—October

Buffelgrass in the Sonoran Desert
What: Learn why the spread of buffelgrass is a threat to our desert and our community, and find out how you can join the effort to help manage, control and eradicate this aggressive, non-native grass.
Date: Thursday, October 2
Time: noon – 1 p.m.
Where: Main Library, 101 N. Stone Ave., 85701
Cost/Age: free, ages 12 and up
For more information contact: 520-615-7855 or eeducation@pima.gov
Reservations not required.

Bowen Trail Hike
What: During this 1½-2 mile easy to moderate level hike, we’ll enjoy views of saguaro studded hillsides, stands of prickly pear cacti, and cholla forests. We’ll travel through a mesquite bosque, cross a sandy wash, and visit the ruins of the Old Stone House, before heading back up the trail. The trailhead is located across from the Marriott Starr Pass Resort, 3645 W. Starr Pass Blvd. Reservations Required.
Date: Saturday, October 4
Time: 9:00 a.m. - noon
Where: Pima County Tucson Mountain Park, 3645 W. Starr Pass Blvd.
Cost/Age: free, ages 12 and up
For more information contact: 520-615-7855 or eeducation@pima.gov
Reservations required.

Sonoran Desert Kids Club: Experiencing Nature through the Senses
What: Animals use their senses to explore their surroundings, look for food and even find a mate. Use your senses to learn about the plants and animals that call the Sonoran Desert home.
Date: Saturday, October 4
Time: 2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Where: Martha Cooper Branch Library, 1377 N. Catalina Avenue, Tucson 85712
Cost/Age: free, kids ages 5-12 and their families
For more information contact: 520-615-7855 or eeducation@pima.gov
Reservations not required.

Wednesday Sonoran Desert Weedwackers
What: Each month the volunteer weed warriors work to eradicate buffelgrass and other exotic weeds. The Wednesday work parties are for the hardiest weed warriors and require hiking in to infested areas and pulling buffelgrass on steep slopes. These are also some of the most precious and fragile habitats seriously impacted by buffelgrass invasions. Coordinators will provide instruction on plant identification and proper techniques for removal. This is strenuous work and volunteers need to be in very good physical condition. Gloves and digging bars provided. Bring water and snacks; a hat, sunscreen and sturdy shoes. If you plan to attend, please contact eeducation@pima.gov or call 520-615-7855, for meeting location.
Date: Wednesday, October 8
Time: 7:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Where: Pima County Tucson Mountain Park at 2020 N. Kinney Road - call for meeting location. 
Cost/Age: free, ages 12 and up
For more information contact: If you plan to attend, please contact eeducation@pima.gov or call 520-615-7855.

Sonoran Desert Kids Club: Camouflage – Hide and Seek in the Desert
What: Have you ever wondered why a bobcat has spots or why female hummingbirds are so drab? Animals come in all sorts of colors to help them survive. Learn how animals use colors and patterns to blend in with the environment.
Date: Wednesday, October 8
Time: 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Where: Abbett-Marana Branch Library, 7800 N. Schisler Dr., Tucson 85743
Cost/Age: free, kids ages 5-12 and their families
For more information contact: 520-615-7855 or eeducation@pima.gov
Reservations not required.

Buffelgrass in the Sonoran Desert
What: Learn why the spread of buffelgrass is a threat to our desert and our community, and find out how you can join the effort to help manage, control and eradicate this aggressive, non-native grass.
Date: Thursday, October 9
Time: 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Where: Martha Cooper Library, 1377 N. Catalina Avenue, 85712
Cost/Age: free, ages 12 and up
For more information contact: 520-615-7855 or eeducation@pima.gov
Reservations not required.

Honeybee Canyon Walk
What: Enjoy a nature walk in Honeybee Canyon in the Tortolita Mountains with Pima County naturalist Meg Quinn. This easy, two to three mile hike offers great mountain views, abundant birdlife and butterflies, and a wide variety of desert and riparian plants. Reservations required.
Date: Friday, October 10
Time:  9:00 a.m. - noon
Where: Tortolita Mountains, 13880 N. Rancho Vistoso Blvd., Oro Valley 85755
Cost/Age: free, ages 12 and up
For more information contact: 520-615-7855 or eeducation@pima.gov
Reservations required.

