Would you like to meet some scorpions and other “creepy-crawly” critters? Join Ranger Kevin for an evening of summer insect improv! We’re setting up our version of the silver screen...
Enjoy a full day birding with professional guide and environmental educator, Jeff Babson, on Arizona’s largest military base, famous for over a century for its Arizona specialties. We will cover a wide...
Join professional tour leader Scott Olmstead for a trip to the Patagonia area. Patagonia is one of south-eastern Arizona’s best-known destinations for riparian birds. Specialties that can be found here include Gray and Zone-tailed Hawks, Violet-crowned Hummingbird, Thick-billed Kingbird, and Rufous-winged Sparrow. Good birding sites in Patagonia are numerous and our probable itinerary will include Harshaw Canyon,...
The focus of this trip with professional bird guide Homer Hansen will be the Benedictine’s Holy Trinity Monastery, a 132-acre site on the east side of the San Pedro River in St. David, Arizona. A popular retreat center, the grounds include a 1.3-mile birding trail, several small ponds, a pecan orchard, mesquite woodland, a working farm, and...
A visit to what was formerly one of the Southwest’s largest cattle ranches. This expansive BLM National Conservation Area is home to Pronghorn Antelope, Prairie Dogs and a wide variety of birds. Professional guide Jennie MacFarland will visit rolling grasslands, mesquite thickets and cottonwood-lined Cienega Creek, one of the area’s only sources of permanent water, looking for...
Join professional guide Matt Brown on a trip which will take you to Madera Canyon via Box Canyon and the Santa Rita grasslands and explore this famous birding site. For the last couple of years Box Canyon has hosted breeding Five-striped Sparrow and we will stop to look for this rare species, also hoping to see Varied...
Join author and international bird guide, Rick Wright, on a mini Big Day. The object on this trip will be to see as many different species as possible, covering the different habitats. SE Arizona is a region where bird species from Mexico, the Rockies, and both Sonoran and Chihuahuan Deserts can be found. Specialties like Gray...
Join professional bird guide Richard Fray for a trip to the Chiricahua Mountains to search for the Mexican Chickadee. The trips starts with a drive across the Sulphur Spring Valley and chance to see grassland species before ascending into the Sierra Madrean pine-oak woodlands along past Pinery Canyon where we will look for Dusky-capped Flycatcher, Painted Redstart...
Get outside this summer with our staff on a family friendly educational hike! On this sunrise hike, learn about our unique collection plants, Sonoran Desert ecology, and meet our resident Sonoran Desert Tortoises. Be sure to wear closed-toe shoes, sun protective clothing, and bring plenty of water. Sign up for this free hike at the...
The San Pedro River is a vibrant green ribbon of life, its riparian vegetation forming an avian super highway through the desert for millions of migrants. Join naturalist guide Robert Weissler in an exploration of the lush cottonwood/willow forest which is home to Gray and Zone-tailed Hawks, Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, low elevation warblers including Lucy's Warbler,...
Join professional guide Kristy Gallo on a half-day hike up Hunter Canyon where the 2011 Miller Peak Wilderness fire left its mark, with the result being a unique combination of habitats that are home to a nice diversity of bird species. The initial hike is dominated by successional oak-scrub with birds like Crissal Thrasher, Woodhouse’s Scrub-Jay, Black-chinned...
Join local bird expert, Dan Hoobler, on a visit to the world famous Ramsey Canyon in the Huachuca Mountains. Owned by The Nature Conservancy, this area has been a hot spot for birding for decades. The lower canyon is good for Montezuma and Gambel's Quails, Gila and Ladder-backed Woodpeckers, Rufous-crowned, Chipping and Botteri's Sparrows, Blue and Black-headed...
Did you know Arizona actually has five seasons? The thunderstorms of Tucson’s monsoon have the power to transform the Sonoran Desert during Arizona’s fifth season: the wet summer! Monsoon Magic is a mini-nature exhibit where you’ll learn about the wildlife and meteorology of the southwest’s summer rains. Come anytime between 7-9 a.m.! Follow signs for...
Bird enthusiasts join a naturalist for a guided walk appropriate for beginner and advanced birders. Most year-round birds are found in the riparian area next to Oak Creek or along the field behind the Visitor Center. The Audubon Society has designated Red Rock State Park as part of the Lower Oak Creek Important Birding Area...
Join docent Anne Leight for a walk around the preserve to look for and learn about birds. Look for and learn about birds of this desert oasis with seasoned birder, bird bander, and preserve docent Anne Leight on this guided, easy walk. Please bring your own binoculars if you have them, but some are available...
Join us as we share tips for maintaining annual & perennial herbs and flowers in the low desert. We'll cover healthy soil makeup, plant spacing, light management, fertilizing, and companion planting. Plus! A focus on flowers and seed saving to attract pollinators season after season. *HEAT WARNING* Please come with a full bottle of very...
Join a walking tour of the Canoa Ranch headquarters. Visit the historic buildings and corrals and enjoy the special exhibits of the people of Canoa. DIRECTIONS: Historic Canoa Ranch, 5375 S. I-19 Frontage Rd., Green Valley 85622 From Tucson - Take 1-19 south to exit 56 - Canoa Road. Go around the traffic circle until...
