Sonoran Desert Field Arts Bootcamps Recap

Apr 12

We returned this past weekend after spending eight days exploring southern Arizona’s Aravaipa Canyon with two groups of fellow naturalists, nature journalers, and adventurers during the Sonoran Desert Field Arts Bootcamps.

Each group spent four days at the private Aravaipa Canyon Ranch, a family-owned working ranch. Our rustic but comfy ranch house was reminiscent of old-school Field Camps where many of us enjoyed biology courses back in the day.

It was definitely a busy field camp: daily nature rambles to journal and explore; scheduled learning workshops; and so many fun activities: animal tracking; plaster cast making; wild pigment foraging and paint / ink making; plant dissection and scope drawing; viewing bighorn sheep and new lambs through the spotting scopes; plant ID; live animal capturing and study (cactus mice, lizards, and a grumpy diamondback rattlesnake).

We enjoyed ourselves so much we didn’t want to leave. It was truly a joy to spend immersive time in nature with so many enthusiastic nature explorers and journalers.

Save the date for 2024’s Sonoran Desert Field Arts Bootcamp: April 12–15. Spaces will go on sale later in summer. See the link below to join our Bootcamp email list to get alerts!