Brown Canyon Workshops Spring 2008
Sponsored by Friends of Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge
at the Brown Canyon Environmental Education Center
Mysteries of Brown Canyon: a Family Weekend
Coordinator:Beth Phillips: Director, Great Expectations Academy Charter School
April 19-20
There are mysteries in Brown Canyon. Come and find the clues! All adults MUST be accompanied by a child 8-12 years old. We will search for canyon inhabitants--animal, plant, and mineral. What adaptations can we find that support this ecosystem? What clues do we SEE that can tell us about the UNSEEN? If we could listen through the centuries, what “voices” would we hear? Our search will be assisted by guides with expertise in studying tracks, water flow, and habitat. On Saturday evening we will be transported through canyon history by a Story-teller. Our clues, sketches, field notes and remembrances will be collected in an Environmental Detective’s Notebook to take home.
Arizona’s Venomous Critters
Leader: Robert Smith, University of Arizona Dept of Entomology
April 26-27
Many plants and animals make poisons. Our state is legend for its array of critters that concoct toxins with which they can inoculate people. Most newcomers to Arizona exhibit an exaggerated fear of these animals. However, a few Sonoran creatures produce venom and aggressively dispense it with potentially serious consequences. There is survival value in learning how to avoid bites and stings and how to treat envenomation disease if it happens. But, beyond these pragmatic lessons, venomous animals are a highly diverse lot whose biology is fascinating. Do you know how many scorpions are found in Arizona, or which one is the most dangerous? What venomous spiders occur here? Why are bed bugs on the rise again after years of decline? Do you want to know the secrets of bed bug sexual behavior? You will be dismayed! How are giant water bugs able to kill and feed on animals many times the weight of the bug? Dr. Robert Smith from the University of Arizona’s Department of Entomology will answer these questions and many more.
We will also talk about the evolution of venoms and venom delivery systems, observe venomous animals using their venom to subdue prey, light trap for kissing bugs, black light for scorpions, challenge black widows to bite, and prospect for venomous aquatic bug.
Earning A Sense of Place: Garden Design Approaches Inspired By Nature
Leader: Scott Calhoun of ZonaGardens
May 3-4
Learning to truly know the plants, rocks, and people that inhabit a region can enrich and inform your garden design experience. Award-winning author and designer Scott Calhoun considers his hiking boots his best garden tool; for Scott, a wildflower trip is one part flower-peeper indulgence and one part garden design instruction. He thinks, “if this is lovely in nature, how could it be lovely in a garden?” Join Scott for talks and walks in Brown Canyon that promise to illuminate connections between gardens and the natural world. For information on Scott, his work, and his latest book: Chasing Wildflowers: A Mad Search for Wild Gardens go to http://zonagardens.com/.
Discovering Brown Canyon
Leaders: Mary Scott and Richard Conway
May 10-11
Spend a weekend relaxing, hiking and enjoying an introduction to the hidden world of Brown Canyon in the Baboquivari Mountains southwest of Tucson. Guests will enjoy the comfort of the striking Brown Canyon Environmental Education Lodge and be treated to three catered meals. Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning will be times to relax at the lodge and enjoy the splendid views of the Baboquivari Range and the Altar Valley or walk the canyon trails. Knowledgeable staff from the refuge and local experts will be on hand to guide walkers and interpret the canyon's natural history.
Saturday evening after dinner presenters will use pictures and stories to introduce the guests to the natural and human history of the area. The presentation will include geology, plants, birds, butterflies, wildlife and local history.
Brown Canyon is one of the most important protected enclaves of western sky island ecology in southern Arizona and this weekend interlude will provide an opportunity to discover it in a casual and comfortable style.
Workshop Registration: The fee for a workshop is $68 for members of the Friends of Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge and $78 for nonmembers. To register for a workshop, please send a check to Friends of Buenos Aires NWR, PO Box 577, Arivaca, AZ 85601, and tell us which workshop you will attend. A confirmation letter, instructions, and a map are typically sent 7 to 10 days prior to the start of the workshop. For more information please contact Richard Conway at Richard Conway's email or 520-398-3937. For general information call the Refuge Headquarters at 520-823-4251 ext. 116.
Friends of Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge is a group of citizens dedicated to supporting the National Wildlife Refuge system and the Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge by volunteering talents and time in many ways. We also publish a newsletter, Seeds, three times yearly, with news of and stories about the Refuge. To join the Friends of Buenos Aires NWR, please visit their website www.friendsofbanwr.org.
The Brown Canyon Environmental Education Center is located in the Baboquivari Mountains in the northwestern portion of the Refuge. Lodging and three meals are included with the two-day workshops, which begin early Saturday afternoon and conclude after lunch on Sunday.
The Refuge Headquarters is located 6 miles north of Sasabe, Arizona on AZ Route 286.