Upper Sabino Canyon Panorama — View into Sabino Basin (Morning, November 18, 2016)
West Fork Trail Panorama (Trail to Hatch’s Pool, November 18, 2016)
Upper Sabino Canyon Panorama — View into Sabino Basin (Afternoon, November 18, 2016)
Panoramic Images by kenne
“Sabino Canyon is a treasure, and its greatest jewel may be its biologically rich streamside woodland, Such habitats are endangered ecosystems in the Southwest; only a small fraction have survived the influences of humankind and changing climate in the last century and a half. At least five other important communities of plants and animals are also represented within Sabino Canyon’s walls — in effect, the canyon offers us many of the lowland habitats of the Southwest in microcosm. In a similar way, Sabino Canyon’s history reflects in miniature our own evolving relationship with this remarkable region. The canyon’s easy accessibility adds enormously to its recreational, educational, and scientific value.”
— from Sabino Canyon – The Life of a Southwestern Oasis, by David Wentworth Lazaroff
With morning temperatures in the 50’s & 60’s, our Sabino Canyon Volunteer Naturalists Friday hikes are now off Mt. Lemmon and back in the canyon. Today’s hike was one of my favorite, Blackett’s Ridge that runs between Sabino Canyon and Bear Canyon.
The 6.3-mile hike begins at the Sabino Canyon Visitor Center and is relatively flat for the first 1.5 miles before the trail becomes very rocky, turning into a series of 36 switchbacks, with an elevation change of 1800 feet for the next 1.5 miles.
The trail hasn’t changed much over the six years I have been hiking Blackett’s, and I would like to say the same for me, but my old body is beginning to signal that it might not be willing to hike trails with this much elevation change in such a short distance.
kenne
Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out going to the mountains is going home; that wilderness is a necessity…
At first glance, you might think these two images are of the same mountain wildflower.
Wrong, my friend, with the help of fellow hiker and naturalist, David Dean,
I’m able to pass on the correct identification.
Mountain flowers have a way of slowing the pace of a hike to the pace of a nature walk, especially when hiking with very knowledgeable people — Thanks, David.
— kenne
Western Dayflower, Commelina dianthifolia
(Mt. Lemmon, August 12, 2016)
— Image by kenne
Spiderwort, Tradescantia
(Mt. Lemmon, August 12, 2016)
— Image by kenne
I will be the gladdest thing under the sun! I will touch a hundred flowers and not pick one.
South View from Sunset Rock off of Sunset Trail on Mt. Lemmon in the Santa Catalina Mountains (August 12, 2016) — Images by kenne
Standing on Sunset Rock, Paul Kriegshauser, who has a cabin in the Mt. Lemmon community of Summerhaven,
shares some of his knowledge of Mt. Lemmon with Tom Skinner, Ricki Mensching (partially blocked by Tom),
Alice Bird and Phil Bentley.
Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature. It will never fail you.
Striped Coral Root in the Mt.Bigelow forest in the Santa Catalina Mountains — Image by kenne
Those of us who weekly hike in the Santa Catalina Mountains frequently turn to Frank S. Rose’s field guide to the Santa Catalina Mountains, Mountain Wildflowers of Southern Arizona. On Friday’s hike, some of the hikers recognized this plant a coral root, a relatively rare plant in the Catalinas, we did verify our finding in Frank’s guide.
Like most orchids of genus Corallorhiza, they have no chlorophyll and are mycoheterotrophic, making use of fungi to obtain carbon from the roots of nearby trees.
Why should we think upon things that are lovely? Because thinking determines life. It is a common habit to blame life upon the environment. Environment modifies life but does not govern life. The soul is stronger than its surroundings.
I was pleased to be one of five Sabino Canyon Volunteer Nationalists (SCVN) to take 12-17 year old youth, who are participating in Goodwill Industries GoodGuides mentoring program, hiking on Mt. Lemmon last week.
Funded by a two-year grant to Goodwill Industries International from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the Goodwill GoodGuides program is run by 56 independent Goodwill agencies around the country.
The goal of the GoodGuides program is to help youth build career plans and skills, and prepare for school completion, post-secondary training, and productive work.
This is the second year SCVN has provided a guided hike on Mt. Lemmon for students in the GoodGuides program, most of which have never been hiking in the Santa Catalina mountains.
— kenne
Now, more than ever, we need nature as a balancing agent.
— Richard Louv author of Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder
When we stand at the altar of nature, we stand with the greats; Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, and John Muir, each having helped define our relationship with nature and language — “every natural fact is a symbol of some spiritual fact, . . . words are signs of natural facts.”
Nature’s beauty becomes a source of spiritual energy connecting all things into a universal whole with the energy of our
thoughts and will. We stand at nature’s alter as man not separate from her, seeing her in the flowers, insects, animals, mountains, creating a unified landscape of our inward and outward senses.
