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Adult Classes and Trips
Cholla Bud HarvestApril 13, 2025  | Participate in the centuries-old Sonoran Desert springtime ritual of harvesting cholla buds. You will collect, learn how to de-thorn and to prepare this food for longer-term storage by drying or pickling. We will demonstrate cooking a few dishes that incorporate the buds. The flavor is mild, something like asparagus. The natural history of the cholla and its sister cactus the prickly pear will be discussed, along with the health benefits of desert foods in general. Prices and Registration Details |
Venomous Creatures of the Sonoran Desert
April 19, 2025  | The Sonoran Desert is home to a wide variety of venomous reptiles and arthropods and myths about them abound, yet only a handful are capable of producing medically significant injuries in people. Spend the morning learning which creatures are truly dangerous, how to identify them, avoid their bites and stings, and provide appropriate first aid. The class will discuss common myths and answer your questions about these interesting animals while providing the opportunity to view some of them up close. Prices and Registration Details |
Arizona’s Hummingbirds: Jewels of the Southwest
April 22, 2025  | A hummingbird’s life history is an incredible miracle of evolution. They have the highest metabolic rate and the greatest metabolic range of any vertebrate. Everything from their iridescent plumage to their aerial acrobatics is a wonder to behold. Arizona has more species of hummingbird than any other state in North America. The smallest, the Calliope Hummingbird, as well as the largest, the Blue-throated Mountain-Gem, live here. We will look at their biology and behavior as well as garner tips on their identification. Prices and Registration Details |
All About Owls: Natural History of Arizona’s Owls
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| Arizona is home to both the smallest, the Elf Owl and the largest, the great Horned Owl. Not only are there significant differences in their size, but in their biology and behaviors as well. Owls are cryptic, more often heard than seen which has earned them an almost spiritual reputation. Suggestions on how to locate owls will be shared. Everything from their amazing hearing to their specialized eyesight are incredible adaptations. Although most owl species are fairly easy to distinguish, we will discuss the subtle differences in the look-alike species. Prices and Registration Details |
Borderlands Cats
April 25, 2025  | Allison Kreis of La Tierra del Jaguar teams up with Cholla Rose Duir of The Northern Jaguar Project to give you the latest in big cat news! Learn about the ecology, behavior, and conservation of mountain lions, bobcats, ocelots, and jaguars. Explore each species' unique role within their ecosystems, their hunting and survival strategies, and the challenges they face due to habitat loss and human interactions. Attendees will learn about ongoing efforts to protect these wild cats and support biodiversity. The session will also highlight ways individuals and communities can contribute to conservation efforts to safeguard these vital predators. Prices and Registration Details |
Botanical Gardens and Art Museums of Southern California
May 11 - 18, 2025 Only 2 spots left!  | Botanical art, Classical art and Gardens galore
Balboa Park, The Getty, need we say more…
This extraordinary 8-day tour takes us to San Diego and Los Angeles where we visit iconic botanical gardens and world-renown museums. Highlights in San Diego include Balboa Park, the Birch Aquarium at Scripps, and a memorable sunset dinner cruise on San Diego Bay. A stop at Oceanside allows a visit to Mission San Luis Rey, the “King of the Missions”. Led by museum expert guides, we have dedicated a full day to in-depth tours of The Huntington, and a half day to the LA County Botanical Gardens and Arboretum. The Norton Simon houses an astonishing collection of European art from the Renaissance to the 20th century as well as Southeast Asian art spanning 2000 years. Marvel at masterpieces by Cézanne, Monet and Van Gogh at The Getty. For an architectural gander, we visit the Gamble House, recognized as a masterpiece of the American Arts and Crafts movement. Accommodations in San Diego are at the Humphreys Half Moon Inn on Shelter Island and in Pasadena at the well-appointed Le Méridien. Exceptional dining experiences throughout, this tour is sure to captivate the senses! Tour leader is ASDM cultural conservationist Jesús García. Itinerary and Trip Details Prices and Registration Details |
Birding the Chiricahuas
May 20-22, 2025  | Southeastern Arizona is a paradise for birders. Join us for three full days exploring different elevation habitats as we search for great birds! Among our targets will be the Mexican Chickadee, Elegant Trogon, Montezuma Quail, Hepatic Tanager and Red-faced Warbler. We will also do some owling at night and set up a blacklight to see what insects we can attract. Our leader is Jeff Babson, owner of Sky Island Tours, who is an expert birder, plus has a keen eye for butterflies and dragonflies. The price of this tour is all-inclusive covering three meals a day, lodging and transportation from Tucson. We will stay at the Southwest Research Station nestled in the oak-pine woodland of Cave Creek Canyon. |
The Dinosaur Tour
May 28 – June 6, 2025  | Dinosaurs are roaming the Desert Museum this winter, but 150 million years ago they roamed as far north as Colorado and Utah (and farther!). Join the Museum’s inaugural Dinosaur Tour as we follow the Jurassic spoors – bones and trackways – left by these creatures. This means not only museums but also in the field, visiting active quarries with a first-hand look at the hard dusty work behind new discoveries. As a very special component of this tour, we will be accompanied by vertebrate paleontologist, Advait M. Jukar, PhD, whose research and imagination will bring these creatures to life. Besides checking out All Things Dinosaur (e.g., dino roadside attractions in Holbrook), we’ll explore oil production in Rangely, Colorado; contemplate rock art left by Fremont Culture people; and visit the capitol of the Navajo Nation, Window Rock, New Mexico. And for river-lovers, we offer an optional one-day boat trip down the Green River between Flaming Gorge and Dinosaur National Monument. The wonders of the Great West! Itinerary and Trip Details |
Saguaro Fruit Harvest
June 22 or 26  | High summer is the beginning of the O’odham calendar, as this is the time to harvest saguaro fruit. Spend the morning gathering fruit in the O’odham manner, using a harvesting pole made from the ribs of the giant cactus. The class begins with a blessing and song by our O’odham friends who share their family stories about the importance of the saguaro. We learn about different ways that the fruit is prepared and preserved, and about the animals that use the saguaro for food and shelter. This class will take place entirely outdoors at a site a few miles from the Museum. Prices and Registration Details - June 22 Prices and Registration Details - June 26 |
Biodiversity and Animal Behavior of the Chiricahua Mountains: a Fall Field Camp
September 8 - 14, 2025  | The Chiricahua Mountains of southeastern Arizona include five recognized ecological life zones and contain some of the richest reservoirs of plant and animal life on Earth. This workshop provides an introduction to the fauna and flora of the Chiricahuas, and includes several studies of the animals (insects, reptiles, and birds) that are adapted to the high desert and mountains. Understanding the behavior of diverse species helps us appreciate human evolution and increases our ability to preserve biological diversity through conservation. Our base is the Southwestern Research Station of the American Museum of Natural History. In addition to our own projects, we will have the opportunity to interact with other scientists, attend their seminars, and even accompany them into the field. Itinerary and Trip Details Prices and Registration Details – Dorm Rooms | |
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