What do saguaro cactuses, extreme heat and the Arizona Lottery have to do with one another? Two conservation projects at the Desert Botanical Garden will be directly supported by $100,000 from the Arizona Lottery.
One project will focus on the preservation of saguaro cactus, which the garden says is facing threats of extreme heat and urban expansion.
The second project is designed to help native pollinators, such as monarch butterflies, by studying their behavior and promoting the planting of their food source in urban areas.
Cydeni Carter is with AZ Lottery.
“The real thing we like to say is, ‘when you play, Arizona wins,’ so whether you have a winning ticket or not, Arizonans are being impacted positively," said Cydeni Carter with the Arizona Lottery.
Carter said they raised $10 million from ticket sales for conservation efforts statewide in the 2023 fiscal year. Arizona Lottery also said they’ve funded $454 million worth of conservation efforts since 1993.
