State Parks

Arizona moving to use conservation money before vote

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[Source: Arizona Capitol Times, Paul Davenport] – Arizona parks officials and local governments in the Phoenix and Flagstaff areas are moving to spend up to $52 million of land conservation money that legislators envisioned being used instead to help keep the budget in the black.

The state Parks Board on Wednesday voted to award grants to Coconino County and the cities of Phoenix and Scottsdale for separate purchases of large parcels of state trust land for preservation as open space. The $52 million would come from a decade-old land conservation fund authorized by a voter-approved 1998 ballot measure that is now the subject of a new ballot measure that appears as Proposition 301 on the Nov. 2 general election ballot.

Under the Growing Smarter conservation program, public and private entities can get state funding for purchases of trust land for conservation purposes. The purchaser must provide a match to the state funding [to read the full article click here].

Catalina State Park Offers Kids a $2 Adventure

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[Source: Explorer News]

Does your child wonder how wild animals live and thrive in the Sonoran Desert?

Starting this fall, and continuing through the 2010-’11 school year, elementary school groups can arrange to visit Catalina State Park on the east edge of Oro Valley and participate in activities that teach how animals use the five senses to negotiate their environment.

It’s called The Adventure Program, sponsored by Arizona State Parks.

The two-hour program is open to students in grades 1-3 from public, charter, private and home schools. Tours can be arranged by the classroom teacher, a release said. The entry fee is $2 per student.

Over the years, “thousands of Pima and Pinal county students have participated and enjoyed a morning of fun-filled learning activities in an Arizona state park,” the release continued.

REI of Tucson is helping to sponsor this program by providing trail stools for students to use while participating.

For more information, contact program coordinators Andrew and Joanne Hogan at 520-903-4367, e-mail AdventureCSP@aol.com, or go to the park website.

[You can also download Adventure Program Info HERE (PDF Document 807 KB PDF)]

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Suvoyuki Day, Hopi culture events begin Saturday at Homolovi State Park

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[Source: Navajo-Hopi Observer]

Suvoyuki Day has been set to start on Saturday. The event will be a celebration of Hopi culture and the archaeology of Homolovi State Park even though the park, like many Arizona state parks has been closed because of the lack of funding. The event will also be held in part at the Winslow Chamber of Commerce located in the historic Hubbell Trading Post Building at 523 West Second Street in Winslow.

Suvoyuki is a Hopi word meaning “joint effort.” The celebration will be in two parts, one in and near Winslow at the Hubbell Trading Post/Chamber of Commerce and Homolovi State Park and the other on the Hopi Reservation at Second Mesa.

Tours of Homolovi State Park will be conducted by archaeologist Rich Lange and will originate at the Hubbell Trading Post/Winslow Chamber of Commerce Building at 8:30 and 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. The Hubbell Trading Post/Winslow Chamber of Commerce Building contains many exhibits worth seeing for tourists who have not been there recently. This building was the home of one of the oldest trading posts in the Southwest and was the home of the largest Navajo rug known to exist.

There will be a second day of the Hopi Culture celebration on Sunday at Second Mesa. Plans for this event have not been announced but last year there was a race early in the morning at Second Mesa followed by tours of the mesa, displays of art by Hopi artists and traditional food. There are charges for this part of the celebration but details regarding charges and events are not yet known.

Persons wishing to attend the Suvoyuki Day events are advised to use their own vehicles for the tour of Homolovi State Park. It should be noted that the tour will be accessible by wheelchair.

As Homolovi State Park is officially closed, attendees are to be aware that they may visit the park only during the tours and must not stray from their group.

Anyone seeking more information is encouraged to call the Winslow Chamber of Commerce at (928) 289-2434 for more details. It is possible that more may be learned of the Second Mesa part of the celebration on Sunday may also be learned.

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Kartchner Caverns hosts astronomy night

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[Source: azcentral.com]

Stars shine brighter away from city lights. That’s why astronomers look for remote places to place telescopes, and why stargazing events often take place in parks away from towns.

This weekend, Arizona State Parks invites you to spend an evening with astronomer Bob Gent at Kartchner Caverns State Park near Benson.

“He’s . . . an avid astronomer. He’s done it all over the country,” assistant park manager Chris DeMille said.

This is the second year of the event. “Last time we did this, we had five telescopes. This time we’re shooting for a little bit more.”

Visitors will be able to see Jupiter, Venus, craters of the moon, stars and galaxies. Gent is a past president of the Astronomical League and the International Dark Sky Association, and other astronomers will assist him during the event.

Visitors are asked to bring a folding chair and a flashlight covered with a red cap (available at sporting-goods stores). A piece of red cellophane placed over the flashlight beam also works. The event starts before sunset so people can learn a bit about astronomy before the viewing begins. The park’s café is closed at night, so bring snacks and drinks if desired. Bring a sweater or jacket, too.

“We’re at 4,600 feet, so it’s a little more comfortable,” DeMille said.

Kartchner Caverns is known for its colorful stalactites, stalagmites, soda straws and other features. The park is at the base of the Whetstone Mountains, with views of the San Pedro Valley.

The park has two main caves open for tours, the Rotunda and the Big Room. The Big Room is open from Oct. 15 to April 15 and will be closed during this event.

Stargazers can camp at the park’s campground ($22 per night) or find a room in Benson.

Southeast Arizona has attractions in addition to the caverns.

“The city of Tombstone is about 30 minutes away from us,” DeMille said. “There’s also Ramsey Canyon, which is a nature preserve.”

Also within driving distance are Bisbee, with restaurants, galleries and a mine tour; Coronado National Memorial, with hiking trails and great scenery; and the Amerind Foundation, a museum with a top-notch collection of Native American art and artifacts near the Dragoon Mountains.

Details: Stargazing at Kartchner Caverns

When: 6:30 p.m. Sept. 11. Park hours are 7:30 a.m.-6 p.m. daily.

Where: Kartchner Caverns State Park. From central Phoenix, take Interstate 10 east past Tucson to Exit 302 at Benson. Take Arizona 90 about 9 miles south to the park entrance.

Admission: $6 per vehicle for stargazing. Cave tours, $18.95-$22.95.

Details: 520-586-4100, azstateparks.com/Parks/KACA.

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