Sonoran Desert Kids Club: Exploring Watersheds & Writing Poetry
What: Tucson’s River of Words Youth Poetry and Art Contest incorporates science and art for a truly unique experience. Create your own watershed model and discover the power of water. Then, express your knowledge through poetry writing. Contest entry forms will be available at the program.
Date: Friday, October 10
Time: 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Where: Abbett-Marana Branch Library, 7800 N. Schisler Dr., Tucson 85743
Cost/Age: free, kids ages 5-12 and their families
For more information contact: 520-615-7855 or eeducation@pima.gov
Reservations not required.

Sonoran Desert Kids Club: Signs of Life in a Desert Oasis
What: Follow the signs of life in the desert... join expert tracker and jaguar biologist Sergio Avila. Learn to identify some of the tracks and other signs that common desert animals leave behind, and use your imagination to re-create the story the signs tell.
Date: Saturday, October 11
Time: 9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Where: Pima County Agua Caliente Park, 12325 E. Roger Rd.
Cost/Age: free, kids ages 5-12 and their families
For more information contact: 520-615-7855 or eeducation@pima.gov
Reservations not required.

Historical Tour of Agua Caliente Park
What: Enjoy a guided tour of the historic buildings and landscape to understand how the year-round presence of water from the spring shaped the lives of people and how people shaped the land.
Date: Saturday, October 11
Time: 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Where: Pima County Agua Caliente Park, 12325 E. Roger Road
Cost/Age: free, all ages welcome
For more information contact: 520-615-7855 or eeducation@pima.gov
Reservations not required.

Sonoran Desert Kids Club: Camouflage – Hide and Seek in the Desert
What: Have you ever wondered why a bobcat has spots or why female hummingbirds are so drab? Animals come in all sorts of colors to help them survive. Learn how animals use colors and patterns to blend in with the environment.
Date: Saturday, October 11
Time: 2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Where: Martha Cooper Branch Library, 1377 N. Catalina Avenue, Tucson 85712
Cost/Age: free, kids ages 5-12 and their families
For more information contact: 520-615-7855 or eeducation@pima.gov
Reservations not required.

Twilight Nature Walk at Feliz Paseos Park
What: Take a relaxing, naturalist-guided stroll through the park and experience the quiet of the desert at dusk. You’ll also discover why many desert creatures are active at this time of day. One-hour guided walks on paved and gravel paths are open to all ages and abilities.
Date: Friday, October 17
Time: 5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Where: Pima County Feliz Paseos Park, 1600 N. Camino de Oeste
On Camino de Oeste, ½ mile north of Speedway/Gates Pass Road
Cost/Age: free, all ages welcome
For more information contact: 520-615-7855 or eeducation@pima.gov
Reservations not required.

Saturday Sonoran Desert Weedwackers
What: Join the Sonoran Desert Weedwackers and do your part in restoring the health of the desert in Tucson Mountain Park. Each month the volunteer weed warriors work to eradicate buffelgrass and other exotic weeds. Coordinators will provide instruction on plant identification and proper techniques for removal. Gloves and digging bars provided. Bring water and snacks; a hat, sunscreen and sturdy shoes.
Date: Saturday, October 18
Time: 7:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Where: Pima County Tucson Mountain Park at 2020 N. Kinney Road
Meet at the Caretakers House, across from the Desert Museum. 
Cost/Age: free, ages 12 and up
For more information contact: If you plan to attend, please contact eeducation@pima.gov or call 520-615-7855.

Life in the Pond
What: The palm-lined ponds at Agua Caliente Park are more than just pretty sights. They are freshwater communities containing diverse life forms, from native ducks to exotic fish and turtles. Come and explore how the many pond species are interconnected, and how this desert oasis supports life that otherwise wouldn’t survive in the Sonoran Desert.
Date: Saturday, October 18
Time: 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Where: Pima County Agua Caliente Park, 12325 E. Roger Road
Cost/Age: free, all ages welcome
For more information contact: 520-615-7855 or eeducation@pima.gov
Reservations not required.

Wednesday Sonoran Desert Weedwackers
What: Each month the volunteer weed warriors work to eradicate buffelgrass and other exotic weeds. The Wednesday work parties are for the hardiest weed warriors and require hiking in to infested areas and pulling buffelgrass on steep slopes. These are also some of the most precious and fragile habitats seriously impacted by buffelgrass invasions. Coordinators will provide instruction on plant identification and proper techniques for removal. This is strenuous work and volunteers need to be in very good physical condition. Gloves and digging bars provided. Bring water and snacks; a hat, sunscreen and sturdy shoes. If you plan to attend, please contact eeducation@pima.gov or call 520-615-7855, for meeting location.
Date: Wednesday, October 22
Time: 7:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Where: Pima County Tucson Mountain Park at 2020 N. Kinney Road - call for meeting location.
Cost/Age: free, ages 12 and up
For more information contact: If you plan to attend, please contact eeducation@pima.gov or call 520-615-7855.

