Better Homes and Gardens (October 2018) by Marty Munson Happy 50th anniversary to the National Trails System! Soak in nature, experience American history, and get exercise with a visit to one of the thousands of trails across the country. Arizona Trail The 800 miles link deserts, mountains and forests. The northern section includes a stretch along the Grand Canyon. You’ll […]
Read moreOn May 16th, 2018, 10 students from Miami High School set out for a day of trail work on the Arizona Trail north of Picketpost Trailhead. Only 14 days since our last trip in the snow, this expedition was under a bright and hot sun. Our mission was to drive nearly 5 miles north on Happy Camp Rd to a […]
Read moreOn May 2nd, 2018, 6 students from Miami High School saddled up for a massive adventure. Our mission was to hike to a remote place called Hells Hole in the Salome Wilderness, discuss the variety of biomes and their many species of plants, and explore the rumored pools and waterfalls that are said to exist in the depths of this […]
Read moreOn February 13, 2018, 11 students from Miami High School in Miami, Arizona made the very long journey to our side of the Santa Catalina Mountains. We went to the tip top of Mt. Lemmon to hike and explore the amazing Sky Islands. This was their second trip with Seeds of Stewardship. We hiked about 5 miles round trip via […]
Read moreOn September 11th, 2018, 80 students from Mount Elden Middle School’s Alpine Academy took a short walk from their classrooms to learn about the science of phenology and take a baseline observation. Phenology is the study of seasonal changes in plant and animal life throughout the year. It is the timing of the budding of flowers and the changing […]
Read moreAward-winning local author Rodo Sofranac just released the first-ever children’s book celebrating the Arizona Trail! The Red Tail Tale on the Arizona Trail is a full-color book featuring photographs, illustrations, and tons of educational material in 62 exciting pages. The book follows Rowen, a young, red-headed explorer, and Rojo, a clever, red-tailed hawk. The two meet, bond, and experience a wonderful adventure on […]
Read moreOne September 10, 2018, 120 students from The Mount Elden Middle School APEX program visit Picture Canyon in Flagstaff along the Arizona Trail Elden Mountain Passage. With such a large group we need to divide things up. So one group started the day with a tour of the Wildcat Hill Wastewater Treatment facility where they learned about the process […]
Read moreOn September 5th, 2018, 25 students from Ms. Esparza’s 5th grade class had an introduction to the Arizona Trail and a short hike from school to the urban trail near their school. We learned about trail courtesy and Leave No Trace practices that are expected on our SOS outings and had a chance to practice on our short hike from […]
Read moreOn September 4th, 2018, 25 students from Mr. Caslin’s 5th grade class had an introduction to the Arizona Trail and a short hike from school to the urban trail near their school. We learned about trail courtesy and Leave No Trace practices that are expected on our SOS outings and had a chance to practice on our short hike from […]
Read moreArizona Daily Sun (Sept 2, 2018) by Nancy Wiechec – Hiking the Arizona National Scenic Trail is an experience “full of pleasure and pain,” said 64-year-old Ellen Shopes, a lifelong backpacker who has hiked its 800 miles three times. Shopes will join the Arizona Trail Association and other trail friends for Arizona Trail Day at Buffalo Park next Saturday, Sept. 8, […]
Read moreOn August 30, 2018, 27 students from Flagstaff Arts and Leadership Academy’s Outdoor Explorations classes walked from their school towards the Schultz Pass trailhead to study edible plants local to our area. We examined sunflowers and learned to tell when the seeds would be ready for harvesting. We looked at lambs quarters and pigweed, both of which have edible […]
Read moreOn August 29, 2018, 39 students from Mr. Ross and Mrs. Chapman’s 5th grade class at Flagstaff Junior Academy visited Wupatki National Monument near Flagstaff, Arizona. Students put on their social scientist hats to look for evidence of how the residents of this monument would have met their fundamental human needs like shelter, food, water, defense, community, art and […]
Read moreRocks removed between spring box and rock wall exposing clear water spring. The new collector box is located directly below the large rock left of the tree in the center of the photo. The cavity between the collector box opening and the spring source was filled with small rocks. These rocks and the collector box were […]
Read moreOn March 29th, 2018, 9 students from Mansfeld Middle School embarked on a rugged adventure into the Santa Catalina Mountains. This was the second of three expeditions, and on this day, we planned to hike Sunset Trail to explore the secret flowing pools of water that crown this area. Our goal was to discuss the relationship between desert Sky Islands […]
Read moreOn February 14, 2018, 10 students from Mansfield Middle School in Tucson, Arizona headed outdoors to explore their local public lands. This was their first expedition with the Seeds of Stewardship program. Welcome, Mansfield Middle School! We hiked about 4 miles in total via the West Yetman Trail in Tucson Mountain Park. We also incorporated some off-trail hiking as part […]
