Invasive species are among the biggest threats to our park’s ecosystem health. They outcompete native plants, decrease biodiversity, and increase wildfire occurrences and magnitude. Desert Defenders is a citizen science program focused on removing invasive species in parks. The Invasive plant species have severely impacted our park’s natural ecosystems and contributed to our most recent...
Join our community effort to restore Tanque Verde Creek! We invite people of all ages, diverse ethnic and racial backgrounds, beliefs, and many other diverse communities to participate in restoring our heritage of seasonal and year-round water flows. Come work with WMG staff and other River Run Network volunteers in a beautiful riparian area to remove...
Ranger Nikki will lead you on an easy to moderate terrain hike to explore our beautiful Sonoran Desert. The route follows Butterfield, Gadsden, Dysart and Coldwater Trails to make a 7.5-mile loop. The terrain varies from level and rocky to uneven and rocky and a portion that is level and smooth. There is a section...
You can help us save saguaros and the animals that call them home. From what? Buffelgrass and fountaingrass! These invasive grasses smother young saguaros and fuel fires that can kill...
Biodiversity in the Sonoran Desert Educational Walk at Fraesfield Trailhead Location: Fraesfield Trailhead – 13400 E Rio Verde Dr, Scottsdale, AZ 85262 Skill level: Easy Time: ~2 hours The Sonoran Desert is the most biodiverse desert in the world, and the closer you look, the more there is to see! Join us for a biodiversity...
Location: Fraesfield Trailhead – 13400 E Rio Verde Dr, Scottsdale, AZ 85262 Skill level: Easy Time: ~2 hours The Sonoran Desert is the most biodiverse desert in the world, and the closer you look, the more there is to see! Join us for a biodiversity walk along Camino Campana, where we will discover the incredible...
Ride to the Crested Saguaros at Brown’s Ranch Trailhead Ever notice the crested saguaros in the Preserve? Come ride with us to see a large number scattered throughout the north. This is an advanced skill and vigorous cardio ride. Location: Brown’s Ranch Trailhead – 30301 N. Alma School Rd. Scottsdale, AZ 85262 Skill level: Intermediate...
Ever notice the crested saguaros in the Preserve? Come ride with us to see a large number scattered throughout the north. This is an advanced skill and vigorous cardio ride. Location: Brown’s Ranch Trailhead – 30301 N. Alma School Rd. Scottsdale, AZ 85262 Skill level: Intermediate Distance: ~10 miles Time: ~3.5 hours Please, no road...
University of Arizona Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners are certified volunteers who answer questions about gardening, landscaping, plant identification, and plant problems. If you have been wondering when, what, where, and...
Enjoy gardening? Do you have garden challenges you’d like to overcome? Need help with your landscape plants? Don't know what to plant or when? Want to start a vegetable garden,...
Grow your yard and eat it, too! Learn how to grow an edible garden in the Arizona Desert. Cathy Rymer, Master Gardener, Certified Arborist, retired Water Conservation Coordinator, author, and experienced horticulturist will share everything you need to know from Spring selection, planting, and maintenance with heirloom veggies and fruit choices. The class will also...
Join us as we guide you through the awe-inspiring abundance of the Sonoran Desert. Far from barren, this vibrant landscape is home to an unparalleled variety of over 540 medicinal and edible plants. As we explore flowering shrubs and timeless trees, you’ll learn how plants like prickly-pear and jojoba have been life-giving staples for Sonoran...
Successful Citrus Growing in the Low Desert