TRAILBLAZERS PROGRAM
The Trailblazers have built and maintained ALL the hiking trails in the Fountain Hills Preserve. They also maintain the Town Lake Overlook Trail and the Botanical Garden trails. Work can involve everything from light brush clipping to moving heavy rocks and clearing dense vegetation. Although volunteers should only do tasks for which they are physically capable, much manual labor is involved.
The Trailblazers meet virtually every Saturday morning for about 3 hours from November through April. Often there is a group of more than 15 energetic people. On the job training and tools are provided. The Trailblazers have saved the Town hundreds of thousands of dollars through their hard work and dedication.
Click here to view recent and past Trailblazer photos.
PRESERVE STEWARDS PROGRAM
SCFH organizes exercise and interpretive hikes from October through April. All hikes are led by experienced hikers or by experts in fields such as botany, geology, archaeology, photography, birding and wildlife. Most interpretive hikes are held within the Fountain Hills Preserve. Hikes can be within the Preserve, into the adjoining Scottsdale McDowell Sonoran Preserve or McDowell Mountain Regional Park, or out of town into the Tonto National Forest.
As a steward you will be supporting the leader and making sure all hikers are safe and stay with the group. Your fitness level should be appropriate for the hike you are supporting. You will need to have appropriate hiking clothing and boots. For some hikes, poles are recommended. If you are interested, we will have you join hikes with experienced stewards and ask that you take advantage of the excellent classes provided by the McDowell Sonoran Conservancy.
TRAILHEAD HOSTS
You will volunteer at the Adero Canyon Trailhead to assist hikers, cyclists and visitors by providing basic information about the preserve and the trails. We ask that Trailhead Hosts commit to a minimum of one 2-hour shift at the trailhead per month during the months of November through mid-April. You do not have to be a strong hiker to be a host. You do need to enjoy talking to people, welcoming them to the preserve and helping them select a trail or hike that is appropriate to their abilities. You will be provided orientation materials and either attend an orientation class or shadow an experienced trailhead host before being assigned a time slot. We can team you with someone else until you are comfortable being at the trailhead by yourself. If you are unsure whether being a host is right for you, we invite you to shadow a trailhead host for a shift. We think you will enjoy it!!
BOTANICAL GARDEN
The Fountain Hills Botanical Garden was originally founded by Jane Haynes in 1975. Today it hosts a 1 mile looping trail with numerous native plants labeled. It is located on Fountain Hills Blvd, just north of Kingstree Blvd. The trail is maintained by garden volunteers who rake, sweep, trim and do the odd trail repair. Meetings are held on the 3rd Thursday of the month at 10 AM in the Community Center from October to April. A Variety of subjects are discussed with occasional educational programs pertaining to the desert. New members are always welcome.
CLICK HERE for a segment on how Jane Haynes celebrated her 100th birthday!