Hello there and welcome! It was such a delight to talk to you all about the beauty of Nature Walks here in Arizona! It really is science made simple and natural and fun and, and, and…
I wanted to give you some more resources as you embark on this life-long adventure of taking nature walks and delighting in the outdoors!
Nature Walk Ideas: I threw out a bunch of ideas during the presentation and I wanted to give you a list and brief summary of the ways we’ve incorporated Nature Walks in our family. So here is a nice little handout for you to print off and refer back to this next year!
Wilderness Places in Arizona
Statewide Links:
Phoenix Area:
Desert Botanical Garden – Phoenix
Riparian Preserve at Water Ranch – Gilbert
Veterans Oasis Park – Chandler
Japanese Friendship Garden – Phoenix
Outside Phoenix Metro:
Arboretum of Flagstaff <- they would love to work with homeschool groups!
Arizona Desert Sonoran Museum – Tucson
Apple Annie’s Orchard – Wilcox
Boyce Thompson Arboretum – near Superior, east of Phx
Colossal Cave – near Tucson
Hassayampa River Preserve – near Wickenburg
Arizona-Related Nature Guides
I love these small booklets. They are easily slipped into a pocket or a backpack and help your kids identify Common Desert Cactus, trees, mammals, desert insects, desert birds and our favorite of all Poisonous Plants and Critters of Arizona.
Arizona Nature Books:
Who Pooped in the Park: Grand Canyon (Scat and Tracks for Kids)
Charlie and Trike in the Grand Canyon {by Ken Ham}
Busy Tree {not specifically Arizona, but we love to read it when we go up north}
Who Pooped in the Sonoran Desert?
The Seed and the Giant Saguaro
Saguaro Moon {inspiration for nature journaling in the desert}
Creatures of the Desert World {amazing pop-up book}
Hip, Hip, Hurray! It’s Monsoon Day!
Relevant Blog Posts on Nature Walks and Nature Exploration:
10 Reasons Why You Should Go Outside EVERYDAY!
Nature Mapping the Neighborhood and a Nursery Fieldtrip
Daily Outdoors Challenge Posts
How Active Play Boosts Brain Power