FIELD TRIPS - Montosa Canyon
- Montosa Canyon lies in the shadow of the Smithsonian's Mt. Hopkin's Observatory at the southern end of the Santa Rita Mountains. On this full-day trip, join John Palting and sample the rich arthropod diversity at several elevations along the road to Mt. Hopkins. Beginning in the lower mixed desert grassland, we are likely to see various species of grasshoppers, Polistes-wasp mimic Mantispids, impressive Ichneumon wasps with 6" ovipositors and a variety of interesting Lepidoptera larvae. Higher up in the oaks we will look for the elusive black and white Cetoniid scarab Gymnetes, the Pepsis wasp-mimic Cerambycid Tragidion or the beautiful metallic-green-edged Carabid Pasymachus viridens. Beating the oaks usually results in a variety of interesting spiders, beetles and Lepidoptera larvae. A variety of butterflies will be seen at any given stop, many of them "specialties" of the region. Like all the "Mexican Mountains" of Southeastern Arizona, the Santa Ritas always produce many biological surprises each visit; "rare" or "stray" species from south of the border are always a possibility. You simply can't go into a canyon like Montosa and not see something extraordinary! Sack lunch, snack, water and transportation provided.
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- Birdwatching Patagonia
- Bird one of the hottest regions in the United States with Art Evans, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. Possible sightings include: Gray Hawk, White-winged Dove, Broad-billed, Black-chinned, Violet-crowned Hummingbirds, Gila Woodpecker, Gambel's Quail, Mexican Jay, Thick-billed Kingbird, Rose-throated Becard, Bridled Titmouse, Abert's Towhee, Varied Bunting, Pyrrhuloxia and more. All levels of birders are encouraged to participate. Sack lunch, beverages, snacks, water, transportation, and spotting scope provided. Bring binoculars and field guides.
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- Sycamore Canyon/Pena Blanca Lake
- Join Randy Morgan of the Cincinnati Zoo in an exploration of this biologically rich canyon flowing north out of Mexico. Home to vine snakes, elegant trogans, coati mundi and the Sonoran chub, this canyon also supports a large variety of arthropods and plants at the northern extent of their range. If time permits, we will also visit Peña Blanca Lake, one of Arizona's most beautiful man-made bodies of water. Sack lunch, snack, water, and transportation provided.
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- Santa Cruz River Monitoring
- Karen Sondak, Tumacacori High School, and Joel Floyd, Friends of the Santa Cruz River will take you to two sites of a water monitoring program of the Santa Cruz River. Take a look at the best and the worst for water quality, illustrated by the dramatic differences in aquatic macroinvert-brate diversity at the sewage treatment outflow in Rio Rico and how the river cleans itself up by the time it gets to Tumacacori. Sack lunch, snack, water, and transportation provided.
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