-impact on Arivaca’s aquifer. The gardens at Marian's Market and Arivaca Sonz Hardware are hand-watered as needed, for the same reason;

• Features colorful and artful signage, a brochure box stocked with pamphlets about the project;

• Has been built by a team of volunteers, including its property owner or a representative who takes on the responsibility of maintaining it from then on.  

Steel stock tanks are being used as raised beds for some of the main street public pollinator gardens, for these reasons:

• These sites have very compacted soil, and/or nearby water lines or other utilities, so it's best to not create an in-ground garden;

• These sites have fences that make a raised bed much more visible from the street or sidewalk than an in-ground bed.  One other benefit of raised beds is that maintenance can be done from a standing or sitting position, making them more accessible for all ages and abilities;

From 2023 to 2026, Arivaca Pollinator Pathway Project volunteers created or enhanced pollinator gardens at 14 local properties: 

• Arivaca Dancehall: An in-ground pollinator garden was already growing strong when this project started, more plants were added to it in November 2023, and a brand new nighttime pollinator garden was added in April 2024.

• A Gathering Space: an in-ground pollinator garden was created in Nov. 2023.

• Arivaca Human Resource: a raised bed pollinator garden was created in Sept. 2024.

•  La Esquiñita de Arivaca property owner Clara Godfrey and tenant Kelly Y: 

A raised bed pollinator garden was created in Nov. 2023.

• La Gitana Cantina: A raised bed pollinator garden was created in May 2023.

• Arivaca Sonz Hardware: A raised bed pollinator garden was created in May 2023 (see photo above).

• Plaza de la Amistad Park: An in-ground pollinator garden was begun in 2025 at this park, which is located right in the middle of the townsite.

• Arivaca Mercantile: A raised bed pollinator garden was created in June 2023.

• Marian's Market: A raised bed pollinator garden was created in October 2024.

• Arivaca Schoolhouse Park: A raised bed pollinator garden was created in August 2024. 

• Caviglia -Arivaca Public Library: An in-ground pollinator garden was already growing strong when this project started, but we have added more plants in the fall of 2023, 2024, and 25, and added 4 new raised bed planters in 2025 & 2026.

• Gadsden Coffee/The Monarch Cafe:  An in-ground pollinator garden is being created in 2026 at this local coffee roaster and soon-to-be-open restaurant.

• Arivaca Community Center:  A large, in-ground pollinator garden was planted in May 2024 and the youth in its after-school and summer programs help adult volunteers care for it!

• The Early Learning Center at the Arivaca Action Center:  New barrel planters and pollinator plants were added to the playground garden in Oct. 2024, and there is also a well-established pollinator-friendly garden surrounding the rest of the Action Center building.