Read moreOn February 1st, 2018, 13 students from Imago Dei Middle School embarked on an adventure into Kings Canyon in Tucson Mountain Park. Our goal was to explore the anthropological significance of this area by observing petroglyphs and culturally important flora and fauna in this area. The students were very excited for another desert hike and the chance to adventure through […]
Read moreOn January 23rd, 2018, 13 5th grade students from Imago Dei Middle School embarked on an adventure into the Santa Catalina Mountains. This was the 3rd of 5 expeditions planned with Imago Dei this semester, making these students seasoned outdoor adventurers. On this expedition, we planned to explore passage #11 on the Arizona Trail in the Santa Catalina Mountains. Partnered […]
Read moreOn January 29, 2018, 11 from Empire High School in Vail, Arizona, traveled to the nearby Santa Rita Mountains. Previously, the students studied Sky Island ecology by exploring desert arroyos and rocky grasslands of The Little Rincon Mountains. On this trip, we fully immersed ourselves in Sky Island ecology by climbing high to Josephine’s Saddle. This particular trip presented the […]
Read moreOn February 20th, 2018, 14 students from Empire High School geared up for an adventure into the Ironwood National Monument. Our goal was to explore the natural history and the anthropological significance of the area, but that is far from how this expedition turned out. Instead, we learned how to make the most out of spontaneous obstacles, how to dig a […]
Read moreOn January 30, 2018, 9 students from Empire High School in Vail, Arizona, traveled to the nearby Santa Rita Mountains. Previously, the students studied Sky Island ecology by exploring desert arroyos and high rocky grasslands in the Little Rincon Mountains. On this trip, we fully immersed ourselves in Sky Island ecology by climbing high to Josephine’s Saddle. This particular trip […]
Read moreOn March 27th, 2018, 20 students from Empire High School from Vail Arizona set out for a day of stewardship on the Arizona Trail. Using Gabe Zimmerman Trail Head, we hiked north toward Cienega Creek to do trail rehab and narrowing work. This portion of the trail used to be a two-track leading to the creek. For the last two […]
Read moreOn March 13th, 2018, 13 students from Edge High School set out for a rugged adventure into the Little Rincon Mountains. This area is off the beaten path and rarely traveled, allowing us the chance to truly leave other humans behind and explore a wild place. For nearly two months, this area has received decent rains, and our hope and […]
Read moreOn February 16, 2018, 9 students from Edge High School in Tucson, Arizona, headed to Oracle State Park on the north side of the Santa Catalina Mountains. This was their second expedition with Seeds of Stewardship. We hiked about 4 miles in total via the Granite Lookout Trail, Bellota Trail, and Mariposa Trail. Our main goals for the day were […]
Read moreOn May 19th, 2018, the Coronado Youth Corp set out for another work day on Mt.Lemmon. We were asked to help repair and restore sections of Butterfly Trail, which is a connector route to the Arizona Trail and is a beautiful detour. This trail is on a northern slope and is lushly smothered with vibrantly green foliage. Hiking through here […]
Read moreOn March 17th, 2018, Coronado Youth Corps officially began with its first trail work expedition. 12 crew members signed up for the Coronado Youth Corps, excited to work on the Arizona Trail. Our first work day was set to take place in passage 13 beginning at Tiger Mine Trailhjead, hiking 2 miles north to our project location. This season all […]
Read moreOn March 8th, 2018, 13 students from City High embarked on an adventure into the Santa Catalina Mountains for a snow day. In Tucson, bright sunshine poured down with warm temperatures, but with an hour drive from the school, we found ourselves in a winter wonderland. The students had been looking forward to this all semester, and I was happy […]
Read moreOn January 11, 2018, 16 students from Bisbee High School embarked on an adventure into the Little Rincon Mountains. This was the third of five expeditions this semester, allowing this group to be seasoned and prepared explorers. Our goal was to hike the canyons and study the flora, fauna, and geology of the area. This area provided off-trail exploration opportunities, […]
Read moreOn February 10, 2018, 8 students from Basis North Tucson completed a stewardship project along the Arizona National Scenic Trail. More specifically, we worked on the AZT Section 5 between Gardner Canyon and Oak Tree. This was our 5th trip. We hiked about 2 miles round trip to get to the work site, and we worked on a .25 mile-long […]
Read moreOn January 20th, 2018, 19 students from Basis North adventured into the Coyote Mountain Wilderness. These rugged mountains offered missive monolithic views, deep ravines, and anthropological wonders to explore and learn from. Together we trekked through areas with an abundance of archeological artifacts, played in tall grass fields, and ventured into wilderness that knew no trails and held our imaginations to […]
Read moreOn June 11th, 2018, the Coronado Youth Corps assembled to undertake a massive project near Happy Jack Arizona. An 18-mile reroute has been designated for the Arizona Trail, a project that is estimated to take three years to complete. They are the first of many Youth Corps and volunteer groups to come on this 3-mile reroute, intended to […]
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