Boyce Thompson Arboretum State Park

Summer Hours in Effect

Summer hours are 6 am to 3 pm from May until August. The day's last paid admission is taken at 2 pm, so visitors have a full hour to enjoy the trails and gardens.

June 22: Gold Canyon Author Coaches Writing Workshop

7:30-11:00 am. Kathleen O'Dwyer spent two decades writing for corporations, then traded Chicago for the Grand Canyon State and moved to Arizona, accepting a new challenge: managing a ranch in Aravaipa Canyon. Now O'Dwyer lives in Gold Canyon and leads a writing group. Inspired by the Superstition Mountains, O'Dwyer recently published "Breathing Blue: Giving my life to Spirit and Spirit to my life"; she's at work on her second book, and on June 22 she will coach an Earth Journal Writing Workshop at the park. The Friday morning class costs $20 ($29 for non-members); have a credit card ready and call 520-689-2723 to enroll.

What does it take to be a better writer? The Gold Canyon author and Reiki master says one hint is contained within this quote by Walt Whitman: "Now I see the secret of the making of the best persons. It is to grow in the open air and to eat and sleep with the earth." On June 22nd O'Dwyer will expand on this philosophy and lead a group of eight enrollees through exercises designed to hone, focus and add depth to their writing. A writer who finds inspiration from the Sonoran Desert, O'Dwyer has lived in Aravaipa Canyon and draws on her connection to the sights and sounds of the Sonoran desert in her work. Her coaching session at BTA will include two hours outdoors for inspiration - then back indoors in cool, air-conditioned comfort of the lecture room of the historic Smith Building for additional coaching, sharing, reading aloud and discussion.

"We'll start early while our minds are fresh and the gardens are at their most stimulating with birdcalls and night-blooming flowers still open during those brief and cooler morning hours. We'll participate with two exercises together as a group, designed to provoke connection to nature and creativity. I'll give the group a few prompts, then set them loose to find a place to connect with the Earth and write undisturbed. Then at 9:30 a.m. we'll gather again indoors, sharing what we've written and recall our experience." Participants need to bring a pen and notebook (or laptop or tablet if you're an E-writer); sun protection and walking shoes.

Upcoming Events

* May 19: Plants Of The Bible guided walk with Dave Oberpriller at 8 am
* May 20: Focus On Flowers photography class with Pete Rendek at 9 am ($39)
* May 20: Trees of BTA guided walking tour at 8:30 am
* May 26 Saturday Butterfly Walk With Ron Rutowski at 8:30 a.m. (repeats June 23 with Dave Powell)
* May 26 geology walking tour at 8:00 a.m. with Gold Canyon geologist Kristen Gholson
* May 27 Sunday Edible & Medicinal Desert Plants Guided Walk at 8 a.m. with Mike Hills (repeats June 24 with Dave Morris)
* June 2 Saturday Dragonfly Walk at 8:30 a.m. with Roger Racut
* June 3 Gourd Art Class from 9am-2pm ($39)
* June 9 Saturday Fine Art Photographer Michael Madsen's Switching To Manual Photo Class ($39)
* June 9 Learn Your Lizards Guided Walk at 8am with 'Wild Man Phil' Rakoci (repeats July 14)

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Boyce Thompson Arboretum Video Tour

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A variety of plants from the world's deserts await you at Boyce Thompson Arboretum State Park.

Boyce Thompson Arboretum State Park is the place to discover the intricate beauty and many faces of Arizona's oldest and largest botanical garden. Featured are plants from the world's deserts, towering trees, captivating cacti, sheer mountain cliffs, a streamside forest, panoramic vistas, many natural habitats with varied wildlife, a desert lake, a hidden canyon, specialty gardens and more.

The Arboretum was founded in the 1920s by mining magnate Col. William Boyce Thompson. In 1917 Col. Thompson served as co-leader of a Red Cross mercy mission to Russia, where he came to understand the importance of plants as the ultimate source of a large portion of mankind's food, clothing, and shelter. It was then, that he determined to use his great wealth to improve the use of plant resources. The Arboretum is one of his legacies.

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Encompassing 323 acres, the Arboretum is Arizona's oldest and largest botanical garden. It was the first purely botanical institution in the inter-mountain states. The Arizona State Parks Board entered into agreement with the Boyce Thompson Arboretum Board and the University of Arizona in 1976 to cooperatively manage the Arboretum.