CALENDAR OF EVENTS

STEWARD AND DOCENT TRAINING

every Thursday morning from 9 am-Noon
February 16 - March 22, 2012
at the Desert Foothills Land Trust office and in the field at various preserves

Space is limited and reservations are required
Please RSVP to Vicki Domonkos at
480-488-6131 or vdomonkos@dflt.org by Feb. 13

The in-depth Steward and Docent Training classes will cover natural history, geology, invasive species and other topics related to preserve management and outreach activities.  Stewards and Docents must complete all six courses, plus the volunteer orientation session.  Stewards and Docents have the opportunity to "adopt" a preserve to assist the Land Trust with monitoring and management activities, leading guided hikes and providing preserve visitors with information. These classes are great fun and full of incredible information - please join us!

2012 GUIDED HIKES

Join our trained Stewards and Docents to learn about the natural and cultural history of some of your Land Trust's beautiful preserves! Guided hikes are free, although we would love for hikers to consider joining us as a member, too.

Sierra Vista Sanctuary – Sat. Feb. 4, 9:00 am. Hikers will explore the back side of Continental Mountain and part of Willow Springs Wash. This property is privately owned and protected by a conservation easement. It is not open to the public, so this is a unique opportunity to visit this special place. The hike is rather difficult and largely off-trail, with several hundred feet of elevation change.

Black Mountain Summit - Fri. Feb. 17, 8:30 am. Hikers will trek to the top of iconic Black Mountain for spectacular views and a cardiovascular workout! The trail is rugged and the elevation change is significant, so prepare for a difficult, but beautiful and rewarding hike.

Saguaro Hill Preserve - Sat. Feb. 18, 9:00 am. Join Preserve Stewards for a guided visit to this beautiful preserve adjacent to the Desert Foothills Library. You'll learn more about the plants and animals in the preserve, and see the spectacular 360 degree views of Black Mountain and the mountains to the north. This is a relatively easy hike, with one steep slope at the very beginning of the trail.

P.A. Seitts Preserve at Go John Canyon - Sat. Feb. 25, 9:00 am. Join Preserve Stewards for a guided hike at the Land Trust's largest preserve. Hikers will explore the Legacy, Menk and Military trails, with spectacular views of the surrounding mesas and mountains. This is a moderate hike on good trails.

Sierra Vista Sanctuary – Fri. March 2, 9:00 am. Hikers will explore the back side of Continental Mountain and part of Willow Springs Wash. This property is privately owned and protected by a conservation easement. It is not open to the public, so this is a unique opportunity to visit this special place. The hike is rather difficult and largely off-trail, with several hundred feet of elevation change.

Preserve at the Cave - Sat. March 3, 9:00 am. Hikers will visit this unique feature along Cave Creek - source of the name of the creek and town. The cave has supported human inhabitants for centuries, as evidenced by both pictographs and petroglyphs. We will also explore the important riparian habitat along Cave Creek. This property is privately owned and permanently protected by a conservation easement held by the Land Trust. It is not open to the public. This is a relatively flat, easy hike, but it is occasionally off-trail and rocky. You should also be prepared for wet shoes if we have had recent rains!

Black Mountain Summit - Fri. March 16, 8:30 am. Hikers will trek to the top of iconic Black Mountain for spectacular views and a cardiovascular workout! The trail is rugged and the elevation change is significant, so prepare for a difficult, but beautiful and rewarding hike.

Saguaro Hill Preserve - Sat. March 17, 9:00 am. Join Preserve Stewards for a guided visit to this beautiful preserve adjacent to the Desert Foothills Library. You'll learn more about the plants and animals in the preserve, and see the spectacular 360 degree views of Black Mountain and the mountains to the north. This is a relatively easy hike, with one steep slope at the very beginning of the trail.

Preserve at the Cave - Sat. April 14, 9:00 am. Hikers will visit this unique feature along Cave Creek - source of the name of the creek and town. The cave has supported human inhabitants for centuries, as evidenced by both pictographs and petroglyphs. We will also explore the important riparian habitat along Cave Creek. This property is privately owned and permanently protected by a conservation easement held by the Land Trust. It is not open to the public. This is a relatively flat, easy hike, but it is occasionally off-trail and rocky. You should also be prepared for wet shoes if we have had recent rains!

Black Mountain Summit - Fri. April 20, 3:00 pm. Hikers will trek to the top of iconic Black Mountain for spectacular views and a cardiovascular workout! The trail is rugged and the elevation change is significant, so prepare for a difficult, but beautiful and rewarding hike.

Hikes are free but registration is required. Please e-mail us at hikes@dflt.org at least one day before the hike to let us know how many people will be attending with your group. This allows us to share the meeting location, directions, special instructions or cancelations with you.


SONORAN STARS 2012 - Save the Date!

Our signature fundraising event will be held on Saturday, April 28, 2012. Visit our Sonoran Stars page for information about our 2011 Sonoran Stars event.