Western National Parks Store in Tucson

WESTERN NATIONAL PARKS STORE: A CONNECTION TO THE SOUTHWEST
Story by By Eva Eldridge and photos by Brad Sutton and Martha Lochert Photography, courtesy of WNP

The Western National Parks Store, located in Oro Valley, Arizona, is a gem that is hard to find, but absolutely worth the effort.

I recently toured the store and was pleasantly surprised at what it offers. Besides the normal assortment of mugs, magnets, stickers, and badges, the store offers an array of informational pamphlets, books, a children’s area, jewelry, art, food, and a knowledgeable staff.

ON BIG BLEND RADIO: Join us for an inspiring conversation with Joanna Johnson (Operations Manager) and Lauren Mooney (Chief Revenue Officer) of WNP, along with travel writer and editor Eva Eldridge, as we explore how retail, education, and community engagement play vital roles in supporting America’s national parks. Watch here in the YouTube player or download the episode on Podbean.

If you want to explore the area around Tucson, the Western National Parks Association (WNPA) Store can help you decide where to start: Saguaro National Park, both West and East, Chiricahua National Monument, Organ Pipe National Monument, Casa Grande Ruins National Monument, Fort Bowie National Historic Site, and Tumacácori National Historic Park. Each location is within one to three hours of Tucson. Information about each site can be found at the store along with books about other parks, monuments, and specific activities in and around Tucson and Arizona.

The WNPA is associated with seventy-two national parks across twelve western states. When you are ready to explore further than southern Arizona, the store has information available for you. Maps, Arizona information, parks and trails in other states, and history of the southwest are just a fraction of what’s available.  What I’m trying to say here is that the book collection at the WNPA store is impressive and well worth exploring. Now, if books aren’t your main interest, the store has many other enticements.
Not only does the children’s area have a wide array of wonderful books, but there are stuffies, clothing, games, and toys. Each item is designed to enhance the child’s imagination and to pique their interest in the natural world around them. While the children are playing, maybe the parents could check out the art.

The National Park Store has beautiful handmade jewelry displayed for sale. Their crafters are carefully selected for their unique styles and authentic pieces. Each piece has a story and is authenticated with the artist’s name and tribe. One artist, Agustin Torres Beltran, uses broken Mata Ortiz pottery for his jewelry. You can find his pieces and the stunning unbroken pottery at the store.

Santo Domingo Pueblo artists Priscilla Nieto and Harvey Abeyta cut and carve each bead in their heishi bead necklaces. Their jewelry is colorful and fluid, enticing one to run their hands up and down the strands of beads, but of course, all we can do is look at them.

Another form of art on display is Oaxacan carvings called alebrijes or fantastical creatures. The carvings are made with copal wood and intricately painted using natural pigments. The brightly painted figures have come to symbolize the Oaxacan state of Mexico. The collection of whimsical creatures at the National Parks Store is one of the finest I’ve seen.

The Tohono O’odham Nation’s arts and crafts are an important contribution to the culture of southern Arizona. There are more than 300 basket weavers working on their art, and some of it is featured in the store. Examples show how the artists incorporate the seed pods of devil’s claws into the design and decoration of the baskets. The fibers are darker than the beargrass or yucca used to make the main part of the basket.

Nationally recognized artist, Michael Chiago, is a local Tohono O’odham artist who uses watercolors and acrylics to depict the spirit of the tribe. His work leaves me feeling comforted by his depiction of life that still celebrates its roots.

Another surprising connection the WNPA has is with the Hubbell Trading Post. This national historic site is the oldest functioning trading post on the Navajo Reservation. Hubbell Trading Post has been selling mercantile and Native American art since 1878. If you are unable to drive to Ganado in northeastern Arizona, you can experience some of the Native American art at the National Park Store.

The team at WNP has made great efforts to incorporate local, Native American, and Mexican culture, along with their arts and crafts, into their store and programs. Periodically, they have programs where the artist comes in person to the National Park Store auditorium and makes presentations about their art or culture. These trunk shows allow the public to learn about the importance of the culture or how the art is created. They also have talks that are associated with other parks in the area. If you are interested in their programs, you can sign up for their newsletter at https://wnpa.org/

Here’s the best part of shopping at the National Parks Store: when you make a purchase, “…100% of net proceeds help fund unique programs, research projects, and educational events in more than 72 national parks across the West.” Not only do you take home something special for yourself, but you are also helping to fill the gap in funding our national parks are experiencing. WNPA is a non-profit organization that’s been in existence since 1938. They connect people to our national parks to help preserve and protect a resource we all can learn from and enjoy.

The National Parks Store at Western National Parks is located at 12880 N. Vistoso Village Dr., Tucson, AZ 85755.
Tel: 520-622-1999

Eva Eldridge is a contributing writer for Big Blend Magazines and a frequent guest on Big Blend Radio. Along with travel and lifestyle articles, she also writes fiction and poetry. She also edited the Tucson Sisters in Crime “Trouble in Tucson” Anthology. Visit www.EvaEldridge.com.

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