A Perfect Tribute Enhances Tucson Audubon's Nature Shop Garden

Earlier this summer, the front yard at Tucson Audubon's downtown Nature Shop got a very special upgrade. Tucson Audubon member Damiana Cohen generously donated a lovely bench for the yard. The bench now provides a place for visitors to sit, relax, and enjoy the plants in the yard and the many different birds that visit this urban habitat. The story behind the bench adds to its poignancy.

Damiana envisioned the bench as a way for her and her children to commemorate Damiana's parents. The bench is a memorial to Augusta and Lester Cohen, who tragically died on June 10th, 2013. As Damiana shared, "The bench is a perfect tribute to them, as they were lovers of nature, gardens, and birds.  They took great delight in watching birds at their feeders in their beautiful backyard.  We wish to remember them with peace and beauty, which is exactly how the garden at Tucson Audubon feels."

Damiana is a Tucson Audubon member who really became involved with Tucson Audubon when she took Lynn Hassler's Backyard Birding & Beyond class Tucson Audubon last spring. Lynn, Tucson Audubon instructor, author, and gardener extraordinaire, has been the leading force behind the transformation in the garden at the Nature Shop. You can read more about Lynn's endeavors as the spotlight volunteer in the current issue of the Vermilion Flycatcher. A big thanks goes to Lynn for working closely with Damiana to realize this vision.

Damiana not only generously funded the bench, she was passionately involved in every step of the process. She worked with Lynn and Tucson Audubon staff to determine the best bench, taking aesthetics, fabrication materials, and comfort into consideration. The result, a bench from Zona Fountains, is attractive, comfortable, a perfect complement to the landscape, and a lasting memory.

Damiana, thank you for this gift, it will be enjoyed by nature lovers for years to come.