Wilderness Boundary Sign Installation in the Santa Catalinas (5/5)

***To officially register for this event please click here. Meetup is for outreach purposes only

***This event has been updated

Date: Saturday, May 6th, 2023

Volunteer Project Description:
Join Wild Arizona for the FINAL event in our 2023 Sign Install Saturdays series! From January through May 2023, we will install Wilderness Boundary Signs on the first Saturday of each month in the Pusch Ridge Wilderness. The Pusch Ridge Wilderness is in the Santa Catalina Mountains, located just outside of Tucson, AZ.

We will meet at just past the Marshall Gulch picnic area at 9:00 AM on Saturday, May 6th. After intros and a safety meeting we will aim to install four Wilderness Boundary Signs: ones at each end of Aspen trail #93, one at the Marshall Gulch trailhead, and one on Mint Spring trail #20. Each sign will require a short hike, and two will require also require a short drive from the meet up location. We will expect to finish by 4:00 PM.

Wilderness is the highest form of protection granted to federally managed public lands, and the 90 Wilderness Areas in Arizona are a national treasure. Wilderness boundary signs help protect these areas by ensuring that the public is aware when crossing over into Wilderness, where special protections, regulations, and prohibitions apply. Join us in helping build community surrounding Wilderness Stewardship in the Tucson area!

***Absolutely no experience necessary!

Location:
Just past the Marshall Gulch Picnic Area at the trailhead for Aspen trail #99, at the end of N Sabino Canyon Park Rd., off of General Hitchcock Highway
32.428353717290115, -110.75566005602023

Gear, Tools, PPE:
All necessary tools along with training will be provided by Wild Arizona
Hard hats and gloves provided
Bring your own: long-sleeve shirt, long pants, sunglasses/safety glasses, and closed toe shoes, (gloves and hardhat if you have them)

What to Bring:
Day bag/backpack
Water bottles (3 liters minimum per day)
Lunch, snacks
long-sleeve shirt, long pants, sunglasses/safety glasses, and closed toe shoes are mandatory to participate in volunteer work
Rain jacket and extra layers
Sunglasses, sunscreen, hat

More About the Area:
Pusch Ridge towers over Tucson and the surrounding desert as one of the most prominent features of the Santa Catalina Mountains. With its lower slopes dotted saguaro cactus and its upper reaches dark Douglas-fir, this unmistakable landmark makes the point that this is a land of extremes in biodiversity as well as topography. Within the 56,933-acre Wilderness, elevations range from 2,800 to 8,800 feet. Deep canyons separated by razorback ridges crease the slopes. From the floor of Sabino Canyon to the upper slopes of Mt. Lemmon, life zones vary from Sonoran desert to subalpine forest. The wildlife community that inhabits such a varied setting is diverse and finds few rivals. An extensive trail network offers opportunities for day to extended trips. While its convenient location makes Pusch Ridge Wilderness easily accessible you can still find solitude and primitive surroundings. (fs.usda.gov)

Please contact the trip leader for any and all additional questions:
Luke Koenig
luke@wildarizona.org
443 676 3200