You can play an essential role in the conservation and stewardship of desert plants, wildlife, and ecosystems
Support Our Mission
Our mission is to inspire appreciation and stewardship of desert plants, wildlife, and ecosystems through education, research and conservation.
Boyce Thompson Arboretum is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, IRS EIN: 88-0061520. Every gift helps and every member matters! If you would like to make a gift in honor or memory of a loved one please refer to the ‘Ways to Give’ section below.
Giving Options
Greatest Needs Fund
Your gift to the Greatest Needs Fund provides the flexible support our mission depends on most. It allows us to respond to the Arboretum’s most urgent needs, care for our collections, and invest in education, research, and conservation. Here your generosity can make the greatest impact.
Propagating the Future
We are committed to preserving rare desert plants and expanding conservation efforts through propagation. The Propagating the Future campaign aims to upgrade facilities, enhance research, and increase access to resilient plants that support thriving desert ecosystems.
Water Wise Arboretum
The Water Wise Campaign has strengthened our approach to water conservation and climate resilience. Your support helps sustain these critical improvements through ongoing maintenance, innovation, and sustainable stewardship practices.
Living Collections Fund
Support the dedicated horticulture experts and the plants they care for every day, including three nationally accredited plant collections. Your gift provides the people, tools, supplies, and resources needed to keep the Arboretum’s living collections healthy, vibrant, and thriving while preserving the beauty and biodiversity of our gardens for generations to come.
Educational Initiatives
Your gift supports educational experiences that connect people of all ages with the arid-adapted ecosystems from around the world; from student field trips and STEM learning to guided tours, workshops, our docents, and community programs. Together, we inspire discovery and nurture lifelong stewards of nature.
Desert Legume Program (DELEP)
Your gift supports the Desert Legume Program’s mission to conserve, research, and share the diversity of desert legumes through seed banking, scientific study, and preservation efforts. By protecting valuable plant genetics and advancing knowledge of these resilient species, your support helps safeguard desert biodiversity and promote sustainable solutions for arid environments worldwide.
Desert Resilience Fund
Your support strengthens the Arboretum’s ability to prepare for and respond to the challenges of a changing desert environment, including wildfire risk, extreme heat, water conservation needs, and storm impacts. Your gift helps protect our living collections, infrastructure, and community.
Historic Preservation Fund
Boyce Thompson Arboretum is a treasured historic site where more than a century of conservation, horticulture, and education has shaped a lasting connection to desert plants and ecosystems from around the world. Your gift supports the preservation and care of our historic buildings, landscapes, and cultural resources, ensuring this special place continues to inspire visitors while honoring its rich legacy.
Join the Desert Willow Legacy Society
By including Boyce Thompson Arboretum in your estate plans, you become a member of the Desert Willow Legacy Society, a special community of supporters dedicated to preserving the Arboretum for future generations.
Vision. Growth. Legacy. YOU can shape the future
Other Ways to Give
Green Gala
An unforgettable evening of breathtaking desert views, dinner under the stars, and immersive learning experiences, all while supporting the Arboretum’s mission.
Sustaining Garden Donor Program
Help the Arboretum grow and develop by becoming a monthly Sustaining Garden Donor.
Memorials & Tributes
Commemorate a loved one or important life events with a unique addition to our garden. To learn more, please contact a member of our development team at [email protected].
Amazon Wish List
We are always in need of new supplies to keep our garden growing. Sending us an item from our wish list is an easy and effective way to support our mission!
Questions? We’d love to hear from you!
Connect with our Development team at 520-689-4716 or [email protected].
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Last March, Arizona Game and Fish Department introduced more than 450 desert pupfish into Ayer Lake. As a critically endangered species, we are honored to be able to provide them a safe place to grow.
Thank you @azgfd for your efforts in conserving these magnificent fish.
#desertpupfish #pupfish #endangeredfish #conservation #ConservationMatters #btarboretum
On November 1, Boyce Thompson Arboretum received 2.62 inches of rainfall by 1 pm, causing flooding along Queen Creek and prompting an early closure for the safety of all staff and guests.
We reopened Monday, November 2, and our team will be working throughout the week to cean up affected areas. The Wallace Garden, Demonstration Garden, and portions of the Australian Garden will be closed while cleanup is underway.
If you`d like to support our efforts, consider donating to our Greatest Needs Fund! Every contribution helps us in caring for this special place. You can donate by clicking the link in our bio.
#floodingdamage #btarboretum #1Arb #nonprofitdonation #conservation #NatureConservation
🚨You asked, we listened - the Fall Plant Sale has been extended!
If last weekend`s rainy weather stopped you from shopping our Fall Plant Sale, we have good news! We are extending it for one more week. Shop perennials, shrubs, trees, cacti, succulents, and more until 5 pm on Sunday, November 8th.
Members get 20% all plants during the Fall Plant Sale! Not a member yet? Sign up today using the link in our bio.
#fallplantsale #PlantDiscount #plantshopping #plantlovers #btarboretum #arizonagardening #NativePlantSale
Barrel Cacti may be covered in spines, but that doesn`t stop it from being a vital food source for desert wildlife!
Bees, rodents, birds, javelina, beetles, mule deer, bighorn sheep, and jackrabbits all benefit from either its pollen, seeds, fruit, or even the plant itself.
No matter its size, shape, or number of spines, every desert plant has an import role to play in our ecosystem. 🌵
#barrelcactus #ferocactus #cactuslovers #cactuscollection #btarboretum #fishhookbarrel #desertplants
Spending time in nature is a great way to lift your spirit👻
Happy Halloween from all of us at Boyce Thompson Ar-boo-retum! We hope you have a safe (and candy-filled) evening.
#happyhalloween #getoutside #naturelovers #Halloween2026 #aznature #btarboretum #spookyseason #ghostsighting
Due to weather, Boo-tanical Bash has been cancelled.
We hope to see you another time! Until then, stay safe and stay spooky. 👻
If you`ve already purchased tickets for the event, please reach out to [email protected] and we`ll reschedule your ticket to another date.
#bootanicalbash #btarboretum
🌻Sometimes it`s easier to let gravity do the work!
By hanging upside down from stems, Lesser Goldfinches put themselves in the perfect position to catch falling seeds as they peck. This unique feeding behavior gives them a strong advantage, allowing them to reach seeds other birds can`t while saving time and energy.
#lessergoldfinch #goldfinch #birdadaptations #BirdFacts #birdlovers #natureeducation #sunflowers
🕷️🕸️The Arboretum is decorated for Halloween! And we have the funnel web spiders to thank for it.
If you see one of these funnels in our garden, take a peak inside! You might just see a little friend hidden within, waiting for it`s next meal.
#funnelwebspider #funnelweb #spiderweb #arizonaspider #happyhalloween #SpiderFacts #SpiderLovers