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Desert Discovery Day November 17!
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Desert Discovery Day
November 17, 2012
10 am - 2 pm
Jewel of the Creek Preserve
Cave Creek, AZ
Come on out to discover the wonder and beauty of our Sonoran Desert home! Desert Foothills Land Trust is thrilled to host a day of free outdoor experiences and hands-on education at the Jewel of the Creek Preserve in Cave Creek, Arizona.
Desert Discovery Day on November 17, 2012 will allow children of all ages to explore the preserve, learn about the diversity of life in our desert, and to examine the geology and archaeology underlying this magnificent landscape.
The day will include a "scavenger hunt" of informational stations along the Harry Dalton Trail. Children will receive a stamp at each station, and they'll receive a goody bag for collecting all the stamps. Stations will include information and activities from the Land Trust and partner organizations, such as live raptors from Wild At Heart, crayfish collection in the creek, practicing corn grinding on a metate from the Desert Foothills Chapter of the Arizona Archaeological Society, seining for invertebrates living under rocks in the creek, or comparing the differences between a saguaro and a barrel cactus. There will be exhibitors, activities, and even free refreshments!
Come out to meet many of the board members, staff and dedicated volunteers of the Land Trust who will be there to serve food, answer questions and give you a chance to get to know them. Other participants include:
- Arizona Archaeological Society, Desert Foothills Chapter
- Arizona Audubon
- Rural/Metro Fire Department
- Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center
- Spur Cross Ranch Conservation Area
- Wild At Heart
Desert Discovery Day is sure to be an exciting event for our community, and for our children in particular. Wear your hiking shoes and come prepared for fun, hands-on desert adventures. We can't wait to see you out there!
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Black Mountain Photo Contest
entries due October 26!
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Desert Foothills Land Trust is pleased to announce the 10th Annual Black Mountain Photo Contest! The photo contest is intended to encourage a deeper appreciation for this remarkable landmark at the
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2011 People's Choice Award-winning photograph by Phil Shultz.
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heart of our Desert Foothills communities. Photos can be taken any time, but should feature Black Mountain in some way. Complete contest rules and entry forms are available here. Photo contest entries will be accepted through 4:00 pm on October 26, 2012. Professional photographers Don Asakawa, Richard Rubenstein and Jerry Sieve will review all entries and choose 13 winning photos. These selections will be announced to the media, and these photos will then go on public display for viewing and voting for the "People's Choice Award." The photos will be shown at the Cave Creek Museum from November 1-9 and the Land Trust's booth at the Cave Creek Bicycle Festival on November 10. The photos will then move to the Desert Foothills Library on November 12. Voting for the People's Choice Award will end on November 16, but the display will remain at the Library through early December. Voting will also be available on the Land Trust's Facebook page from November 1-16. Community members are invited to visit, vote and enjoy these wonderful photos! The photographer's top picks and the People's Choice Award winner will be announced at an awards reception to be held at the Desert Foothills Library on December 5. All photos will be used in the 2013 Black Mountain Photo Contest calendar, which will be unveiled at that reception. Calendars will be available for sale after that reception - just in time for holiday gift-giving!  | |
Photo by 2011 finalist Mike Burns.
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The coveted cover of the calendar will be the People's Choice Award-winning photograph. Photographs oriented horizontally are best for the calendar format, although one vertical photo will be selected for an interior feature. By calling attention to the beauty and majesty of Black Mountain, Desert Foothills Land Trust hopes to emphasize the importance of land conservation in our communities. Choose your favorite view of the mountain, or hike the rugged trail up the mountain to get a fabulous shot. We can't wait to see your photos and to celebrate the landscape we love! For more information, please see the COMPLETE RULES AND ENTRY FORM. |
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Join us for our fall and winter
GUIDED HIKES!
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We have hikes and guided tours scheduled throughout the fall and winter months. Please see the complete hike schedule for additional opportunities! 
