Last weekend my wife and I headed down to south east Arizona and camped out in the Dragoon Mountains and it was amazing. Check out my post in the forums. click here

Tres Rios Nature and Earth Festival is an annual two-day outdoor event that focuses on the rich diversity of wildlife, habitat, history and culture of the Gila River drainage.This is an opportunity to celebrate the rich heritage, ecology, history and wildlife of the Gila, Salt and Agua Fria Rivers! It is a great opportunity for the whole family to enjoy a beautiful spring day in Arizona and learn something about the place we call home.
Tours and Educational Programs:
Educational programs and tours will be offered throughout the weekend. From displays of our famous venomous reptiles, canoe trips looking for wildlife and birds, fishing clinics, to hikes to Petroglyphs – there is something for everyone!

Children’s Activities
An extensive children’s area will have hands-on crafts, live animals, up-close encounters with critters, educational displays, storytelling and more! See what is “Just for Kids!”

…and for wildlife enthusiasts and Bird Watchers…
The Festival offers in-depth classes on identifying those tricky sparrows, the impressive wetland birds, tips on wildlife photography and our region’s unique Southwestern avifauna.

Fun, Food and Entertainment:
Vendors of local favorites to whet the appetite and entertainment to delight the senses!

Dates: March 15-16, 2008
Times: Saturday 9:00 - 4:00 & Sunday 9:00 - 4:00
FREE ADMISSION!
623-204-2130

Check out their webpage for more information.

No other college or university offers its incoming class of students an experience as memorable and exciting as Prescott College’s Wilderness Orientation. In small groups consisting of ten students and two advanced student leaders or alumni, Resident Degree Program students travel on an extended backpacking trip through beautiful and remote areas of Arizona.

http://www.prescott.edu/highlights/orientation.html

I’d never heard of anything like this before until this summer when I found out my cousin was one of the advanced leaders. It really sounds like an amazing experience and would love to do some backpacking someday. What better way to start college then out in the wilderness learning about nature and I’m sure much more. According to Prescott College’s website 90% of incoming freshman participate in this program.

Prescott College

Three years after the creation of the National Park Service, on this day in 1919, President Woodrow Wilson signed into law a bill establishing the Grand Canyon as one of the nation’s first national parks. Nearly 2 billion years of the Earth’s history are exposed as the Colorado River and its tributaries cut through the sediment.

Here’s a brief article on how it began.

O.A.R.S has decided to go 100% at their warehouse and office up in Flagstaff and also at their warehouse and main office operations in Angels Camp, California.

For nearly 40 years O.A.R.S. (Outdoor Adventure River Specialists), has been committed to being a leader in the field of sustainable travel.

Angels Camp, California (Vocus/PRWEB ) February 21, 2008 – For nearly 40 years O.A.R.S. (Outdoor Adventure River Specialists — www.oars.com), has been committed to being a leader in the field of sustainable travel. Their goal isn’t simply to be one of the most environmentally responsible tour operators in the world, but to continually raise the bar and challenge other companies to raise their standards as well.

O.A.R.S., the first rafting company in the U.S. to offset all of their carbon emissions, is in their third year of working with NativeEnergy, purchasing approximately 613 tons of carbon offsets in 2007, which has the same global warming offset impact as keeping over 100 average cars off the road for an entire year.

Article Here