In August, students went back to school and Willow Bend had their first in-person board in over a year! We also hosted an in-person adult workshop “Gardening for Wildlife” to help educate about the use of gardening to attract native wildlife and restore habitats around Arizona. The workshop was held in partnership with AWWE (Arizona Watchable Wildlife Experience) and the AZ Wildlife Federation.

We also saw many visitors such as students from the Sustainable Communities Program and Dr. Mike Wagner, the Project Manager of AZ Milkweeds for Monarchs to see Willow Bend’s milkweed plants,

Our first in-person field trip of the semester started in September, with 4th-grade students from Sechrist Elementary. The next day we had Sechrist 5th graders for water quality testing at Frances Short Pond. We continued to lead field trips throughout the month. We also hosted another adult workshop with Mike Dechter to learn about Food Fermentation. We celebrated the Festival of Science at Science in the Park, with fun hands-on renewable energy and waste reduction activities. We also led a downtown geology tour with board member and USGS geologist, Daniel Foley.

September was also the month the board celebrated with Melissa before her maternity leave and we hosted a Downtown Geology tour with our board member Danny Foley in collaboration with the Flagstaff Festival of Science!

The start of the school year came in full force with field trips and activities that will continue into the next few months!

(Blog written by Camryn McMahon)

From ending the school year to starting summer programs, June left Willow Bend with many activities! Here is a quick highlight:

We kicked off the month of June and ended spring semester with a last-minute call to evaluate student climate and renewable energy projects at the Flagstaff Junior Academy! Congratulations to all students that participated and created projects! And thanks to the City of Flagstaff Sustainability Section, Wind for Schools, Repowering Schools and Prometheus Solar for supporting our Climate and Renewable Energy programs!

We then started our summer programs learning about insects and worms with the help of the Biodiversity Outreach Network. We worked with Kinsey Elementary to present the complexity and importance of these incredible little creatures.

Our first McMillan Mesa family nature walk was a success and will continue the rest of the summer!

We launched our summer camp partnerships with a field trip for Forest Highlands summer campers, who visited the center to learn about the insects and other wildlife in Northern Arizona. We concluded our community programs with a prairie dog watching event held in partnership with an AWWE (Arizona Watchable Wildlife Experience) and Habitat Harmony.

Lastly, we got a special visit from our new district supervisor Jeronimo Vasquez! We are excited to be working more with Supervisor Vasquez on environmental education projects.

With such an awesome June, we can’t wait to see what is in store for the rest of the summer

(Blot post written by Camryn Mcahon)

Congratulations to ALL teams that submitted to our AZ KidWind Challenge. We loved seeing your projects and hope you participate again next year! These five teams below will be invited to the National KidWind Challenge (virtual). Great job!

*EDIT* : Coconino High reached out to us to let us know some of the math was incorrect on their submission forms. With the corrected math, the turbines with the most efficiency have changed. See the NEW results below:

We will be reaching out to all participating teams to distribute certificates of participation. Good job everyone!

In addition, thank you for all of the help from the NAU Collegiate Wind Competition team!

Natalie, Aaron, and Tore are (graduating!) NAU seniors that helped us reformat our KidWind Challenge into a virtual event. From supporting teachers, to putting kits together, we couldn’t have done it without them. We wish them the best of luck on their next chapter and are so thankful and appreciative of their help and support. Thank you!

CWC Team Member Tore Explaining the KidWind Challenge

The Northern Arizona University’s Collegiate Wind Competition (CWC) 2021 Team has been assisting Willow Bend Center to run our Arizona KidWind Challenge.  Natalie McDonald, CWC Team Member and Mechanical Engineering undergraduate student at NAU, joins us on our blog to tell us more about the team:

Hi! We are Northern Arizona University’s Collegiate Wind Competition 2021 Team. Our goal is to learn more about clean wind energy that allows us to build a more sustainable future and make a positive difference in the world. The Collegiate Wind Competition is providing skills we can use in our careers by teaching our team about the mechanics of building and testing a micro-wind turbine and designing a theoretical 100-MW wind farm to provide clean energy for communities in western South Dakota. Our team is comprised of nine undergraduate mechanical engineering students and five undergraduate electrical engineering students. You can see our team below:

Collegiate Wind Competition 2021 Mechanical Engineering Students

Collegiate Wind Competition 2021 Electrical Engineering Students

We would love to interact with our communities, so you can follow our journey at AeroAXE_NAU on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/aeroaxe_nau/). Feel free to ask us questions on Instagram. Can’t wait to connect with you!

