Due to the ongoing pandemic Sabino Canyon Volunteer Naturalists have suspended all activity through the end of 2020. Please check back after the 1st of the year.
Through our Public Interpretation program of Walks, Hikes, and Demos SCVN helps visitors learn about and experience the wonders of Sabino Canyon, the Santa Catalina Mountains, and the Sonoran Desert. Check our calendar for currently scheduled events here: Walks, Hikes, and Demos Calendar. We provide Lizard walks complete with binoculars and Lizard Guide, Summer Storytime for the under 8 crowd, Wildflower hikes on Mt. Lemmon, on-site demonstrations, and discussions of local flora and fauna. We also offer field activities, like panning for garnets in Sabino Creek, which are fun for children and adults alike.
Use the form at the bottom of the page if you would like to request a guided nature walk, talk, or demo, or if your organization is sponsoring an event in the greater Tucson area that’s focused on our canyon or desert.
You may follow guided tours (created by our fellow naturalists Bill Kaufman & Judi Pelster) through downloadable phone or tablet apps – Coronado NF for iOS; Coronado NF for Android; or you can access the Coronado NF tours on any Web browser. After downloading and installing the app, choose Santa Catalina Ranger District, then click on “What do you want to do”, followed by “Hike”, then “Sabino Canyon”, and then “Tours”. Start with the Visitor Center and move forward with photos and narrative. The guided tour is a 2.5 mile walk to the riparian area, and is loaded with photos and education about flora and fauna along the way.
For Local Groups and Community Events
For community groups and local organizations, our naturalists will lead walks, talks, or demos about the flora and fauna of the area. This service is offered to youth groups like the Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts, to small school groups who cannot participate in our regular elementary program, or to organizations that want to take their employees on a special experience in the Sonoran Desert.