The Wonderful World of Bats
What: As the world’s only flying mammals, bats eat tons of mosquitoes, some prey on scorpions, and others drink nectar. Bats play very important roles in the environment, but their lives are shrouded in mystery and misunderstanding.
Date: Wednesday, October 22
Time: 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Where: Valencia Library, 202 W. Valencia Road, 85706
Cost/Age: free, ages 10 and up
For more information contact: 520-615-7855 or eeducation@pima.gov
Reservations not required.

Sonoran Desert Kids Club: Skulls from the Sonoran Desert
What: You can tell a lot about an animal by looking at the size and shape of its skull. Use the skulls of Sonoran Desert animals to learn about what they eat, where they live and how they hunt.
Date: Saturday, October 25
Time: 10:30 a.m. - noon
Where: Geasa-Marana Branch Library, 13370 N. Lon Adams Rd., Marana 85653
Cost/Age: free, kids ages 5-12 and their families
For more information contact: 520-615-7855 or eeducation@pima.gov
Reservations not required.

Nature Walk: Plant and Animal Defenses
What: Thorns, spines, toxins and stingers are just some of the ways plants and animals defend themselves. During this nature walk we’ll discuss how different plants and animals protect themselves and avoid becoming a meal.
Date: Saturday, October 25
Time: 11:00 a.m. – noon
Where: Pima County Agua Caliente Park, 12325 E. Roger Road
Cost/Age: free, all ages welcome
For more information contact: 520-615-7855 or eeducation@pima.gov
Reservations not required.

Agua Caliente Park Ranch House Gallery
What: Award winning master photographer Anselmo Rascon presents his black & white exhibit Day of the Dead.
Date: August 28 – October 7
Agua Caliente Park Ranch House Hours: May - October: Tuesday-Saturday, 8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Where: Pima County Agua Caliente Park, 12325 E. Roger Road
Cost/Age: free, all ages welcome
For more information contact: 520-749-3718 or eeducation@pima.gov

Agua Caliente Park Ranch House Gallery
What: Eclectic Expressions by Junardi Armstrong includes mixed media of watercolors, collage, monoprints, handmade journals, papers and jewelry.
Date: October 8 – November 18
Agua Caliente Park Ranch House Hours: May - October: Tuesday-Saturday, 8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Where: Pima County Agua Caliente Park, 12325 E. Roger Road
Cost/Age: free, all ages welcome
For more information contact: 520-749-3718 or eeducation@pima.gov

Wake Up with the Birds
What: Desert meets water at this unique oasis park, providing a unique crossroads for migratory and resident birds, some of which are unique to southeastern Arizona. Spot cardinals, thrashers, hummingbirds, songbirds and raptors nestled among the mesquites and palms. Binoculars are available for use during the walk or bring your own.
Date: Every Tuesday in October
Time: 8:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
Where: Pima County Agua Caliente Park, 12325 E. Roger Road
Cost/Age: free, all ages welcome
For more information contact: 520-615-7855 or eeducation@pima.gov
Reservations not required.

Tucson Mountain Park Volunteer Training Course
What: A six-week Volunteer Training Course will be offered in Tucson Mountain Park that will focus on Sonoran Desert ecology. Sessions will cover local wildlife, native vegetation, geology, birdlife, and arthropods. Upon completion of the training, volunteers may choose to lead nature walks, staff informal interpretive stations for park visitors, present prepared talks to community groups, or join buffelgrass eradication efforts. Reservations required. Contact 520-615-7855 or eeducation@pima.gov.
Date: Fridays, October 17, October 24, October 31, November 7, November 14, and November 21
Time: 9:00 a.m. - Noon
Where: SASI (Sonoran Arthropod Studies Institute), 7798 W Gates Pass Rd., Tucson, AZ 85745
Cost/Age: $25, ages 18 and up
For more information contact: 520-615-7855 or eeducation@pima.gov
Reservations required.

Sandy Reith
EE Program Coordinator
Pima County Natural Resources, Parks and Recreation 

Mailing Address:
3500 West River Road, Tucson, AZ 85741

Office Location:
3572 East River Road, Tucson
 
520-615-7855 ext. 104
Sandy.Reith@pima.gov

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