By Natalie McDonald

Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate

My Number one favorite walk/hike in Flagstaff is the Equestrian Bypass trail through Picture Canyon which is also a section of the Flagstaff Loop Trail and the Arizona Trail. The trail follows the rim of Walnut canyon, the views are gorgeous and there are lots of opportunities to see wildlife. This trail was originally designed to give horse riders and packers an alternate route around Flagstaff to avoid traffic. While you can still meet the occasional horse and rider, its also become a favorite among hikers and bikers.

You can start this segment at both ends. Either from the North from the Sandy Seep Trailhead Off Highway 89 just past Townsend-Winona Road or from the South from the East Route 66 road bridge over the Railroad Tracks. No matter which end of that passage you start from you can end in the Picture Canyon Natural and Cultural Flagstaff Open Space which has its own wonderful trail system.

I’ll be leading a hike on a segment of this trail that will start at Noon on New Year’s Day and I want to invite all the Willow Bend friends to join me. 

Directions: We will start from the mailbox parking area located just off East Route 66 next to the road bridge over the railroad tracks. Head towards Picture Canyon. Then, from the entrance into Picture Canyon: Stay on East Route 66 past Picture Canyon and toward Highway 40 for another 2 miles (still on East Route 66) and as you come off a steep East Route 66 hill there will be an open space off to your left with an abandoned water tank. The small parking area will have a series of mailboxes in a row. If you follow Route 66 over the railroad tracks, YOU HAVE GONE TO FAR!

I will be at the parking area location by 11:15 am on 1.1.2021 in a small gray Ford truck. The hike will be about 3 to 4 total miles of this segment leading into Picture Canyon.

I hope you join me on this adventure!

Post written by Willow Bend member and supporter extraordinaire Jack Welch (photo credit Betsey Bruner).

This is the last post in our Holiday Adventure Series. We hope we were able to provide fun ideas for local activities you can do off screen just before we all go back to virtual learning. Happy New Year from the Willow Bend board, staff, members and volunteers.

Sure, you’ve seen Red Butte as you drive to the south entrance of Grand Canyon National Park. But, like us, you’ve probably have never stopped. It’s well worth the drive if you’re looking for a sweet hike, with amazing views along the entire 1.25-mile (one-way) trail, interesting geology, and a fire lookout at the top. From the top of the butte, we were able to see the San Francisco Peaks to the south and the North Rim of the Grand Canyon! This is a kid-friendly hike as well, as the trail is short and not too steep until you reach a short area of a few steepish switchbacks before reaching the top.

It’s easy to get to Red Butte (not to be confused with Red Mountain which is off of Hwy 180 nearer to Flagstaff): after turning north on Highway 64/180 at Valle, keep an eye to the east where Red Butte is easy to spot. After about 10 miles, you’ll see a wide graveled Forest Service Road that heads directly east at the southern border of the Kaibab National Forest. The turnoff on FR340 is easy to spot if you keep an eye out. We met some friends at the intersection in early December, and they weren’t able to make the right turn because of a fast car on their tail, so be careful. If you miss the turn, don’t worry, as there’s a place to turn around just a few miles north.

Keep to FR 320 for about 1.5 miles and turn north (left) on FR 340 where there is a sign directing you to the Red Butte trailhead. Travel north along this road for about three-quarters of a mile and at a small sign directing to the trailhead, turn east on a smaller road that dead ends at the trailhead in .25 miles. The trail can be found at the south end of the small parking area. The roads to the trailhead are navigable by any type of vehicle, just take the last stretch a little slow. In wet weather, the roads may become impassable. The trailhead is located at 6,460 feet elevation while the top of Red Butte is at 7,326 feet. There are no bathrooms available at either the trailhead or at the top of the butte.

