Caption: A view of Empire Ranch
“RANCHING TRADITIONS AND ECOLOGY OF SOUTHERN ARIZONA” TOUR BY THE ARIZONA STATE MUSEUM (ASM) ON FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2025. Spend the day with ASM ethnohistorians Dr. Dale Brenneman and Dr. Michael Brescia exploring southern Arizona’s ranching heritage, visiting Empire Ranch, Appleton-Whittell Research Ranch, and Babacomari Ranch. Guests will learn about:
- Land-management practices of the Native Americans who occupied the land at the time the Europeans arrived.
- Ecological consequences of the contact between Native peoples and Europeans.
- The large tracts of rangeland issued through Spanish and Mexican land grants.
- The implications of Spanish water law for landowners today.
- The lives of southern Arizona’s early Anglo/European homesteaders and pioneer ranchers.
- The variety of range management strategies being practiced today, how ranchers have adapted to recent years of severe drought and how they plan to deal with climate change.
ASM and SMRC members receive the discount rate of $200 and non-members $250 ($50 / $100 tax deductible). Registration includes van transportation, entry fees, honoraria, gratuities, and on-board water. Proceeds will support Arizona State Museum’s Office of Ethnohistorical Research. To reserve your spot, contact Darlene Lizarraga at (520) 626-8381 or email dfl@arizona.edu.