Adult Education
Natural History Docent Program
Our volunteer docent naturalists conduct 4th Grade Nature Walks with local kids, as well as assisting with adult walks & activities, and other Friends-sponsored events. Docents are members of the Friends of Madera Canyon recruited from the local community; many have a background in education or science, while others are birders or have other natural history interests. The unifying qualities of the docent corps are a love of Madera Canyon and a desire to share their knowledge about the canyon with others. Please contact Education Director, Doug Moore: maderaedu@q.com or 520-682-0459.
Becoming a Docent
An important requirement for a docent is gaining a broad practical knowledge of Madera Canyon and the Sky Island region. With training sessions and other activities, docents are encouraged to learn about canyon natural history subjects such as; ecology, geology, field zoology, field botany, and archeology. Training sessions are held in the spring & fall.
Docents are encouraged to continue their on-going education by attending walks, workshops and activities sponsored by the FoMC and other organizations, as well as, to explore/study on their own. Several field guides and books are required study material; pertinent new material is regularly added to the Docent Manual.
Leading 4th Grade Nature Walks
Thursday Mornings in spring & fall
New docents rotate to a different lead docent for each walk in order to study different teaching styles and techniques. When ready, a new docent leads a group of 4th grade students under the supervision of the Director of Education.
The Education Program is always looking for reliable, enthusiastic docent volunteers wanting to make a commitment to learn about the canyon and share the information. A docent must be a FoMC member and available Thursday mornings for 3 to 4 weeks in October/November, and 9 to 10 weeks in February/March/April (including mandatory training sessions). Interested in volunteering? Please contact Education Director, Doug Moore: maderaedu@q.com or 520-682-0459.
Learning Through Nature
Nature walks, workshops, activities, events, and presentations help members and volunteers, residents and visitors discover the nature of Madera Canyon and the Sky Islands. The offerings of the Education Program supply a tangible benefit for membership, as well as fulfilling an organizational mandate, promoting “conservation through education.”
Originally, the education program focused on kids. And, while it still does, requests by volunteers and the public for the Madera Canyon: Web of Life Teacher’s Manual gave the Board of Directors the idea that adults wanted to learn about Madera Canyon and the Sky Islands, too! As a result, in 1999, FoMC sponsored the popular natural history book, The Nature of Madera Canyon.
Madera Canyon as a Natural Classroom
In 2005, the Adult Education Program expanded to include a variety of nature education programs:
- General nature, birding, wildflower & plant walks
- Summer Bug Nights and Bat Nights focus on the canyon’s amazing nocturnal insect and bat species
- Field sketching and nature art workshops with subjects such as butterflies, wildflowers, landscape.
FoMC members can add their email address to the activity alert list and receive email about upcoming activities.
Community Outreach Programs
FoMC Education Director, Doug Moore, has created a series of Madera Canyon and AZ Sky Island Power Point A/V presentations featuring high-quality photography. The popular program “The Nature of Madera Canyon” has been shown locally since 1996. Often updated, presentations cover everything from general canyon natural history to highlighting special subjects such as AZ Sky Island nature, wildflowers, butterflies/insects, amphibians/reptiles, birds, mammals and ‘rare & unusual’ plants & animals. To schedule a program, contact Doug Moore at maderaedu@q.com or 520-682-0459.
Community Forums sponsored by FoMC help to alert and educate the community on subjects such as wildfire and environmental concerns that effect Madera Canyon and the Santa Rita Mountains.
Community Activities of all sorts provide environmental education to the local community, ranging from a Speakers’ Bureau, to information tables at the local Farmers’ Market and at the White Elephant Country Fair.
Is your service organization or club interested in enjoying a beautiful, learningful presentation on Madera Canyon? Please contact us at: info@friendsofmaderacanyon.org.