Preserve at the Cave, Sat. Oct. 20th, 9:00 am
Visit this unique feature along Cave Creek - source of the name of the creek and town. The cave has supported human inhabitants for centuries, as evidenced by both pictographs and petroglyphs. This property is privately owned and permanently protected by a conservation easement held by the Land Trust. It is not open to the public. This is a relatively flat, easy hike, but it is occasionally off-trail and rocky. You should also be prepared for wet shoes if we have had recent rains! There is still space available but contact us soon to reserve your place. DFLT volunteer Kraig Nelson recently prepared a wonderful article about this preserve - a great preview of this special place!
Jewel of the Creek Preserve, Sat. Oct. 27th, 9:00 am
This magnificent preserve is a desert oasis filled with towering cottonwood and willow trees at the northern edge of the Town of Cave Creek, bordering the Spur Cross Ranch Conservation Area. This property includes one of the few perennial streams in Maricopa County. This is a moderate hike with a few hills.
Black Mountain Summit, Sat. Nov. 3rd, 8:30 am
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Black Mountain Summit by Andreas Schmalz.
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Hikers will trek to the top of iconic Black Mountain for spectacular views and a cardiovascular workout! The trail is rugged and the elevation change is significant, so prepare for a very difficult, but beautiful and rewarding hike.
Guided hikes are free but registration is required. Please call us at 480-488-6131 or e-mail us at hikes@dflt.org at least two days before the hike to let us know how many people will be attending with your group. This allows us to share the meeting location, directions, special instructions or cancellations with you.
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THANK YOU
to the
BOULDERS and
EL PEDREGAL!
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WOW, what a fabulous response to the first annual Arizona Honey Festival and the Honey Dinner! Thousands of people came out to el Pedregal on September 29-30 to learn more about honey and honey bees. Attendees were able to sample the fantastic food and beverages prepared by Waldorf Astoria chefs from across the country, as well as to enjoy live music, local vendors and all of the wonderful shops and restaurants in el Pedregal.
The Honey Dinner on September 29, led by The Boulders General Manager Michael H. Hoffmann, raised more than $26,000 to support Desert Foothills Land Trust's conservation work! We are incredibly honored to have the support of The Boulders and attendees from this event. The Boulders has a long history of generosity among the local nonprofit community, and this new season-opening event was a truly wonderful demonstration of their commitment to local land conservation!
Additionally, the event brought some much-needed awareness to the importance of honeybees as pollinators of many of our local desert plants, as well as the threats to honeybees around the world. We are honored to be able to use the funds raised at this event to conserve habitat for these wonderful honeybees! DFLT volunteer and writer Jeff Marshall prepared a fascinating article about honeybees for our booth at the Arizona Honey Festival. You can read Jeff's piece on our website to learn more about these wonderful local pollinators.
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Charles Schwab
Cup Tickets!
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Green Choice in Workplace Giving
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Did you know that you can support Desert Foothills Land Trust at your workplace? We are among 28 leading environmental and conservation nonprofits that make up the Environmental Fund for Arizona - a vibrant partnership of Arizona's 'green' organizations working all across the state to improve our natural environment.
Since 2001, thousands of Arizona employees have been offered a 'green' choice through EFAZ as part of their workplace giving campaigns, and collectively have raised over $1 million for the vital environmental work being done by our member groups, including Desert Foothills Land Trust.
You can donate through EFAZ in a number of workplaces, including American Express, Ameriprise, State of AZ, City of Phoenix, City of Tempe, City of Scottsdale, Maricopa County, Desert Botanical Garden, DMB Associates, JP Morgan Chase, Maricopa County Federal Employees, Raytheon, Boeing,
United Health, Wells Fargo, and a dozen others!
If your current workplace doesn't offer a 'green' choice yet, contact EFAZ to learn how easy it is to start an EFAZ program! To learn more, visit www.efaz.org or contact Laine Seaton at the Environmental Fund for Arizona at (480) 510-5511 or laine@efaz.org
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Quick Links | |
Desert Foothills Land Trust (www.dflt.org)
Archived e-newsletters are available here!
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