Co-authored by Kim Cleary On October 8, 2019, Seeds of Stewardship, equipped with a pile of topo maps and a box of compasses, met 18 sixth and seventh grade students enrolled in Flagstaff Arts and Leadership Academy’s Outdoor Exploration class. Over the course of a class period, we introduced students to the Arizona Trail, Seeds of Stewardship, and foundational map […]

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 October 3, 2019, 132 students from Mount Elden Middle School’s 6th, 7th, and 8th grade classes visited Campbell Mesa to learn about human relationships with nature and our impacts on the environment. Campbell Mesa features 5 loop trails, which connect to the Arizona Trail’s Walnut Canyon and Elden Mountain Passages. Students rotated between four activities, wherein they explored resource […]

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 […]

Co-authored by Kim Cleary Over the course of three days in late September and early October, 65 fifth graders from Kinsey Elementary School explored the Arizona Trail with Seeds of Stewardship. Since this was the students’ first outing with us, we focused on fostering proper trail behavior, a sense of place in nature, and enthusiasm for the AZT’s San Francisco […]

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 […]

On May 3rd, 2019, 12 students from Kino School began a day dedicated to stewardship on The Arizona Trail. Our four previous expeditions were dedicated to hiking, exploring, and learning about Sonoran Desert landscapes. Trails allowed to enter and learn about these places, which otherwise would be inaccessible. Most often we do not think about the trail under our feet, […]

On November 1st, 2018, 5 students from City High School ventured up the Santa Catalina Mountains for an adventure in the high pine forests that floated above Tucson. This was a literacy class, with the goals of increasing the reading interest and levels, of students while being in the outdoors. Using the Arizona Trail, we began our hike from Marshal […]

  On January 9th, 2019, 10 students from Kino School went on an adventure to learn about the low Sonoran Desert environment. Together on a cloudy winter day, we hiked through Pima Canyon, a riparian area within the southwestern extent of the Santa Catalina Mountains. This being the first expedition of the semester, our goal was to begin getting to […]

On September 12th, 2018, 13 students from Imago Dei Middle School embarked on an adventure into the Santa Catalina Mountains using Sunset Trailhead. This was the first expedition of the season for this group of students, and one they were sure to remember for a long time. The students were ready for an adventure wearing uniforms and huge excited smiles. Our […]

May 28th, 2019, twenty-three students from Ms. Patterson’s class at Flagstaff Junior Academy finally had a well deserved trip to Griffith’s Spring to remove invasive species and study water health.   The previous day, students participated in several simulations to look at both how invasive species disrupt an ecosystem and the way energy flows from producers, to primary, secondary, and […]

On May 16th, 2019, fifty-two students from Kinsey Inquiry and Discovery School visited Marshall Lake south of Flagstaff near the Arizona Trail to remove invasive weed species.   Prior to our visit students participated in a simulation to demonstrate the way invasive take over an area and why they can be so problematic. They also learned to identify some common […]

On May 1st, 2019, forty-two students from the 5th grade class at Flagstaff Junior Academy visited Griffith’s Spring to study concerts old and new.   With large groups, it’s always important to spilt into smaller groups for optimal learning and minimizing impact. On this day students rotated between collecting aquatic macro invertebrate specimens, measuring water chemical qualities, and looking for […]

Nothing helps a person feel the fall vibes quite like a sycamore tree. Its red star shaped leaves carpet creek banks and offer an orange tinted light to the surrounding world. It was a perfect day for a hike, and Empire High School took full advantage of this. On November 14th, 6 students traveled into the Little Rincon Mountains in […]

On April 26, 2019, sixty-one students from Mount Elden Middle School 8th grade traveled to the Arizona Trail north of the San Francisco Peaks to learn more about the way water travels downhill, how to design trail to make minimal impact on the watershed and make some drainage improvements to the trail.   Students rotated between working with volunteers and […]

On April 18, 2019, twenty-seven students of Ms. Esparza’s 5th grade class at Kinsey Inquiry and Discovery School visited Griffith’s Spring near Flagstaff to continue their semester long study of watersheds, water quality, and human impacts on the environment.    Students hiked a total of a mile round trip. While at Griffiths spring they conducted water chemical quality testing to […]

On April 11, 2019, twenty-five students of Mr. Caslin’s 5th grade class at Kinsey Inquiry and Discovery School visited Griffith’s Spring near Flagstaff to continue their semester long study of watersheds, water quality, and human impacts on the environment.    Students hiked a total of a mile round trip. While at Griffiths spring they conducted water chemical quality testing to […]

The first of the winter rains bring a sense of joy and excitement to every living thing in the desert. Some things seek refuge from the rain, but with Seeds of Stewardship, we chase the rain looking for where it pools and collects. This journey takes us into mountain landscapes and valleys, and for our sake we seek the places […]

Just an hour south of Tucson, the landscape transitions from a spacious desert landscape to a sea of golden grasses. The high deserts that surround the Sonoita/Patagonia area are filled with staple plants such as yucca, juniper, oak, ocotillo, and pine. The fauna types include pronghorn antelope, mountain lion, black bear, jaguar, ocelot, golden eagles, and much more. This diversity […]

October was the month we explored water in the desert. Like most deserts, where there is water there is life. Often a dense and diverse range of species, even the same individuals, cohabitating in a very isolated area. For Seeds of Stewardship, the soft weather months become our time to migrate to this place, and we become a part of […]

On October days in the Sonoran Desert, everything begins to get a little quieter. The summer’s heat is still radiating, though slowly fading away. This is something the entire desert can feel, with cool mornings and comfortable middays, it makes for perfect outdoor learning environments. On October 17th, 9 students from Project More High School embarked on an adventure into […]

On February 15, 2019, a group of 7 students from Kino School traveled to Sabino Canyon National Recreation Area to see the effects of a recent winter storm and learn about water in the desert. I am so grateful that the students were willing to be flexible due to the weather. It had rained over 4 inches on top of Mt. […]