Plateau Perspectives: Nature Through Art celebrates the profound and evolving relationship between art, ecology, and the unique landscape of the Colorado Plateau. Set amid the natural beauty of the Arboretum at Flagstaff, this exhibition invites artists to explore and amplify the stories of native plants and ecological processes that define this extraordinary region. The exhibition centers...
Every morning, a volunteer naturalist leads a guided nature walk informing visitors about the different life zones of Red Rock State Park. The subjects discussed on this walk may include geology, wildlife, history, archeology, and plant life. The naturalists welcome questions during the walk, enhancing the learning experience. Hikes are included with park entrance fees...
Explore the healing power of the desert in this hands-on workshop where you’ll learn to craft herbal oil infusions using local plants like chaparral and rosemary, enhanced with therapeutic essential oils. Discover traditional and modern infusion methods, how to choose the right carrier oils, and how to incorporate essential oils for added benefits. Perfect for...
Join our Gardens Manager, Sarah Armanovs for a class on edible weeds found in your own backyard!
Listen along as we read a nature-themed story!
COME PLAY IN THE DIRT! ZooLittles is an exciting and dynamic program designed for pre-schoolers (ages 3 - 5) to help develop young children's’ physical, emotional, and intellectual growth through exciting hands-on experiences. This includes working in the zoo’s organic garden to understand soil, plant, and insect relationships. Children participate in worm composting & understanding its...
Join ecologist, author, and photographer John L. Vankat for an easy, guided walk in downtown Flagstaff. Visit key locations highlighted in his book "The San Francisco Peaks and Flagstaff Through the Lens of Time." Discover what repeat photography can show us about changes in our mountain town and the San Francisco Peaks over the past 150...
Do you have a garden problem? Need help with your landscape plants? Don't know what to plant or when? Want to start a vegetable garden, but don't know where to start? Maricopa County Master Gardeners are here to answer your questions. Get answers and resources you need to care for your home garden and landscape.
World Ranger Day is(was) July 31st so we’re celebrating the Rangers by letting them talk about themselves! Come find out a little about Ranger Shaun and what it’s like to be a Ranger. Rangers go some pretty weird places and do some pretty crazy things, and that’s not counting what happens at work! There’s a...
Discover the fascinating world of the saguaro cactus at this presentation-style program with Ranger Jacque! Join us for an hour-long presentation exploring the iconic saguaro cactus, a symbol of the Sonoran Desert. Through images and engaging discussions, we’ll highlight the distinctive features and ecological importance of these remarkable plants, which support numerous desert species. Attendees...
Come by and visit Ranger Kevin to learn about some of the animals native to the Sonoran Desert. Have a picture of a critter, but don’t know what it is? Want to know what you might have seen scurrying across the trail? Drop in on this Discovery Station with Ranger Kevin. There will be objects...
Up to 10 species of hummingbirds use the green corridor of the San Pedro River as a freeway between their tropical winter retreats and their northern nesting grounds. The public is invited to get a close-up look at these tiny travelers as staff and volunteers from the Southeastern Arizona Bird Observatory capture, band, weigh, measure,...
Beat the heat and explore the outdoors with Reid Park Zoo’s Summer Safari Nights on Friday and Saturday evenings! Come to Summer Safari Nights, presented by TMC Health and enjoy the Zoo in the cooler evening hours! Each week will feature keeper chats, animal encounters, artifact stations, giraffe feedings, carousel rides, crafts and games. Face painting and...
Let’s celebrate incredible insects and amazing arthropods! The Sonoran Desert is a hot spot of insect diversity and this is your chance to meet them. Get a bugs-eye view of many of the million species of arthropods that make the Sonoran Desert their home. Bring your flashlight and explore, grab a local beer and wander,...
Join Ranger Kevin for an evening of adventure as we set off in search of scorpions. This is an approximately 2-mile hike along a variety of trails within the Preserve. We’ll be seeking out the three main types of scorpions native to our region. At the same time, we’ll keep our eyes open for other...
Join Ranger Nikki on an evening hike to search for a variety of nocturnal critters. Ranger Nikki will lead you along the trails to seek out scorpions, owls, bats, kangaroo rats, stink bugs and more! The 1.6-mile route starts at Overton Trail in the Nature Center parking lot to make a balloon loop on GO...
Join Ranger Jacque on this guided nighttime adventure to search for scorpions along the trail using UV lights and learn about their unique adaptations. Discover the hidden world of scorpions on this Scorpion Safari! The adventure begins at the Four Peaks trailhead staging area, where restrooms and water fountains are available. The program starts with...
Learn about wildlife of the Sonoran Desert and easy citizen science you can help with on this late afternoon-evening hike with Ranger Eric. Join Ranger Eric to look for scorpions and other nocturnal wildlife on a short hike along the Waterfall Trail. Wildlife may include scorpions, spiders, insects, owls, nightjars, reptiles, and mammals. Please bring...