Today's episode is all about one of Scottsdale's most treasured assets: the McDowell Sonoran Preserve, and the people working every day to protect it for future generations.

I'm excited to welcome Angy Shearer, the new CEO of the McDowell Sonoran Conservancy. Angy is originally from South Bend, Indiana, but has called the Sonoran Desert home for nearly 20 years, with a career deeply rooted in the nonprofit world and philanthropy. After two decades of helping organizations grow through fundraising and community support, she stepped into this role last December — bringing her passion for people, preservation, and purpose together in a way that feels like a perfect fit.

Working alongside the City of Scottsdale, the Conservancy helps steward more than 30,500 acres of preserved land — nearly one-third of the entire city — and maintains over 225 miles of trails used by hundreds of thousands of residents and visitors each year.

Today, we're talking about how the Conservancy began, why science and stewardship matter, and how every one of us can play a role in protecting the desert we love.

Tour de Scottsdale

March 28th Westworld of Scottsdale

The Start and Finish line, Expo and the Post-Ride Celebration will be held at WestWorld- The HonorHealth Tour de Scottsdale offers challenging and scenic courses that will undoubtedly push the limits of cyclists with 2 distances.

https://www.tourdescottsdale.org/

Weekly Events Happening in Scottsdale

Scottsdale ArtWalk (Thursdays) Explore galleries in the arts district every Thursday.

Old Town Farmers Market (Saturdays): Fresh produce and local goods at the Scottsdale Civic Center

Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art (SMoCA): Art and design exhibits in Old Town.

You can find information for those events at Experience Scottsdale dot com.

https://www.experiencescottsdale.com/