Introduction

   Our Yard - A Landscape Learning Center, is being planned as an outdoor classroom providing informal, hands-on educational experiences to the public. Our mission is to provide Pima County citizens with the educational tools needed to create their own aesthetically pleasing, yet sustainable landscapes. Southern Arizona is a fast growing area with people coming to live here from many different parts of the country. Cooperative Extension provides newcomers with information and education about our deserts environment's unique variations, climate, soils, and vegetation. Visitors will walk through the learning center to gather information and ideas on saving water, energy, and other natural resources for their gardens.

   Sustainability involves the design, installation, and management of urban landscapes for the benefit of the environment. We intend to accomplish this by creating in Our Yard an innovative, flexible environment with changeable exhibits, a permanent ramada for gatherings, and self-directed experiential learning center for all ages. All of the displays will teach visitors how to create sustainable landscapes which reduce the use of natural resources, promote the use of native and indigenous material, reuse resources, and reduce the use of fertilizers and pesticides. Our Yard will not only offer education to homeowners, but will also provide information and training to nursery and landscape professionals, design professionals, and Master Gardeners to encourage consistent horticultural practices compatible with our arid environment.