The Arboretum
What a great place! It just now occurred to me to post events here.. duh Some of these are late, but I will be more on the ball, in the future…
My friend Paul sends me these updates – he works at BTA. His wife Amanda is also a friend, and runs the CouesWhitetail.com site
BOYCE THOMPSON ARBORETUM
WEEKEND TOURS & EVENTSYou probably noticed an extra abundance this Summer of yellow butterflies
flitting across Pinal County roads. Most of them are various Sulphur species;
you can learn to identify these and other common butterflies on the special
guided walk offered Oct. 28 at Boyce Thompson Arboretum State Park near
Superior. From September-through-April public hours at this beautiful 320-acre
collection of gardens are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and regular admission of $7.50 for
adults and $3 for ages 5-12 includes most weekend tours and special events. To
get there take highway 60 to milepost #223, a drive of about 45 minutes due
East of Mesa, right after the historic copper mining town of Superior (from
Johnson Ranch communities take Arizona Farms Road to highway 79, then north to
highway 60, then another 12 miles East to the Arboretum). For other details
call the recorded phone message line 520.689.2811 or visit the award-winning
website http://arboretum.ag.arizona.eduEVENTS…
* October 7-22: Fall Plant Sale daily from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Autumn is the season to plant herbs and to seed wildflowers so they’ll bloom
on schedule next Spring. The annual plant sale is an important fundraiser for
the Arboretum, and a time when visitors can meet noted botanical authors and
also volunteers from local Master Gardener programs. Thousands of drought- tolerant plants are available for purchase. The Arboretum is an Arizona State
Park and daily admission must be paid to enter the grounds, even just to
purchase plants during this seasonal sale.* October 7, 8, 21 & 22 at 8:30 a.m. Guided Birdwalks. Learn to identify
native Sonoran Desert species and also exotic migrants on a two-hour guided
birdwalk along some of the two miles worth of paths and trails through the
Arboretum. More than 270 species of birds have been seen and heard here over
the years!* October 7 Dragonfly Walk at 9:30 a.m. Queen Creek, Ayer Lake and the
various fountains and water features around the Arboretum offer great chances
to see (and photograph!) Red Rock Skimmers, Blue-eyed Darners and other
species of these insect predators. Parents and kids can learn to identify
colorful dragonfly species during a one-hour walk that begins from the visitor
center lobby. Bring your binoculars for the best closeup views!* Oct. 14 and 22: Edible & Medicinal Plants Tour at 1:30 p.m. Did you know
toasted jojoba seeds taste like hazelnuts? That creosote leaves have
antifungal and antibacterial healing properties? Join this one-hour walk up
the Curandero Trail to learn about edible and medicinal Sonoran Desert plants.
Tourguide Oct. 14 will be “Foods of the Superstitions” book author Jean
Groen. Don’t rush to leave when Jean’s tour is done, she often shares with her
tour group a refreshing pitcher of (nonalcoholic) prickly pear fruit juice
margaritas or else homemade mesquite meal crackers and cactus jellies. Oct. 22
the tourguide is Choctaw nation member David Morris, an “ethnobotanist” who
studies the ways indigenous peoples have used plants for food, fiber and
medicine over the past 1,000 years.* Oct. 21 Plants-of-the-Bible Guided Tour at 1:30 p.m. Learn about botany,
history and scripture on a walk alongside Bible scholar and Arizona State
Parks volunteer David Oberpriller. This easy two-hour guided tour proceeds
slowly along paths that are accessible to wheelchairs and walkers. Tour
departs the visitor center lobby at 1:30 p.m.* Oct. 28 at 9:30 a.m. Butterfly Walk (final butterfly walk; the once-a-
month series will resume March, 2007). Bring your binoculars for the most
dazzling closeup looks at colorful species such as Queen, Painted Lady and
Pipevine Swallowtail during this guided outing with Education Coordinator
Chris Kline.
