Greater Gila River Corridor Project at Estrella Mountain Regional Park

About the Program

Category: Parks and Recreation (Best in Category)

Year: 2023

The Maricopa County Parks and Recreation Department recently partnered with several local agencies to develop a program that would allow the agencies to plan for conservation in developing areas. The agencies believed forming the partnership would enable them to pool their goods and services and conservation and management skills to restore public lands. And by combining their resources, they could have a more significant impact on the areas they were looking to heal. To test their theory, the partners developed a plan and implementation strategies for a pilot project known as the Greater Gila River Corridor Project at Estrella Park. On November 4-5, 2002, community members joined the partners for a pollinator garden that included small plants and trees installation at Estrella Mountain Regional Park in Goodyear, Arizona. Over the two days, three hundred native trees and pollinator shrubs were planted. In addition, the group performed a xeriscape conversion on five acres of turf in the park. Once mature, the trees will act as a canopy providing shade to park visitors and wildlife. Thanks to the foresight of the partnership, the project will significantly improve the park visitors' experience while also improving the abundance and diversity of pollinators and wildlife species.