JUNE 15, 2011
Join Game and Fish for bighorn sheep workshop and Canyon Lake boat tour
MESA – The Arizona Game and Fish Department is partnering with the Dolly Steamboat at Canyon Lake to host a public workshop and boat tour on June 24-25 to see and learn about the state’s desert bighorn sheep.
This fun and informational wildlife workshop starts with a classroom presentation from 7-9 p.m. on Friday, June 24 at the Game and Fish Mesa regional office at 7200 E. University Drive, where participants will learn about bighorn sheep from a wildlife biologist, including their natural history, management, and historical significance.
The following morning, Saturday, June 25, from 9-11:30 a.m., participants will join biologists aboard the boat, where the group will tour Canyon Lake (northeast of Apache Junction), learn more about bighorn sheep natural history, and view the animals in their natural environment.
The lake tour costs $25 per person. Advance registration is required. To register, call the Dolly Steamboat at (480) 827-9144. All attendees must be at Canyon Lake at 8:30 a.m. for the 9 a.m. departure.
The Friday evening classroom session is free, but pre-registration is requested due to space limitations. Those planning on doing the lake tour are strongly encouraged to attend to maximize their knowledge and viewing experience. To register for the Friday evening classroom session, call Randy Babb, information and education program manager at the Game and Fish Mesa office, at (480) 324-3546.
“June is the time of year when the bighorns stay pretty close to water. It will be hot on the lake, but that’s when bighorns come down to the water’s edge for a drink,” said Babb. He added that the lower level of the Dolly Steamboat is air conditioned.
Participants are encouraged to bring a camera, hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, and binoculars. Only water will be allowed to be brought on board, but snacks can be purchased from the cantina. Space is limited, so those who have not registered prior to the event will be accommodated only as space allows.
“This is a great opportunity for people to learn about bighorn sheep and conservation efforts by the Game and Fish Department and its partners for bighorn sheep,” said Babb.
Anyone with questions about the workshop may contact Randy Babb at (480) 324-3546 or by e-mail at [email protected]
JUNE 15, 2011
Game and Fish wildlife treatment center to be located at the Eagar Rodeo Grounds
PHOENIX – The Arizona Game and Fish Department’s Wildlife Emergency Treatment Center will be located at the Eagar Rodeo Grounds beginning on Tuesday, June 14, although the center is able to receive calls now. The Center is located at 7 S. Highway 80 in Eagar and will treat injured wildlife from the Wallow Fire.
The Center will be staffed by Game and Fish’s wildlife veterinarian and employees from the department’s Adobe Mountain Wildlife Center that are experienced in handling and rehabilitating injured wildlife.
“Preliminary reports suggest that the wildlife affected by the Wallow Fire have done well and most were able to move around the actively burning areas,” said Dr. Anne Justice-Allen, Arizona Game and Fish Department veterinarian. “However, there will still be some impacted animals, especially the young that have been born this year, and small animals and birds. The Wildlife Emergency Treatment Center will be available to help triage those animals.”
To report orphaned or injured wildlife, call the Wildlife Emergency hotline at (623) 236-7242.
The public may either drop off wildlife at the Eagar Rodeo Grounds or Game and Fish can pick up injured wildlife that are reported through the hotline. The department cannot accommodate domestic animals or livestock.
While there are multiple wildfires burning across Arizona, a response team was selected for the Wallow fire due to the size of the area burned and the high density of animals that live in the habitats of northeastern Arizona. The department's Adobe Mountain Wildlife Center, based in Phoenix, provides immediate triage and stabilization services to sick and injured wildlife and facilitates rehabilitation and release of animals back into the wild, where possible. The center also provides wildlife education to the public.
Game and Fish licenses a number of other wildlife rehabilitation facilities in the state, and these facilities are assisting with treatment and rehabilitation of wildlife in other parts of the state.
The department’s liaison with the Incident Management Team has not yet received any reports of dead wildlife, and cases of injured animals are not likely to be reported until all area evacuations are lifted.
Members of the public that are interested in helping wildlife affected by the fire can visit the Adobe Mountain Wildlife Auxiliary website at http://www.azwildlifecenter.net/.
More than 30 Game and Fish wildlife officers have been working with the incident management team or local law enforcement in support of the firefighting efforts.
For more information about the impact of Arizona’s fires to wildlife, visit www.azgfd.gov/wildfires.
JUNE 15, 2011
Urban chase is a scavenger hunt with a modern twist
The Scottsdale Urban Chase, one of the final events of the city’s 60th anniversary celebration, is not your father’s scavenger hunt.
Teams will receive hints via Facebook and Twitter and use their digital cameras and phones to document and share their successes as they decode clues to find an array of Scottsdale landmarks and historic sites.
“In the end, it’s all about having fun and getting to know Scottsdale a little better,” says Todd Davis, a lifetime Scottsdale resident and member of the city’s 60th anniversary planning committee.
The Scottsdale Urban Chase kicks off at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 18 when clues will be posted on the city’s website and shared via social networks.
Davis, who came up with the original idea, emphasizes that it is not a race.
“Yes, there are more than 100 clues but we’re giving folks all day to find them, so teams can take their time and enjoy the experience.”
The Scottsdale Urban Chase is a free event. Teams can pre-register online at Scottsdale60.com – those who register in advance will receive hints during the days leading up to the chase.
Advance hints also will be posted on the city’s Facebook page (facebook.com/ScottsdaleAzGov) and on Twitter (@ScottsdaleAzGov).
Teams will earn points for deciphering the clues and finding the locations, and more difficult clues will be worth more points. The day of treasure hunting will culminate with prize drawings at the final mystery location: a restaurant with a no-necktie policy that has been a north Scottsdale landmark since 1957.
Teams that earn the minimum 60 points will qualify for the drawing that features a night at W Scottsdale for “The Grand Soiree for Scottsdale's 60th Birthday”. Other prizes include tickets to the 2012 Scottsdale Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auction and collector bottles of Scottsdale Sixty Sarsaparilla.
