Arizona Illustrated

Desert Living Home Tour Watershed Management Group recently hosted its 12th Annual Desert Living Home Tour. Homes and community spaces across Tucson showcased their rainwater harvesting systems, native landscaping, composting toilets, and other features that cut down on water and energy use. Find inspiration and see how you can use nature to create more comfort and abundance in your yard and neighborhood. BIPOC Entrepreneurs Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) entrepreneurs receive business financing less often and at higher interest rates than white entrepreneurs. In a world where traditional banking systems often overlook and underserve the BIPOC community, Community Investment Corporation (CIC) is revolutionizing access to capital in Southern AZ. It provides interest and collateral FREE micro-loans to BIPOC-owned small businesses. The BIPOC Community Managed Loan Fund also utilizes an innovative application and approval process where all loan decisions are made by a committee of BIPOC community members, none of whom come from the banking or finance industries. The application offers a story-centered approach and limits arduous financial requirements. Unlike traditional loan applications, it is only after being approved for a loan that entrepreneurs and business owners complete the required financial and business documentation. Regal Fierce Media is a local BIPOC-owned video production business that is growing and impacting the community as a result of the BIPOC Community Managed Loan Fund. Desert Plants: Desert Willow The desert willow is a thornless, deciduous tree native to the Sonoran Desert that provides flowers much of the year. Experts say it is a fantastic choice in landscaping settings because it is decorative, helps wildlife and doesn’t “bite back” with thorns or needles. DO(OM) Yoga DO(OM) YOGA, hosted by Alexey Kashtelyan is no ordinary yoga class. Every Sunday evening class participants show up to practice yin yoga in candlelight where a playlist of all-consuming doom metal is blasted, and loudly. We learn why this combination is so appealing and so physically and mentally beneficial.