Like all relationships, the experience depends on the degree of harmony between man and nature, therefore becoming a gift granted while walking with nature as she is embraced in our minds – Enlighten, she shares her secrets, making the universe more “transparent.” Yet the gift may only offer a glimpse, to be shared in images and words,
charming all living things.
Western Sneezeweed (Mt. Lemmon, June 3, 2016)– Image by kenne
The above wildflower was difficult to recognize this time of year, being early June vs. late August on Mt. Lemmon. But with the help of some of my naturalists friends the mystery plant is western sneezeweed, of which I have posted several times.
Western Sneezeweed with Painted Lady Butterfly Collage (Mt. Lemmon, August 31, 2012) — Image by kenne
Annually, the Sabino Canyon Volunteer Naturalists (SCVN) gather to celebrate the completion of the year (June 1-May 30) by sharing comradeship, food, stories, awards and introduce the new SCVN board to the membership. This event is always special, this year even more by giving Joan Tedford (“List Lady”) a much deserved SCVN Emerita award. Joan was recognized by Naturalists Debbie Bird, Edi Moore, Heather Murphy and author Frank S. Rose. — kenne
Ash Throated Flycatcher in Sabino Canyon — Image by kenne
This morning was my first opportunity in awhile to go on the Sabino Canyon Volunteer Naturalists (SCVN) Tuesday Nature Walk. The naturalists that conduct these walks in Sabino Canyon are very good, so I’m always learning something new each time I can make it out. The nice thing about being with them is I can photograph a bird, reptile, insect or plant and get the name immediately rather than calling or emailing someone later.
Jerry Bird, a fellow classmate from the 2011 SCVN class spotted a ash throated flycatcher — Bird is a very good birder. Most of the time is not easy to photograph the small birds in the desert, they are frequently behind the many limbs they keep jumping to and from. Jerry pointed out this ash throated Flycatcher in a distant mesquite tree, After several attempts, this one is not bad considering the conditions.
Second Grade Student Searching for Creek Critters in Sabino Creek — Images by kenne
Sabino Canyon Volunteer Naturalists (SCVN) offer five different programs for elementary school children. One of the programs is called Creek Scene Investigation (CSI). In this program students learn about arthropods found in Sabino Creek. They learn about metamorphosis, the food chain and have an opportunity to collect insects out of the creek and investigate what they find.
kenne
“An environment-based education movement at all levels of education will help students realize that school isn’t supposed to be a polite form of incarceration, but a portal to the wider world.”
― Richard Louv, Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder
Bee On a Lyreleaf Jewelflower (March 3, 2016 in Sabino Canyon) — Images by kenne
These vase-shaped buds have pedals giving a tassel effect to the top of each bud,
opening just enough for bees and other pollinators to get inside the bud. This desert
wildflower has a tall slender stem and was photographed near Sabino Creek
in Sabino Canyon.
kenne
“If the bee disappeared off the face of the earth, man would only have four years left to live.”
Mexican Vervain (Ventana Canyon to Maiden Pools Hike, February 26, 2016) — Images by kenne
(Click on any of the images to see larger view in a slideshow format.)
Only Earth. Earth. Earth for trembling tablecloths, for a cloud’s vicious eyeball, for recent wounds and dampened thoughts. Earth for everything the flees from earth.
Upper Sabino Canyon Panorama — View into Sabino Basin (Morning, November 18, 2016)
West Fork Trail Panorama (Trail to Hatch’s Pool, November 18, 2016)
Upper Sabino Canyon Panorama — View into Sabino Basin (Afternoon, November 18, 2016)
SCVN Friday Hike, Blackett’s Ridge (November 4, 2016) — iPhone Images by kenne
Western Dayflower, Commelina dianthifolia
Spiderwort, Tradescantia
South View from Sunset Rock off of Sunset Trail on Mt. Lemmon in the Santa Catalina Mountains (August 12, 2016)
Standing on Sunset Rock, Paul Kriegshauser, who has a cabin in the Mt. Lemmon community of Summerhaven,
Striped Coral Root in the Mt.Bigelow forest in the Santa Catalina Mountains — Image by kenne
Golden Columbine — Computer Art image by kenne
Forest View on Mt. Lemmon — Image by kenne
Image by kenne
Western Sneezeweed (Mt. Lemmon, June 3, 2016)– Image by kenne
Western Sneezeweed with Painted Lady Butterfly Collage (Mt. Lemmon, August 31, 2012) — Image by kenne
Naturalist, Joan Tedford 
Ash Throated Flycatcher in Sabino Canyon — Image by kenne
Second Grade Student Searching for Creek Critters in Sabino Creek — Images by kenne
Bee On a Lyreleaf Jewelflower (March 3, 2016 in Sabino Canyon) — Images by kenne
Desert Chicory — Image by kenne
