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Scottsdale celebrates a growing legacy during McDowell Sonoran Preserve Month

 
   Sept. 28, 2011

 
  Contact:  Mike Phillips, public affairs manager, (480) 312-7825

 
  Scottsdale celebrates a growing legacy
  during McDowell Sonoran Preserve Month

 

Residents and visitors are invited this October to see for themselves why Scottsdale’s McDowell Sonoran Preserve is like no other place in the Valley.

Dozens of special events, guided hikes and educational programs are taking place in October as part of McDowell Sonoran Preserve Month.

Activities get off to a rousing start this Saturday, Oct. 1, with the McDowell Sonoran Conservancy’s Walk, Run, and Roll family 5K and scavenger hunt at DC Ranch. On Sunday, the Tour de Scottsdale cycling events take riders on a 70-mile journey around the McDowell Mountains. More information on both events is available at www.mcdowellsonoran.org.

There is plenty to celebrate – and to explore. Spread across 17,000 scenic acres, Scottsdale’s McDowell Sonoran Preserve is unique. It is home to stunning geography and geology, lush cacti forests and diverse wildlife. It also features award-winning trails and facilities.

Plans are under way to acquire more than 10,000 additional acres in the next few years. A new trailhead that will serve the Tom’s Thumb area will break ground in October. Another is in the planning stages that will serve as entry into the popular Brown’s Ranch region.     

Efforts to better understand the preserve’s rich plant and animal diversity are also taking place. The McDowell Sonoran Conservancy, the non-profit group that supports Scottsdale’s preservation efforts, is in the midst of a multi-year survey of the area’s flora and fauna.

Already, the survey is producing surprising results. It has identified plants not seen before in the preserve and “communities” of plants that differ from one location to another.

These findings and other aspects of the preserve will be discussed at a free Mayor and Council Breakfast starting at 7 a.m. Oct. 13 at the Gateway Access Area, 18333 N. Thompson Peak Pkwy.       

Preserve news and projects are also the subject of “Scottsdale’s McDowell Sonoran Preserve -- Growing a Great Legacy” a special Channel 11 program that will air Mondays in October at noon, 4, 7 and 10 p.m. 

For a complete list of activities taking place during McDowell Sonoran Preserve Month, visit: http://mcdowellsonoran.org

To learn more about the preserve, its history and plans for the future, visit: http://scottsdaleaz.gov/preserve

 

 

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