The interpretive sign at the trailhead tells you about the geology of the Red Butte which is a lava-capped remnant of overlaying rock layers that have been eroded from the surrounding area. The top of the butte is basalt, a remnant of an ancient lava flow that once covered the area. The base of the butte is red sandstone, with a layer of rocks from the Shinarump and Chinle formations above. Red Butte was a place the Havasupai moved to in the winter to hunt game. The Havasupai Nation refer to it as Wii’I Gdwiisa, “clenched fist mountain.” Given its 360-degree views, in more recent times it’s been used as a fire lookout (the original lookout burned down and was replaced in the 1980s with the current lookout). The top of the Butte is entirely flat and there are many social trails between the juniper and pinyon that will take you to the various views.

More information and directions here.

Post written by board member Michele James.

I have been an educator for 15 years. I have been a climber for 3.  These parts of my identity have struck an unexpected synergy in 2020.

My journey as a climber is pretty non-traditional. Later than most, I started climbing in my mid-thirties. I also experienced a hefty injury early on in my development. Returning to climbing after this injury was a mental and physical roller coaster, with paralyzing fear 4 feet off the ground, and celebration of small accomplishments like learning to repel off Queen Vic, a gorgeous Sedona desert tower.  It is these small wins that have allowed me to return to the passion that brought me to the sport in the first place.

The dichotomy of fear and unrelenting passion I have learned as a climber transcends to my work as a seasoned educator. 2020 has asked more of educators than ever before.  The COVID  pandemic highlights the foundational role schools play in our society. As an educational leader, I have been brought to tears countless times as I see the teachers and support staff, at times paralyzed by their own fear, find a way to  show up for our students and our community. There is no road map to educate during a pandemic. Yet, educators rise up. Learning new technology, delivering meals, advocating for equity, innovating to continue to reach all students, and so much more.

Adrenaline as required by urgency has carried many educators forward, but without self-care this is not sustainable. For me, the outdoors is where I am best able to pause, reflect, and recharge.

During 2020 I have spent many days in the comfort of the limestone climbs at The Pit. This is the ultimate local crag and is accessible year round, although be ready for an icy approach in the winter.

I  carved out a few trips to Jacks Canyon and Hobo Jungle. Jacks and Hobo are climbing candy stores  with climbs that accommodate a range of abilities.

At both the school and the crag I am challenged, activated, and humbled. The knowledge, trust, and teamwork needed to tackle fear of the unknown are mirrored in these arenas. As is the peace and awe that are found when pausing to look over the trees during a repel, or when learning is ignited in a student across a screen or under a mask.  And so, I may not be Lynn Hill, but  I will continue to return to the rock to find peace, tension, and lessons that fortify me as a climber and an educator.

Written by board secretary Whitney Owens (who is also the new Camp Verde School Principal)

My name is Cree Donovan and I grew up in one of the highest elevation cities in the United States and it was named after a very tall flagpole.

 Fun facts are fun, but what’s even better are the trails surrounding this beautiful mountain town with an average of 266 days of sunshine per year.  Yes, that was another fun fact! If you don’t want to drive too far from town or just feel like a spending a few hours outside, I wanted to share a favorite short hike of mine.  This hike is a favorite because of the short, intense uphill and view you get as a reward at the end.  If you have lived in Flagpole, I mean Flagstaff, for a while then you probably have heard of Camp Colton.  Right across the dirt road from camp is the start of what is locally known as Booby Hill. If you haven’t heard of Camp Colton but want to check out Booby Hill because, well, who wouldn’t…then just head on over to Ft. Valley Road, take a right onto dirt road: FS 151.  Drive about 4 miles and just after Camp Colton on your right… you will park on your left. 

Double Fun Fact Alert!  Part of your view will include Mount Humphreys.  It is the highest point in Arizona and towers above Flagstaff at 12,633 feet!  Did you know that the San Francisco Peaks has three summits— Humphreys, Agassiz, and Fremont peaks—on the rim of an eroded extinct volcano? You can ponder all of these fun facts from the comfort and luxury of Booby Hill.  I highly encourage you to hike Booby Hill in the fall while the Aspen leaves and the weather are magical.  Last fun fact!  Altitude and low humidity combine to produce clear air and relatively mild weather conditions year-round.  

I hope to see you hanging out on Booby Hill, pondering Flagstaff fun facts!  Best Wishes for a fabulous, fun, 2021!  

Post written by board Vice President and Flagstaff teacher Cree Donovan.