Join experienced birder and Park Volunteer Tom Locascio—a proud member of the Audubon Society and Sun City Birding Club—for a guided bird walk through Estrella Mountain Regional Park. After the walk, gather in the Nature Center classroom for an engaging presentation on the park’s feathered residents, from desert dwellers to seasonal visitors. Please wear protective clothing...
Enjoy a full day birding with professional guide Kristy Gallo, on Arizona’s largest military base, famous for over a century for its Arizona specialties. We will cover a wide range of habitats from grasslands to pine-oak woodlands. At higher elevations, we will hope to encounter Coppery-tailed Trogon, Arizona Woodpecker, and Dusky-capped and Sulphur-bellied Flycatchers in Huachuca Canyon....
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...
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 professional guide and environmental educator, Jeff Babson, 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 Steve Tracey 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...
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 local naturalist guides Gordon and Lori Lam 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...
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...
Ranger Olivia will teach you all about the cacti found in our park - cholla, barrel, hedgehog, prickly pear and the iconic saguaro. Learn how to identify them, how they survive and how they serve an important role in our desert ecosystem. We will be along the Tortoise trail, which is mostly flat with some slightly uneven surfaces, for an out and back...
This is a casual drop-in program that gives you an opportunity to come and meet some of the animals at McDowell such as, snakes, scorpions, a tarantula and even a Gila monster! At this program you will get to ask questions, learn new things, and possibly even touch a snake. MEETING LOCATION: Nature Center No registration required. All...
Interact with some of our special animals, which for many people is a once in a lifetime experience. Guests will get to learn about endangered species, how we contribute to conservation of those animals, some of the considerations we must take into consideration when having these reptiles in Arizona, which reptiles are good pets for children or adults, adaptations...
Interact with some of our special animals, which for many people is a once in a lifetime experience. Guests will get to learn about endangered species, how we contribute to conservation of those animals, some of the considerations we must take into consideration when having these reptiles in Arizona, which reptiles are good pets for children or adults, adaptations...
We have open the space outside for everyone to exchange and share anything and everything for your gardens. Seeds, pots , plants and harvest.
Step into the world of the Sonoran Desert’s medicinal plants and uncover their incredible survival strategies and healing properties. Identify key Southwest medicinal plants and their practical applications in herbal remedies and everyday health. Participants receive a comprehensive handout featuring detailed plant profiles and recipes. Instructed by Jennifer Ribaudo. Garden admission included with class purchase....
Want to learn about and see hundreds of elk in one place at one time? Join us for the annual elk viewing workshop! Hosted through the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD). The event includes a 1-hour presentation held at the AZGFD Flagstaff Regional Office (3500 S Lake Mary Rd) and then we will caravan...
Want to learn about and see hundreds of elk in one place at one time? Join us for the annual elk viewing workshop! Hosted through the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD). The event includes a 1-hour presentation held at the AZGFD Flagstaff Regional Office (3500 S Lake Mary Rd) and then we will caravan...
Join Ranger Kevin for a story and an introduction to some of the desert’s most amazing animals. Looking for something to do with the kids this weekend? Want to come...
Would you like to meet a few of the critters that call our desert home, and learn a little more about them? Drop in on this Discovery Station with Ranger Kevin. There will be objects to explore, bones and other biofacts to examine, and even a few of our animal ambassadors that you can observe up close. We’re always happy to...
Deep beneath the earth's crust, hundreds of kilometres below the surface, with no light, no air, and very little water, in pores and fissures of hard rock, scientists have found...
Uncover your inner artist at our Prehistoric Coaster Glazing night. These fossil-textured coasters tell a story millions of years in the making all that's left is for you to add the color. Cost includes four unique coasters to be glazed up and fired, and some cork baking to finish them off. Light refreshments to be...
Get ready for wild summer evenings you won’t want to miss! Join us for Summer Safari Nights, presented by TMC Health, and experience the Zoo like never before—after the sun goes down...
New this summer! Twelve light installations now on view at Garden After Dark throughout the Garden trails. This brand-new shimmering display creates a playful break from the summer heat with cooling colors and designs inspired by the monsoon season. All Ages
We’re setting up our version of the silver screen near the back patio of the Nature Center tonight. Once it’s dark, we’ll turn on the spotlight and enjoy the show that unfolds, as all manner of arthropods are drawn to the light. We’ll even have a few “creepy-crawlies” on hand to look at. Plus, conditions permitting, we’ll take a short night hike out on our...
Meet the rangers and settle in for an awesome introduction to scorpions inside the Nature Center, with a slide show and meet n’ greet with the park’s captive scorpion ambassador. Then, we’ll get on the...
With a white sheet and some bright lights we’ll try to draw in bugs from the night sky! Join us once more for this year’s opening event of Bug Theater! Bring a flashlight,...