Board Member - Peter Price

Peter Price has a long history of learning from and giving back to the Campus Arboretum. As an undergraduate student at the University of Arizona, Peter worked with the (then) Director of the Campus Arboretum. Peter completed a B.S. in Plant Sciences from the University of Arizona in 2011, and after graduation sponsored a tree for one of his friends and later, in 2021 his family sponsored a tree in honor of his great uncle John. In Peter's words:

"The sponsored trees memorialize friends and family who had a connection to the campus during their lives. The Afghan pine near the Douglass Building honors my great uncle John Price, who came to Tucson in the 1950’s to attend the College of Law, which at that time was housed in the Douglass Building. John was the first member of my family to arrive in Tucson, and after he had established himself as an attorney here in town, my dad and his brothers followed his example and moved here to establish themselves in what would become the family business. The sponsored Aleppo pine near Old Main honors Jaime Cesarz, a close family friend who was like a sister to me growing up. She was already a student at UA back when I was still in high school, and was someone I could come hang out with on campus to get a little preview of what college life was like. There are so many memories that are tied to the campus landscape for me, and it’s nice to think that the loved ones who guided me will always be remembered here on campus."

After completing a Masters in Landscape Architecture from Arizona State University, he returned to support the Campus Arboretum as a very active member of the Campus Arboretum Advisory Board- helping with campus tree care advocacy, revising the tree care plan, and planting trees! Peter is currently a Ph.D. Student at Arizona State University studying native and desert-adapted succulent plants that employ crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) for green roof design applications in the Sonoran Desert. His extensive experience in natural resource management with the US Forest Service as well as state agencies in Arizona, New Mexico and South Dakota help to anchor the arboretum in its commitment to promote sustainable, place-based landscapes on campus. 

Plaque inscriptions for trees sponsored by Peter and/or his family: (left) Jaime Cesarz, (right) John Price.

(Left) A sponsored tree dedicated to John Price, who brought Peter's family to Arizona. (Right) Peter planting a tree for an Arbor Day 2021 event.