Happy spring from Willow Bend Environmental Education Center! We’re excited to announce our new blog. Make sure to check back for the latest news and special updates.
Despite our recent snowy day, the birds are chirping, lizards are sunning, and the first flowers are blooming at Willow Bend, signaling the arrival of spring! This is a great time to come explore the seasonal changes at Coconino County’s Sawmill Park surrounding Willow Bend. You can even take a path down to the Flagstaff Urban Trail System along the Rio De Flag; head east to find great marshland bird watching. Stop in to say hello and check out a bird guide and binoculars from us to borrow.
Thanks to Norm Lowe, we have completed some improvements to our rainwater catchment system – just in time to catch the recent rain and snow. This water will irrigate some of our gardens. Norm is on the Board of Supervisors of the Coconino Natural Resource Conservation District – our founding organization.
Come check out how simple and easy a rainwater catchment system can be, and better yet, come to our Sustainability Series talk on residential rainwater harvesting to learn more: Thursday, April 18th, presented by David McKee – City of Flagstaff Watershed Specialist. (http://www.willowbendcenter.org/public-programs_adult.html)
Did you know that Willow Bend features a variety of native landscaped gardens, all with interpretive signs and many plant labels? The gardens are a great place to wander and learn. This year our vegetable garden is expanding with the help of our AmeriCorps Educator Lisa Eldredge, and youth from the Juvenile Court school from down the road. Lisa brings many years of farming and gardening knowledge from Flagstaff and beyond, and is dedicated to empowering youth through hands-on experiences in food systems, gardening, community, and sustainability. She will be posting updates throughout the season here on this blog. Make sure to come and check out how the garden is growing.