On November 1st, 2020, The Arizona Trail Ambassadors gathered under Cienega Creeks Riparian Gallery Forest canopy. This was our third trip together, and the group seemed more confident and comfortable. The landscape was beginning to change as winter approached. In the Sonoran Desert, seasonal changes are observed in daily temperature swings, systematic flower blooms, and odd rains; unlike other places […]

October 4th, 2020 was the inauguration of the Arizona Trail Association’s Ambassador Program. The ATA Ambassador Program is an 8-month internship for High School Seniors who are interested in becoming Environmental Educators and advocates for the Arizona Trail. Our first trip began at the Gabe Zimmerman Trailhead, Passage 7. This was the first time the group of 10 met in […]

On December 11th, 2019, 12 students from Edge High School left for an amazing adventure into the Rincon Mountain Foothills. Our goal was to hike to Bridal Wreath Falls, and gain a better understanding of high desert grasslands in our Sonoran Desert. Outdoor learning is a variable as the weather, and goals and plans are often flexible to meet the […]

On November 14th, 2019, 5 students from Empire High School left for a fantastic expedition into Cienega Creek. It was a perfect November day for a hike through such a diverse place. Our goal was to explore three different eco-systems, to gain a better understanding of the adaptation of the flora and fauna and the watershed in each area. To […]

On November 7th, 2019, 35 students from Mt. Vista Elementary School explored Catalina State Park. We traveled from the town of Oracle to the park to adventure in low thorn-scrub biome, learning about the flora, fauna, and the indigenous peoples that had villages where Catalina State Park now is. The students were excited to learn about the ecosystems in this […]

On December 4th, 2019, 12 students from Kino School explored the incredible Cienega Creek Natural Preserve. This expedition would walk students through a variety of biomes, displaying desert watershed at its finest. The paths winds though time petrified in stone and rock, while observing key pathways and habitats of Southern Arizona’s rarest and most wonderful animals. These students had been […]

On December 2, 18 students from Mt.Vista Elementary School left for one of the most unique and wonderful Seeds of Stewardship expeditions ever. This group gained special access to Aravaipa Canyon, and thanks to our friend and BLM Ranger Heidi Blenkinship, they had wonderful leadership in this wild place. The students were very excited. I had prepared them for a rugged […]

On November 22, 2019 12 students from Mansfeld Middle School arrived at the Gabe Zimmerman trailhead on the Arizona Trail. Our goal was to explore three general ecosystems represented here: Desert Thorn Scrub, Arroyo, Riparian Gallery Forest. These students were on their way to having an awesome adventure, without more than a clue of this areas awesomeness. They knew of […]

On November 6th, 2019, 11 students from Edge High School left a rainy Tucson for an adventure into the Santa Rita Mountains. Early winter storms had forced us away from the Tucson Valley, removing us from the surrounding mountains. Instead, we drove south to Madera Canyon in hopes that the northward storms had passed the area. The drive brought us […]

On October 25th, 2019 12 students from Mansfeld Middle School left Tucson for an adventure high in the Santa Catalina Mountains. Some of these students had never explored this mountain range, and for them, this was a mysterious and new experience. For those that were returning, this was a special chance to see and experience something new. This was the […]

On November 16th, 2019, 15 students from Basis North School left to help install a new sign on the Arizona Trail at the Cienega Creek intersection. This is the 5th expedition of the season, and the students were more than excited to learn how to help beautify the trail. The group had hiked here in the past, and now they […]

On November 16, 2019, 20 students from Basis North left for a wonderful day in Cienega Creek. This was a stewardship expedition, and these students were excited to improve this part of the Arizona Trail. Our group was diverse in age, with students ranging from 10 to 8 years. This meant the labor of the day had to be strategically […]

On October 11th, 2019, 10 students from Empire High School left for a wild adventure into the Santa Catalina Mountains. Hiking Sunset trail, we hoped to beat the heat by hiking Sunset Trail through mixed coniferous forests. We wanted to observe how altitude effects desert mountains, discussing Sky Islands and their greater ecological effect on the Sonoran Desert. To understand […]

