Gardenroots in Cottonwood, AZ!
Flyer and left to right, William Borkan, Dr. Monica Ramirez-Andreotta and Lois Polashenski.
Gardenroots, a citizen science garden project, was developed ten years ago (2015) by Dr. Ramirez-Andreotta to specifically characterize the state of environmental quality in underserved rural communities.
This effort has grown and flourished across the state. One of the latest efforts is in Cottonwood, Arizona. On March 21 and 22, 2025, Dr. Ramirez-Andreotta’s Integrated Environmental Science & Health Risk Laboratory hosted two community information sessions to kick off a new Gardenroots project in Cottonwood, Arizona. This community first contacted Dr. Ramirez-Andreotta in 2023, with community members excited to pursue environmental sampling (dust and soil) and data-report efforts!
Many thanks go to PhD student Lois Polashenski for their efforts in designing engaging information to get everyone excited to learn more about their own soil and dust!