Saturday Field Trips and Workshops 2 of 3
Silver City is at 6,000 feet, yet temperatures can stay warm in September. Stay hydrated; higher altitude and temperature increase the risk of dehydration. Bring water for all excursions. Please bring a reusable water bottle: the convention center has a filling station. No single-use disposable water bottles will be provided. Hats are recommended. For hikes, participants should wear sturdy closed-toe hiking shoes or boots, consider bringing hiking poles and a raincoat, and snacks. No pets.
Workshops
Printing Botanicals in the Dirty Pot. Leader: Elli Sorenson. Learn how to create beautiful botanical prints from plants gathered in your backyard ecosystems. Participants will learn about the Dirty Pot Method, Blanket Method, and Botanical Dye Pot to print on 400 Watercolor Cotton paper. Elli will also introduce participants to direct printing techniques. Participants should bring fresh and flexible or “pressed” plant cuttings to add to the experiment. Other materials will be provided. Some materials can stain, so wear appropriate clothing. Limit: 12
Rooted in Place: Poetry as a Path to Resilience. Leader: Larry Olliver. Larry will lead participants in observing and describing local plants and/or animals with the goal of using those observations and descriptions in poems that express overcoming hardship or finding hope in difficult times. Limit: 15.
Expressionism Versus Documentation: Macrophotography in the Silva Creek Botanical Garden. Leaders: Elroy Limmer and David Phillips. This workshop will introduce participants to macrophotography, specifically photographing the plants and insects of the Silva Creek Botanical Garden. The workshop will focus on composition, technique, and other elements important to macrophotography. Participants should possess a basic understanding of the exposure triangle (aperture, shutter speed, ISO) and bring cameras capable of taking close-up photos: DSLR, mirrorless, or cell phone. Optional equipment may include dedicated macro lenses and sturdy tripods. The workshop will be held at the Silva Creek Botanical Garden. Limit: 10
Mounting Herbarium Specimens. Leaders: Angela Flanders and Jane Spinti. Learn how to mount a plant specimen for inclusion in a scientific herbarium. In addition to instruction, each participant will be able to mount specimens on their own. Supplies will be provided. Specimens will be housed in the Teaching Collection at the Dale A. Zimmerman Herbarium upon completion. No drink or food is allowed inside the herbarium. Limit 12
Disseminating Seeds throughout Southwest New Mexico. Leader: Chris Jepson. An introduction to the history and organization of the Southwest New Mexico Seed Library. Plus, participants will learn how to clean and package seeds, identify the appropriate times for harvesting seeds, and how to start and maintain a seed library. The workshop will be held at the Silver City Commons. Some walking, sitting, standing, and stomping are required. Limit: 15
Saturday Field Trips
Native Medicinal Plants of the Silva Creek Botanical Garden. Easy, less than ½ mile, flat. Leader: Naava Koenigsberg. This tour of the medicinal plant section of the Silva Creek Botanical Garden (SCBG) will introduce participants to the traditional and modern uses of medicinal plants, the best ways to prepare the plants, and tips for growing them in a garden. Limit: 12
Mosses and Liverworts at Little Cherry Creek. Easy, very little walking, level terrain. Leaders: Russ Kleinman and Karen Blisard. On this easy walk, participants will visit Little Cherry Creek in the Pinos Altos Range of the Gila National Forest, a heavily wooded seasonal riparian area with a wealth of both vascular plants and bryophytes. Limit: 10
Youth Mural Program: A Walking Tour of Silver City Murals. Easy, less than 1 mile, some hills on paved surfaces. Leader: Diana Ingalls. During this walking tour of downtown murals, participants will learn the stories behind each mural: who created them, their significance, and the impact they have had on our youth and the community. Limit: 12
The Fabulous Flora of City of Rocks State Park. Easy/moderate, 1 mile or less, little elevation gain. Leaders: Bill Norris, Maria Conklin, Alex Wales, and Audrey Weisberg. The hike will introduce participants to the flora of City of Rocks State Park, one of the best examples of the Chihuahuan Desert in southwestern New Mexico. Although this hike will focus on the park flora, co-leaders will also point out interesting geologic features and habitat use by desert fauna. Limit: 25
The Plants at Lake Roberts in the Gila National Forest. Moderate, about 1 mile, 50’ elevation gain, some muddy sections. Leader: Kelly Kindscher. The field trip will explore several habitats at Lake Roberts. Beginning in the riparian zone, hikers will walk along the lake with both lake edge and rocky cliff habitats to observe. Participants will see a ponderosa pine meadow and various wildflowers. Limit: 15
Birding and Botanizing the Gila. Easy/moderate, about 2 miles, mostly level. Leader: Devyn Scott. This easy hike at Little Cherry Creek near Pinos Altos will focus on both birds and plant life. Notable birds include Painted Redstarts, Bridled Titmice, Steller’s Jays, Olive Warblers, and Band-tailed Pigeons. Limit: 12
Butterflies of the Gila. Moderate, little elevation gain, with some rock scrambling. Leader: Ronald Parry. This hike into Saddle Rock Canyon will focus on the various butterflies of the Gila. Depending on the amount of rain, butterflies may include Sulfurs in abundance, some Swallowtails, some Hairstreaks and Blues, the American Snout butterfly, the Painted Lady, and the Arizona Sister. Participants are advised to use 4WD drive vehicles or carpool with someone who has a 4WD drive. Binoculars are encouraged. Limit: 15
Hugging the Fort Bayard Big Tree. Moderate, about 4 miles, little elevation gain. Leader: Cara Staab. Participants will hike to the Big Tree, an alligator juniper measuring 18 feet in circumference, 6 feet in diameter, and 60 feet tall, believed to be over 800 years old. The tree is considered one of the largest alligator junipers in the US. Limit: 12
Boy Scout Road to Meadow Creek. Moderate, 4 to 5 miles, 670’ descent/ascent, a few stream crossings, hiking poles recommended. Leaders: Jim and Jackie Blurton. This hike takes participants from tall ponderosa pines to sunlight-drenched riparian meadows and features displays of flowering native plants and grasses. The hike begins in a pine flat and descends 400 ft. in one mile on an old, rocky, and steep roadbed to Meadow Creek. Limit: 12