Lecture Explore and Learn Before the Lecture: 9:00 - 10:00 AM | All Ages
Lecture: 10:00 - 11:30 AM | All Ages

Open Garden Hours: 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM | All Ages

The Next Generation of Sonoran Desert Researchers (N-Gen) and the Agave Heritage Festival Lifetime Career Award honors those whose work is a cornerstone in understanding agave’s cultural and ecological significance, shaping the agave world we love today.

This year, we recognize Paul and Suzy Fish's pioneering research on ancient agave cultivation and its role in the Sonoran Desert’s rich history. Through decades of archaeological and ecological work, they have uncovered how traditional farming practices shaped the landscape and its thriving communities. In their talk, Paul and Suzy will reveal hidden landscapes and share how ancient farmers used to grow agave in the Tucson basin.

Before the lecture, explore Mission Garden, Tucson’s living agricultural museum. Partners like La Tierra del Jaguar will share their conservation work rooted in the Sonoran Desert. Walk among heritage crops—including agave plantings tied to the traditions Paul and Suzy have studied—and connect with a landscape that has sustained desert communities for generations.

Suzy and Paul Fish

Suzanne (Suzy) Fish, PhD, Curator Emerita and Professor Emerita, specializes in Hohokam archaeology and Sonoran Desert ethnobotany, with her experimental work on Tumamoc’s agave fields advancing public understanding of ancient dryland farming techniques.

Paul Fish, PhD, is Curator Emeritus at the Arizona State Museum and Professor Emeritus, with expertise in Neolithic societies, regional landscapes, and pre-Hispanic agriculture across the Americas.