Lecture Series with Richard Conway
This Tuesday, January 15th, 2:00 PM, CPAC

Richard Conway will give a lecture on the Geology of Madera Canyon on January 15, 2:00 PM, in the theater of the Community Performance and Arts Center, 1250 W Continental Road. Tickets are $5.00 each at the door, on our website or at the Green Valley/Sahuarita Chamber of Commerce. 

Aren't rocks boring?  Those familiar with Richard Conway already know the answer is a strong "N0!" Those rocks not only give us ground to stand on but are downright exciting.

Included in the event will be a your personal copy of the new FOMC full color brochure "The Rocks and Landscapes around Madera Canyon."  With maps, diagrams and text it explains the formation of the Santa Rita Mountains and Madera Canyon.

 Annual Meeting
Saturday, January 19th
8:00 AM Social Hour, 9:00 AM Meeting
This year's Annual Meeting will be held at GVR's East Center.  You can enjoy coffee, pastries from 8:00 AM to 9:00 AM with the business meeting called to order at 9:00 AM.

(Yes, this year we are meeting at the East Center, Abrego Drive at West Esperanza Boulevard. If your car wants to go to CPAC, be sure to remind it who's in charge.)


We will also enjoy a presentation on the Madera Canyon Amphitheater improvement project.  Carol Lambert and Jerry Popham will bring us up to speed on plans and progress and seek everyone's help in getting this important project done right.

Mary Gode will announce the Volunteer of the Year award recipient. Board members will be introduced.  A lucky member will go home with cash from a 50/50 fund raising raffle. All of us will see old friends and meet new ones.

Part of the  Amphitheater Conceptual Plan We Will See and Hear About at the Annual Meeting

 

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Tickets for this Friday's Tea Among Flowers and silent auction of Joan Lewis watercolors will not be sold at the door, so now is the time to buy your $15.00 tickets online  here or at the Green Valley/Sahuarita Chamber of Commerce.

Doors open at 11:30 AM, with the tea served at 12:30 PM at the St. Francis-in-the-Valley Episcopal Church, 600 S La Canada Drive.  Space is limited so the advance purchase of tickets is necessary.

The watercolors are all original work done for the book A Field Guide to Madera Canyon Wildflowers. They are not reproductions. Each is professionally matted, comes with a descriptive signed card and is one-of-a-kind.

For five years Joan hiked Madera Canyon in every season and at every elevation to gather photos and drawings of each flower. Her book is available in many bookshops and on our website.  At the tea you will find the watercolors grouped by wildflower colors just as they are in the book.

At the tea music will be provided by Tamara Kahrimanis at the piano and Carl Perry  playing his Native American flutes.

Tea and auction proceeds will support the work of the Friends of Madera Canyon. 

Thank You, Members


The Annual Campaign designated this year for the printing of the new colorful Geology brochure was a success with over $3,000 raised. Thank you!

Many members have already renewed their membership for 2013.  Thank you! Particular thanks go to those who moved from Friend to a higher level of support.

If you have not yet renewed, please do. Especially with a still-tough economy your support matters. The FOMC is doing well but only with the financial and volunteer support of members.

The Friends of Madera Canyon Education Program is gearing up for spring 2013. Our annual sessions of docent training/orientation start in late February before the spring nature walks commence. New and continuing docents review rules and procedures for the nature walks and learn about the natural history of Madera Canyon and the surrounding area.

In March and April there will be four 4th grade nature walks with the students from  Mountain View and San Cayetano elementary schools in Rio Rico. Docents also help with community nature walks in the canyon in spring and fall, volunteer for FOMC outreach/conservation education at select community events throughout the year and conduct Fall 4th grade nature walks for Continental, Sopori and Great Expectations schools.

The Friends of Madera Canyon Education Program welcomes reliable volunteers to join our excellent docent corps. Prospective docents must:

• like children and enjoy helping them learn
• appreciate nature and have a desire to learn about Madera Canyon
• make the time commitment necessary to be a FOMC docent volunteer

Individuals interested in becoming docents for the Nature Walks are encouraged to attend a walk or two. Newbies are assigned as a "group sweep"- enabling the participant to observe the program while helping the lead docent keep the student group together and focused. All docents are required to be FOMC members because of USFS insurance coverage.  Anyone interested in becoming a docent should contact Doug Moore at maderaedu@q.com or 520 682-0459.

Yes, thanks to Dr. George West we do have a What Bird Is This challenge.  The photo below shows six birds looking for food or grit near a lake in Tucson. Can you identify all of them?  If you get more than one right without recourse to the bird books and apps you outscore the newsletter publisher.

Click on the picture for a larger version

 

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