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Greetings!
Things have been hopping at the Land Trust! We're wrapping up our fall activities, including the Black Mountain Photo Contest, Desert Discovery Day in November, and the always-popular guided hikes to DFLT preserves. There are still two hikes left this year - join us!
 We've also been working on a very exciting land conservation project in partnership with the Town of Carefree. This new 40-acre project will protect a sensitive wash and rare archaeological site. While this specific transaction reflects a year of work with the Town and the landowner, the site itself has been a Land Trust priority for more than 20 years. We are working toward a January closing - stay tuned for more details!
All of this conservation effort is only possible because of the generous support of folks like you! Please consider a year-end gift to help us continue to protect the wildlife habitat, scenic views, trails and archaeological sites that make our community special. Help us continue to provide opportunities for children to look for frogs in Cave Creek or hawks in the sky. Your gift will leave a tangible legacy of conservation land for future generations!
With thanks for your generous support,
Sonia Perillo Executive Director |
 A fun day of outdoor adventures at Jewel of the Creek Preserve! | |
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Photo by Jon Klas. |
What a great time we had at Desert Discovery Day! Desert Foothills Land Trust hosted the free event at the Jewel of the Creek Preserve in Cave Creek on Saturday, November 17. More than 200 children of all ages explored the preserve, chatted with representatives from DFLT and other local nonprofit organizations, and learned about our local desert environment and history.
Visitors were able to get up close and personal with owls, snakes and frogs, pan for gold, and grind corn using a mano and metate. They learned about how plants survive with little water, the tracks, antlers and other things animals leave behind, and they even made leaf rubbings - a rare treat made possible by the presence of cottonwoods and other trees along Cave Creek! At each station along the trail, children had "passports" stamped, and at the end of their adventures, they received a goodie bag.
Desert Foothills Land Trust is grateful to the wonderful volunteers who helped out, and to the partners who made the day possible, including the Desert Foothills Chapter of the Arizona Archaeological Society, Rural/Metro Fire Department, Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center, Spur Cross Ranch Conservation Area, the Town of Cave Creek, and Wild At Heart.
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Photo by Pat O'Brien. |
The Land Trust is especially grateful to APS, China Mist, Shamrock Foods and Vienna Beef for in-kind donations to support the event! Most of all, we're grateful to the community who came out to experience the beautiful Jewel of the Creek Preserve and to celebrate our local protected lands. The Land Trust is already working on plans for next year....What a terrific day in the desert! (You can view more photos at www.dflt.org.)
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If you missed Desert Discovery Day, you can still enjoy the Jewel of the Creek Preserve! The Jewel is open to hikers every day from dawn to dusk. The property is located 3.9 miles north of Cave Creek Road on Spur Cross Road. Look for the parking area on your left, just before you reach the Spur Cross Ranch Conservation Area parking lot.
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Join us for guided preserve tours! |
Black Mountain Summit - Wed. Dec. 12th, 3:30 pm. 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 difficult, but beautiful and rewarding hike.
 H.B. Wallace Preserve on Lone Mountain - Sat. Dec. 15th, 9:00 am. Join Preserve Stewards for a guided hike to the summit of Lone Mountain. This property is privately owned and protected by a conservation easement. It is not open to the public, so this is a unique opportunity to visit this beautiful preserve! The hike is moderately difficult with several hundred feet of elevation change.
Saguaro Hill Preserve FAMILY HIKE - Sat. Jan. 5, 2013, 9:00 am. Join us for a stroll specifically tailored for little ones at beautiful Saguaro Hill. The hike itself is relatively easy, and we will be going slowly in order to view all the easily-missed wonders that make our desert special! The preserve is located adjacent to the Desert Foothills Library, so access is easy and your visit could even be combined with a trip to the Library's fantastic children's section!
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.
Additional hikes are being scheduled for early 2013, so check our website and Facebook page for updates. Enjoy! |
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Black Mountain Photo Contest calendars available now! |
Desert Foothills Land Trust is pleased to announce the results of the 10th annual Black Mountain Photo Contest! Professional photographers Don Asakawa, Richard Rubenstein and Jerry Sieve reviewed all entries and chose 13 finalists. The finalist's photos were on public display for viewing and voting for the People's Choice Award at the Cave Creek Museum, Desert Foothills Library, and the Cave Creek Bicycle Festival, as well as the Land Trust's Facebook page.
The People's Choice Award winner is Mike Burns! Mike's beautiful and colorful photo is featured on the cover of the calendar.  Additionally, the photographers selected their top three picks: Bob Hughes (first place), Mike Burns (second place) and Allan Rosen-Ducat (third place).
The other finalists were: Thomas M. Baker, Mark Carroll, Mike Fournier, Jack Grenard, Margit Kagerer, Juan Loza, Amy Regan, Nick Runge, Linda Sakane, and Helena Spandau.
All of these photos appear in the 2013 calendar, and can also be viewed on the Land Trust's Facebook page. At a reception to present the awards to photographers, the crowd was especially taken to learn that Helena Spandau is only 8 years old - perhaps the contest's youngest finalist ever!
The Land Trust is grateful to all the photographers who entered the contest! Their beautiful and fun photos demonstrate the special place that Black Mountain holds in all of our hearts.
Just in time for the holidays, calendars can be purchased from the Land Trust office! They are $12 each or two for $20. Call 480-488-6131 or e-mail info@dflt.org to get your copy today. Don't delay - the calendars sold out last year!
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New Jewel of the Creek entrance sign |
Have you seen the beautiful new entry sign at the Jewel of the Creek Preserve? Crafted by metal artist Dan Moore of Oxide Studios and mason Jeff Crooks, the entry is finally worthy of the beautiful Jewel! We're still working on some interpretive signs to go with the entry, so pardon our dust for a little while longer!
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Photo by Jon Klas. |
Special thanks to a group of generous hikers who call themselves "Trail Trash!" They took it upon themselves to collect the funds for this beautiful new sign in memory of their friend and one of the group's founders, Ann Heil. Additional funding came from long-time supporter Pat Dalton, who contributed in memory of her husband and former DFLT board member, Harry Dalton. The sign is located at the trailhead for the Harry Dalton Trail. |
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Quick Links | |
Desert Foothills Land Trust (www.dflt.org)
Archived e-newsletters are available here!
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