National Writers Union Reading and Open Mic, Featuring Dave DeGroot

The National Writers Union will be hosting a reading and open mic on Monday, July 20, starting at 6:00 p.m. at 2955 E. Broadway in Tucson.

This month our featured reader will be Dave DeGroot. Dave will discuss his book “Lost Canyon in the Northern Santa Rita Mountains,” which unlocks the secrets of Barrel Canyon, which lies in the heart of Rosemont Valley. For example: only in recent years has the canyon’s “secret” underground water been recognized as the headwater of chains of aquifers feeding into the Tucson Basin. And only after the March 2025 “BioBlitz” (by 43 citizen scientists, with a resultant list of over two hundred confirmed species of plants, mammals, reptiles, insects/arthropods, and birds) has there been solid proof of three more federally threatened or endangered species in the canyon, bringing the total to four or more. Sadly, the hidden mineral riches are no secret to foreign mining companies that plan to destroy both sides of the northern mountains in their quest for copper.

David, a retired Sahuarita public school teacher and long-time Santa Rita explorer and author, shares the story of how the canyon first caught his attention; how 19th Century miners set up camps with homes, schools, and company stores in the canyon; how he and fellow naturalist Andrea Hoerr organized the groundbreaking BioBlitz; how government agencies tried to reign in wildlife studies; and the status of DeGroot’s wildly-optimistic personal quest for a photo of a jaguar south of Barrel Canyon. Copies of his new book will be available — and a board member of Save the Scenic Santa Ritas will provide up-to-the-minute information about efforts to save the northern mountains from destruction.

The open mic is for spoken word only but is open to all forms of spoken word (fiction, essays, poetry, articles, polemics, etc.). So bring something to read!

The event will be held at the UFCW Union Hall at 2955 E. Broadway. This is on the north side of Broadway, immediately west of the large and fancy Chase Bank, which is on the northwest corner of Broadway and Country Club Road. Parking and entry are from the rear.

There will not, unfortunately, be a Zoom option this month.