Weekend Programs
There is always something going on at the Highlands Center! We host an abundance of special events and educational programs on Fridays and Saturdays. Some event examples are our Grow Native Plant Sale, Family Nature Festivals, Shakespeare in the Pines, and much more! For our full list of upcoming events, please view our Calendar.
Outside of these special events, we also offer free educational programs. Take a look at the opportunities below!
Naturalist Walks
All year long
On selected Saturdays
Times vary
Discovery Stations
April through October
Every Saturday (except event weekends)
10 AM – 12 PM
Naturalist Walk
These hikes are on the unpaved trails on the Highlands Center’s 80-acre campus. Our trails are rocky and have short, but occasionally steep, inclines. Trained naturalists guide these hikes. Make sure to bring water, and wear appropriate hiking clothes and shoes. Likely to be canceled in rain, sleet, snow or other inclement weather.
Program is FREE at the Highlands Center
The Forest Ecology of the Central Arizona Highlands
With Mogollon Naturalist Janey Burgoyne
Saturday May 16th from 8:30am-10am
Forests matter at a more fundamental level than most of us realize. A forest is much more than just a collection of trees; it is an interdependent web of plants, animals and other organisms responding to climatic influence. As you hike, Mogollon Highlands Naturalist, Janet Burgoyne, will explain how our forests here in the Arizona Highlands function, and thereby demonstrate why and how they are important.
Note: Walks occur on the unpaved trails at the Highlands Center. These trails have variable grades and roughness. Some hikes require stepping off trail onto rocky terrain. Please contact us if you have concerns.
Saturday Discovery Stations
Discovery Stations are offered Saturday mornings from April through October. These educational carts provide visitors with a brief look at the rocks, plants, or animals that make the Arizona Highlands so unique! All ages will leave learning something new in these short programs. Each is only five to ten minutes in length.
Come out for a hike, bring the kids out to Forest Play, and learn a little something new as you visit our Discovery Gardens. No reservations necessary – simply show up!
- Insect Mouthparts
- Tasty Feet: Butterfly Body Parts
- Skulls
- Stretched & Squished: Geology
- Hawks vs. Owls
- Radical Rattlesnakes
- Nature’s Medicine Chest
- Wildflowers
- Abert’s Squirrel
- Natural Solar Panels: Leaves
- Amazing Eggs
- Beetles
