The University of Arizona School of Natural Resources and the Environment (SNRE) is a global leader in the exploration of ecosystem change in response to natural and human pressures. Collectively, the School aims to inform strategies that mitigate the effects of environmental changes empowering others to create and maintain healthy and sustainable ecological systems. To support their mission, SNRE established the Faul Preservation Area, in Mt. Lemmon, AZ. The Faul Preservation Area is a microcosm of the greater plant diversity encountered on the Santa Catalina Mountain – a Sky Island. The Faul Preservation Area was donated to the School of Natural Resource and the Environment (SNRE) by Mary A. Faul in 2008. Since then, SNRE, in collaboration with the Mount Lemmon Community, have taken care of the property’s trails, fences, and display boxes that have posters with varying SNRE research themes related to phenology, migratory birds, drone imagery and wildfire among others. We are also expanding the educational experience for visitors of all ages by providing signs that help with identifying and interpreting the significance of the woody plant species at the preservation area.
In Spring 2022, students working with the University of Arizona Campus Arboretum partnered with SNRE to create educational materials relating to the native plant species housed at the Faul Preserve Area. William Lampman (Class of 2022) and Taylor Cavallaro (Class of 2024) identified woody plants on site, and developed web pages to house educational content related to each species. Taylor surveyed the published literature, described the botanical characteristics, and summarized the ecological roles and ethnobotanical value of these native plants. He complemented the written botanical descriptions with photographs to assist visitors in identifying the plants and published all the content to the new webpages. This rich educational resource is accessible (from the links below or) from QR coded signage installed in Summer 2022 throughout the preservation.
We gratefully acknowledge donors who contributed to the Campus Arboretum in 2022 for providing the means to fund Taylor and William's work, and to The Mount Lemmon Community who not only care for the preserve but who also donated funds used to manufacture the interpretive signage.
Donate to the Faul Preservation Area fund by visiting https://give.uafoundation.org/faulfund
For more information, contact: Wim van Leeuwen, Director, School of Natural Resources and the Environment
Phone: 520-626-0058
Email: leeuw@arizona.edu
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Professional Goals & Interests: The botanical world inspires and amazes me on so many levels! Personally, I enjoy cultivating and observing odd and unique plants and I am particularly fascinated by the rich biodiversity of Southern Arizona. Professionally, I aspire to work in research intersecting crop wild relatives and plant-microbe interactions, with the goal of enhancing plant and human health. I plan to pursue graduate studies along the same lines after finishing my undergraduate studies. I hope to utilize my background in French language to expand the impact of my research to include agricultural sustainability projects and partnerships in Francophone countries around the world.
With an interest in conservation of the natural world and animal behavior, William helped identify the plants featured in this project and initiated the species research before graduating and leaving the UArizona to pursue a Master's Degree in Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology at the University of California, Riverside.
In July 2022, SNRE director Wim van Leeuwen and student Taylor Roath met with Summer Arboretum student interns to install 15 QR coded signs for the featured Faul Preserve Species. It was an enriching day for the students as they learned how to identify woody plant species within the preserve while simultaneously assisting Taylor in the completion of the project.
In July 2022, SNRE director Wim van Leeuwen and student Taylor Cavallaro met with Summer Arboretum student interns to install 15 QR coded signs for the featured Faul Preserve Species. It was an enriching day for the students as they learned how to identify woody plant species within the preserve while simultaneously assisting Taylor in the completion of the project. See the pdf link below to see the helpful tips to identify native woody plants which Taylor prepared for the day's instruction!
Pictured (from left to right): Maria Rojas, Matt Castaneda, Taylor Cavallaro, Tanya Quist (Professor & Campus Arboretum Director), Justyne Gonzales, Willem van Leeuwen (Professor & Interim Director, SNRE)
Fall 2023 Sign Maintenance