New Wayfinding Sign at Historic Canoa Ranch Features Santa Rita Sky Island and Santa Cruz River History

TUCSON, AZ (Nov. 6, 2024) – A new interpretive sign at Pima County’s Raul M. Grijalva Canoa Ranch Conservation Park near Green Valley features the Sky Islands & Desert Seas of the Santa Cruz Valley National Heritage Area (SCVNHA). The outdoor wayfinding sign on the park’s east side faces east with a panoramic view overlooking the Anza Trail, the Santa Cruz Valley, and the beautiful Santa Rita Mountains.

The new sign provides important natural, cultural, and historical context to help orient visitors at Historic Canoa Ranch within the larger context of the National Heritage Area and encourage further exploration of the NHA’s heritage experiences. The sign shares information relevant to the site about the NHA’s Sky Islands & Desert Seas, Native American Lifeways, and Spanish & Mexican Frontier storylines. It also lists 14 nearby sites within the SCVNHA that people can visit.

“This sign, the third in a collection that will feature all 11 of our heritage area storylines, is especially fitting since Congressman Raul Grijalva spent his formative years growing up on this ranch where his parents worked, and as a U.S. Congressman, he was integral in advocating for the designation of the Santa Cruz Valley National Heritage Area,” said Lesley Kontowicz, executive director of the Santa Cruz Valley Heritage Alliance.

“It was a pleasure for Historic Canoa Ranch staff to work with SCVNHA on this project. The sign overlooks a 30-acre floodplain restoration project implemented by Pima County Regional Flood Control. It also represents the value of working collaboratively among stakeholders, with input from Canoa Ranch, Pima County Environmental Education, and SCVNHA.” said Matthew Roberts, Park Ranger at the Historic Canoa Ranch.

The 4′ x 3′ sign, created for outdoor use, is available for viewing during normal business hours, sunrise to sunset, 7 days a week. It will educate visitors to the area for years to come. The sign installation is complete and will be celebrated with a public ribbon-cutting at 9 a.m. on November 7th.