Desert Botanical Garden hosted its first-ever Saguaro Census Awards Ceremony on Nov. 23, celebrating the top observers who helped document the iconic cactus as well as showcasing insights and key findings from the results.
The results of the Saguaro Census 2024 were released in August and showed the total number of observations on iNaturalist at nearly 26,000 since the project started two years ago. In the report, Garden researchers advocated for the creation of a saguaro nursery to grow plants that are better adapted to Phoenix’s harsh weather conditions. This project would include a network of volunteers to house these seedlings, to grow plants that are better adapted to Phoenix’s harsh weather conditions.
The ceremony included a special expert panel with Garden cactus curator Noemi Hernández-Castro, the famous “Cactus Doctor” Adam Vickers and Dr. Peter Breslin from the University of Arizona.
The top contributors this year received a gift bag that included exclusive Saguaro Census swag, a special certificate, as well as a Garden membership. Additionally, the top three observers received a Gertrude’s Restaurant gift card.
With support from Arizona Lottery Gives Back, the Garden will launch its fourth annual Saguaro Census in May 2025 to document more saguaros throughout the Phoenix metro area.
To learn more about the Saguaro Census and other saguaro-related research at the Garden, visit our Saguaro Initiatives page.
