OVHS Newsletter — April 2026
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OVHS HIGHLIGHTS
Heritage Garden Welcomes Homeschool Students for a Hands‑On Learning Adventure
OVHS Naturalist Paul Canez welcomed Ms. Moss, several students, and their families from her homeschooling program for an immersive visit to the Heritage Garden at Steam Pump Ranch. During their time in the garden, students explored traditional agricultural practices including mulching, soil preparation, native seed cultivation, and farming methods used by the Tohono O’odham—techniques still practiced today in the Town of Oro Valley’s Heritage Garden, operated by Oro Valley Historical Society.
The highlight of the visit came when students identified, gathered, and harvested fresh produce straight from the beds. Their harvest included snow peas, radishes, arugula, spinach, carrots, romaine lettuce, parsley, and more. Together, they washed, chopped, and prepared the ingredients, enjoying a garden‑fresh salad picnic right in the heart of the garden.
If you’re interested in scheduling your classroom or learning group (Sept ‘26- April ‘27) for an authentic, hands‑on educational experience tailored to your students, we’d love to welcome you!
Schedule your educational experience the 2026/2027 school year now!
Spring Into History - OVHS April Events
APRIL rounds out our Saturday exhibits at the Pusch House Museum with Semiquincentennial and Town of Oro Valley where we trace the nation’s evolution from 1901 to today to see how those sweeping changes set the stage for the founding of Oro Valley. This is the final exhibit until we return in September, so don’t miss it! (April 4, 11, 18, 25)
April 11: Support the Heritage Garden! Join our donation drive and help this vibrant space grow. Read more in the garden article just below.
April 11th also offers two 60-minute guided nature walks with our naturalist, Paul Canez who shares interesting facts/stories about our unique desert environment. Meet outside the Pusch House Museum ~ Tours begin at 9:15am and at 10:30am.
Our Tours and Museum visits are free, but donations are greatly appreciated.
April 12: Celebrate the 11th Annual A Taste of Oro Valley, hosted by the Rotary Club of Oro Valley —an evening filled with food tastings, wine & beer garden, live music, a silent auction, and a 50/50 raffle. While you’re there, hop by the Pusch House Museum. OVHS volunteers will have the doors open for this special event—stop in, explore, and get your history fix between bites and music!
April 19th at 1pm: Our very own Twink Monrad is sharing her passion with the Oracle Historical Society as she recounts her adventures with Jim Kriegh, the “Father of Oro Valley,” in the search for meteorites in the Gold Basin of Mohave County. This region, long known for its gold veins, revealed an astonishing treasure: previously undiscovered meteorites. This discovery sparked scientific interest from the University of Arizona, leading to classification and mapping efforts that continue to inform planetary science today. Acadia Ranch Museum, 825 E. Mt. Lemmon Hwy. Click here for all the details and location information.
April 23: Learn more about OVHS at our next Board Meeting now held at the Pusch House Museum at 2:00 pm.
April 30: OVHS welcomes Michael Fasset, President of the Tucson Historic Preservation Foundation, for an informative session about Sakellar + Savage = Sculptures, a history of the artists behind the modern expression of the Oro Valley Country Club Estates architecture. Click here for more details. Don’t miss this last presentation for the first half of 2026. New series begins in September!
View our Calendar of Events
Website Dispatch
New Adventures on the Website
Looking for something to do? Explore nearby historic towns, landmarks, and museums all within an easy car ride!
And from our friends at Oracle Historical Society, provided by Royal John Medley:
- Art, Adoption, and Appropriation – Hopi Imagery and the Arizona Citrus Industry – Circa 1920’s -1950’s
- Citrus & Saguaros – An Illustrated History of Citrus in Arizona 1888-1960 (scroll down the Heritage Garden page to find this article)
- Lettuce and Landscapes – An Illustrated History of Commercial Row Crops in Arizona (Circa 1920’s-1960’s) (scroll down the Heritage Garden page to find this article)
- Step into the Legend of Earl Linwood Francis – An Arizona Life (7/25/1931 – 8/15/1966)
- Watch Labeled as Art on the AZPM YouTube Channel – John Royal Medley Jr. has collected more than 280 citrus crate labels that create a unique lens through which to view over a century of Arizona’s history. Themes include Victorian, tourism, cowboys, AND there is a surprising story involving a Sun Devil.
We’re always adding new pages and stories to the OVHS website. Want to help? Have a story, photo, or fun fact to contribute about the Greater Oro Valley area? We’d love to hear from you— email info@ovhistory.org.
Explore the OVHS Website
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