The Flagstaff Arboretum Offers
A Variety of Family-Friendly Exhibits and
Programs For the Whole Family To Enjoy

What do you think of when you hear the word "arboretum?" What exactly does one do in an arboretum? I mean, there are trees, presumably, and you look at the trees, maybe?

If your reaction to "arboretum" is something like that, then you haven't been to the Flagstaff Arboretum, which will open for the season this week on April 1. There are an amazing array of activities, workshops, projects and interesting little get-togethers year round at the Arboretum, all in the name of enjoying and protecting the fabulous native plants and wildlife of Northern Arizona.

The Arboretum will, jump right into its calendar of events with a family-friendly exhibit called Bugs at Work, a fascinating display of living and preserved spiders, insects and other things that creep and crawl in our region and beyond. Those not freaked out by things with more than four legs won't want to miss the Live Bug Zoo on April 8, where you'll have a chance to interact with the critters and learn from NAU entomologists Robert Delph and Neil Cobb. Bugs at Work is a collaboration between the Arboretum and the Colorado Plateau Museum of Arthropod Biodiversity.
 
Opening weekend also features a reading and discussion of the writings of Aldo Leopold, the name sometimes spoken in the same breath as Thoreau in discussions of nature writers. Credited with reshaping modern thought about conservation and land stewardship, Leopold's A Sand County Almanac is a classic among conservationists, policy makers and regular-Joe nature lovers alike. He did much of his work as a young Yale forestry graduate around Arizona, which in turn helped him refine his thinking and become inspired about communicating his ideas to the general public. The presentation takes place on April 1 at 3 pm. Selections from A Sand County Almanac will be read by T.J. McMichael of Prescott, who studied wildlife management under the direction of one of Leopold's former students at the University of Arizona.


Dragonflies help to  keep the population of mosquitoes low at The Arboreteum.

Then, of course, there are the plants, gardens, greenhouse and beautiful trail system.

The Arboretum is best known for its collection of 2,500 species of plants and spectacular views of the surrounding mountains, meadows, and forests. You can take a guided tour (offered daily at 11 and 1pm) with knowledgeable docents, or you can do a self-guided stroll among the many miles of paths. The Arboretum offers an extensive education program for toddlers up to 6th graders, and adult education on gardening, painting and more. Saturday Morning Birdwalks have been a popular outing for birding novices and experts. Lead by members of the Audubon society, the Birdwalks offer an excellent opportunity to spot the more than 100 species of birds recorded at the Arboretum, taking advantage of the facility's varied habitat.

Green-living fans will want to check out the Horticulture Center, which features a greenhouse which captures solar heat in a variety of ways to maintain internal temperatures and directs rainfall into a 3,500 gallon underground cistern to use later.

The Arboretum is open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., April 1 to October 31. It is located four miles south of Route 66 on scenic Woody Mountain Road in West Flagstaff. For more information visit www.thearb.org or call (928) 774-1442.

Article by Sarah Horton