Gabriel of Urantia

Global Community Communications Alliance (GCCA) Supports Friends of the Santa Cruz River (FOSCR)

Global Community Communications Alliance worked closely with friends at the Tumacácori National Historic Park, The Sonoran Institute, and the Friends of the Santa Cruz River to host two groundbreaking water-issues events in Spring 2009:


    a. Researchers Day (March 27, 2009) held at the University of Arizona. Many presentations were given by various groups who are doing vital research on the status of the Santa Cruz River, including discussing ideas for future networking and actions to preserve the environment of the Santa Cruz River Watershed.

    The Researchers Day event has become an annual event, held every spring, in Tucson. The scope of the presentations has expanded beyond scientific research pertaining to the Santa Cruz River and its unique riparian zone to include presentations on scientific research projects about water quality/health issues in the Santa Cruz Valley Watershed, including issues south of the border in Nogales, Sonora.

    In 2013, the event has become two days of presentations and networking due to its success and the increasing numbers of people and organizations who want to be involved. Researchers Days 2013 was held at the Sonoran Desert Museum in Tucson on April 15 & 16.

    Participants of this event find it natural to build alliances of collaboration and information sharing in many ways that benefit the watershed. As the alliances of science and activism build, participants of Researchers Days are having ongoing discussions about ways to take this research and actively apply it in some way that will benefit everyone by protecting the watershed.


    b. Celebrate the River/Junior Ranger Day (March 28, 2009) held at the Tumacácori Mission. A day for families to learn about and celebrate the Santa Cruz River, with many interactive and educational activities for children to learn about the river, living history presentations, tours of the river, and games and music centered on the river. Other sponsors of this event were Santa Cruz Valley Heritage Alliance, Friends of Tumacácori, and Western National Parks Association.

    In a partnership born of mutual dedication to preservation of the Santa Cruz River watershed, Global Community Communications Alliance and Friends of the Santa Cruz River began co-hosting the Celebrate the River Community Picnic and Youth Art Contest in 2011. This has grown into an annual event where 100s of neighbors from the various cultures of the borderlands region come together for a Sunday afternoon by the river to picnic, enjoy guided river walks, view a display of art done by local youth for the art contest (with a Santa Cruz River theme), and enjoy skits and music about the Santa Cruz River presented by students from the Global Community Communications Schools for Teens and Children and the Mexicayotl Academy.

    Global Community Communications Alliance's annual Earth Day event (April 25, 2009) was held at the Main Stage at Tubac Plaza. This was a festive day of music, speakers, a Youth Forum with students from the Mexicoatl Academy on Nogales, Arizona and the Global Community Communications Schools for Teens and Children, with booths demonstrating a variety of aspects of eco-living.


Sustainability Workshops

A fruitful relationship between Global Community Communications Alliance has been formed with the University of Arizona Anthropology Department and the President's Good Neighbor Environmental Board, leading to Global Community Communications Alliance hosting an all-day sustainability workshop event at Avalon Organic Gardens, Farm, & Ranch with 40 students from Mexico/Guatemala/Ambos Nogales.

    a. One group of workshop participants included high school students from Rio Rico and Nogales High Schools who were participating in an intensive Research Camp that week. While at Avalon Gardens these students videotaped some Global Community Communications Alliance students and teachers about sustainable practices with produce, waste, water, and green spaces. These interviews have been incorporated into a DVD that is being used by the Southeastern Arizona Health Education Center.

    b. Global Community Communications Alliance also held a workshop on building with papercrete for students from the University of Arizona and friends Human-Rights Minister Centria met during a tour of environmental sustainability projects in Nogales, Mexico hosted by the University of Arizona Anthropology Department and the President's Good Neighbor Environmental Board.


Global Community Communications Alliance was invited to join a newly formed group called the Southwest Ecosystem Services Project. It is hosted by the EPA and USGS with the purpose of creating a Santa Cruz Watershed Ecosystem Portfolio Model. They invited Blue Evening Star initially because of her activism work with water issues and her networking with youth and other activist groups in Santa Cruz County, to create a Bioregional Sustainability Council for Earth Day 2010.