Tumamoc — the National Historic Landmark that is still making history

 

Tumamoc Hill is dedicated to college-level research and teaching. As recently as 10 years ago, that was the only thing it did.
 
Not any more.
 
The press of the embracing, burgeoning city, coupled with Tumamoc's unparalleled proximity to Tucson's residents has demanded that Tumamoc take on new jobs, jobs that it is uniquely able to do.

 

It's a fact! Tumamoc's vision must grow to meet many new responsibilities.

      
It needs to teach Tucsonans what it has been learning for over a century.
      
It needs to do that at all age levels, from elementary school students to adults who thirst for knowledge of the extraordinary place we live in.
      
It needs to remind the world about its scientific laurels. No place else can boast of such an early and unmatched role in basic science, in conservation, and in the fundamental understanding of the living desert.
      
It needs to transmit the archaeological lessons it has learned in the past few decades, lessons so important to appreciating the ancient history of the people who first settled the Tucson Basin, farmed it for millennia, and left a succession of mute artifacts that speak loudly of their lives.
      
It needs to continue to provide the stellar recreation available simply by ascending its paved road through the glory of a wild landscape.
      
It needs to honor and respect the Native Nations that revere it.
It needs to protect and maintain its land and its buildings for posterity.
      
It needs to make itself available to inspire art and music and literature.
      
It needs to help its city adapt to the immense environmental changes wrought by Tucson's own expansion, to restore a sense of people living with nature instead of beating it back.
That is a lot of needs!
      
And while it satisfies those, Tumamoc must at the same time continue its research work, conducted in harmony with all its new responsibilities, responsive to new scientific challenges, and conscious of the value of its continuing, irreplaceable long-term studies — many the world's very oldest.

Each one of those ten goals is praiseworthy. But trying to accomplish them all will lead to apparent conflicts. So Tumamoc must also face the difficult problem of finding creative ways to resolve those conflicts, to satisfy each goal without damaging the others.

As it does its work, Tumamoc will become Tucson's gift to tomorrow
   — a microcosm of research, education, creativity and respect
that will show what the world can do to save
                    its precious natural legacy and cultural history.