On October 29th, 2019, 9 students from Project More High School left for an adventure into the Santa Catalina Mountains. Using the Arizona Trail, we ventured into a wonderful landscape that was like nothing the students had seen before. We wanted to learn about high desert biomes and how riparian areas change the arid landscapes. For this, Sycamore Reservoir was […]

On October 16, 2019, 9 students from Edge High School found themselves in the Santa Catalina Mountains ready to hike the Arizona Trail. Hiking from the Gabe Zimmerman Trailhead, our mission was to spend the day learning about the Sonoran Desert by observing adaptations, ecosystems as they relate to watershed, and the different types of flora and fauna. This was […]

On September 2, 2019, 9 students from Superior Jr/Sr High School came to school prepared for an adventure. This was the 1st of 4 expeditions this semester and the students were incredibly excited. Our goal was to use Six Shooter Canyon Trail to explore the Pinal Mountains. We hoped to use this area as a classroom to discuss and learn […]

On September 18th, 2019, 6 students from Kino School embarked on an adventure into the Santa Catalina Mountains to explore the mixed coniferous forests that surround Sunset Trail. This is the 1st of 5 expeditions which intends to provide students with the experience and understanding of Sonoran Desert ecology. On this adventure, we explored biomes and Sky Islands, riparian areas, […]

On March 27th, 2019, 8 students from Empire High School left for an adventure into the Santa Catalina Mountains. From Empire High School, students can see the full range of the Catalinas, but few have the opportunity to explore them. We intended to hike to Sycamore Reservoir and observe and learn about the flora and fauna that exists within the […]

On April 9th, 2019, 10 students from City High School left their school to have an adventure into the Santa Catalina Mountains. We intended to hike on Sunset Trail and find the remarkable pools of water that are said to be found tucked away into the folds of the mountain. Besides the pools of water, our goals included understanding Sky […]

On March 30th, 2019, 7 students from the Patagonia Youth Enrichment Center left for a mission to repair the Arizona Trail. Stewardship is a key characteristic of the program. Students spend the first four expeditions gaining experience and developing a deeper relationship toward trails and the landscapes which they move through. For the final expedition, we intended to train students […]

On September 9th, 2019, 23 students from Basis North School left for a wild adventure in the Santa Catalina Mountains. This was the first hike of the semester, and though some of the students had been apart of SOS trips in the past, no one could expect what was to come on this day. My goal was to introduce the […]

On April 24th, 2019 4 students from Miami High School embarked on an adventure into the Tonto National Forest to hike Parker Creek Trail. The drive from Miami to Young Arizona Follows the Young Highway, an incredibly scenic path through sudden mountains that provide a large scale habitat for pine forests and their affiliates. It is less than an hours […]

On April 10th, 2019, 10 students from Miami High School left for what would become a very adventurous day in the Pinal Mountains near Miami Arizona. Our goal for the day was to hike a tough trail into the north-facing slope, allowing us to challenge our bodies, and experience what steep changes in terrain can do to the surrounding ecosystems […]

On April 12th, 2019, 10 students from Kino School left for an adventure into the Santa Catalina Mountains. On previous expeditions this group had explored the lower canyons, gaining key insight into the effects large mountains have on the low Sonoran Desert areas. Now, we were heading to the top in order to observe and explore the mixed coniferous forests […]

On April 18 and 19, 40 total 4th-grade students from Mt.Vista Elementary School left their town in Oracle to Venture into the Santa Catalina Mountains for a day of stewardship. This marked the 10th combined expedition between the two groups, a final trip to cap the season. Each trip prior had been one filled with amazing adventure, so much learning, […]

On May 2, 2019, 7 students from City High School embarked on a mission to help repair The Arizona Trail.  We had heard rumors of trail obstructions on Oracle Ridge Trail that had occurred during the late winter storms, and planned to scout the area in case it needed repair. Our previous trips were filled with hiking and adventure, using […]

On May 8th, 2019, 6 students from Miami High School set out from their air-conditioned classrooms and ventured into the heat of the desert for a day of trail work. After four previous adventurous expeditions, the students were excited to be equipped with tools and learn how to maintain and repair trail. We decided to hike North from Picket Post […]