During the 1980s a productive relationship began between Mrs. Orpha Mason and the Tucson Audubon Society (TAS). During that period, Juel Rodack, a board member of both Nature Conservancy and TAS, hand delivered to Mrs. Mason a print of an elegant trogan that the Conservancy was giving to its donors. After receiving the print, Mrs. Mason talked to Juel about her love of ironwoods in general and specifically those on her property. Before her husband William died in 1976, Mrs. Mason had promised him that she would make sure their property (now the Mason Center) would be saved from development.
Following Juel’s initial visit, Orpha Mason continued her relationship with the Tucson Audubon Society. In 1986, David Lazaroff, the TAS first education director, started a series of educational family adventures. Many of these programs were held at the Mason’s property. Yar Petryszyn, Carl Olson, David Lazaroff, Ronnie Snyder, Meg Quinn and Doris Evans served as instructors. Some of the Audubon family programs that were offered on the Mason’s property are listed below:
-How to Wear a Fur Coat in the Desert
-Desert Creepie Crawlies
-Cold Bellies (Reptiles)
-Making Molehills Out of Mountains
-Desert Plants and the Indians Knew Them
-Winging It (Birds)
-New Eyes for Plant Explorers
-Its Not Easy Seeing Green
-Fur, Flight, Silent Shouts in the Night (Bats)
-Tasting the Desert
-Desert Detectives
-Unearthly Delight
Mrs. Mason welcomed the participating families and often sat in on the part of the programs held under the big mesquite in front of her porch. She often shared stories of the desert critters that visited her and loved to talk to the children and their parents. Mrs. Mason loved children, books and the desert.
In 1998 after 15 years of developing a strong partnership with the Tucson Audubon Society, Mrs. Mason entrusted TAS to care for her property (now the Mason Center) and her vision of an environmental education center in the desert for children, parents, adults and educators. Together TAS and Mrs. Mason initiated a variety of educational programs that enrich and strengthen appreciation for our desert habitat. Through the Center, Mrs. Mason’s legacy lives on following her death in 1999 just short of her 106th birthday.
In April 1999 the Mason Center was officially dedicated in a festive gathering on the grounds. The event was held in conjunction with Tucson Audubon Society’s 50th anniversary. David Yetman, then the TAS director, presided over the ceremony.
Tucson Audubon Society, with the help of the Tucson Community Foundation, created an endowment fund that helped fund repair, maintenance, and miscellaneous expenses that result from owning the property as well as helping finance the Mason Center’s environmental education programs
After the Mason’s property was transferred to TAS, several years were spent planning and developing it for use as an educational center. In May 2000 the Mason Center was opened to the public for its first annual Ironwood Festival. Today school programs, family programs, and educator and adult programs are offered as well as conservation programs including a solar energy and water harvesting demonstration site. A collection of instructional kits has been developed to augment various natural history/educational themes. A dedicated group of trained naturalists lead visitors along the trails and assist in many other educational programs as well.
