Category: Education

April at the Museum of Northern Arizona

There needs to be a word to refer to the vibrant cultural community we are part of, in the same way we can refer to an ecosystem. Like organisms in an ecosystem, the many arts organizations in Flagstaff interact and create a stronger, more vibrant place for us all to thrive. That’s why this month’s Museum News includes upcoming events put on by the Flagstaff Symphony Orchestraand Theatrikos Theatre Company. We often work together with these and other arts organizations and decided to reach out to our mailing lists together. Strengthening existing partnerships and broadening our engagement with the community is all part of MNA’s Strategic Plan.

Sedona Arts Center — Even More Art Classes and Workshops to Explore!

Art Classes & Workshops at Sedona Arts Center
Sedona is surrounded by a magical landscape of red rock formations and high desert hills with beautiful Oak Creek meandering through it all. Come experience the Shangri-La of the Southwest, a beautiful learning environment with Art Colony roots going back nearly 100 years.  Click here to see all of our classes and workshops

Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth — CCC&Y one of four organizations in Arizona to be selected for the Vitalyst Health Foundation’s System Change Grant and more news, events

COCONINO COUNTY —
The Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth was one of four organizations in Arizona to be selected this year for the Vitalyst Health Foundation’s System Change Grant.

We will receive $175,000 over three years to develop, in conjunction with the City of Flagstaff and Coconino County, a mental model change ensuring trauma-informed and resilience information is understood at City and County levels and enacted as policy change. The goal is to improve patient engagement, treatment adherence, health outcomes and provider and staff wellness.

Board of Supervisors Approves Proclamation Designating April 2023 as Sexual Assault Awareness Month

At their regular meeting on April 4, 2023, the Coconino County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a proclamation designating April 2023 as Sexual Assault Awareness Month in Coconino County.

April 2023 is the 22nd year that Sexual Assault Awareness Month has been nationally recognized, but its history goes back to the fight against race- and gender-based violence of the mid-20th century. This social activism increased awareness for sexual assault and directed public focus toward supporting survivors. It also culminated in survivor-focused legislation like the Violence Against Women Act, passed in 1993. 

CCC’s Cassidy receives All-USA Academic Scholarship

David Cassidy, a student at Coconino Community College, is one of 20 college students named to the prestigious All-USA Academic Team and will receive a $5,000 scholarship. More than 2,400 students were nominated nationwide for the award.

“It is an honor, a profound honor, and it was very unexpected,” said Cassidy, who also is one of CCC’s two All-Arizona Academic Team scholarship awardees who were honored during a ceremony in Phoenix last month. “It means that I have the opportunity to receive an education and to pursue a career that will enable me to contribute as meaningfully as possible.”

All-USA Academic Team members were selected for their outstanding intellectual achievement, leadership, community and campus engagement, according to information from the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, which recognizes the academic achievement of students at two-year colleges like CCC.

Sedona Arts Center — Arizona Gives Day is April 4!

“There are so many reasons to support the arts and Sedona Arts Center on AZ Gives Day and every day!  First and foremost, the arts enrich our lives and help define our cultures.  They help us build bridges and open dialog and create understanding.  They contribute to better health and wellness, heal trauma and allow us to age more gracefully.  They alleviate stress and that alone has saved lives.  The arts are an incredible economic driver and contribute billions to our economy nationwide.

CCC first-generation student finds calling in life of the mind

FLAGSTAFF — Coconino Community College student Justin Martinez has family members who have suffered from depression their entire lives.

“I really want to help people,” he said. “Particularly men who don’t normally ask for help.”

So, Martinez, a first-generation college student, decided to study Psychology at CCC, and as a CCC2NAU student, he plans to continue his studies at NAU to become a licensed therapist.

Originally from New Mexico, Martinez moved as a child with his family to the Phoenix area. While he attended Thunderbird High School as a teen, he became interested in the idea of college.

“I wanted to gain skills, so I decided to explore my options with community college,” he said, adding that he really didn’t know what he wanted to do at the time, and because community college was more affordable, he felt it would be a better place for him to begin to explore what he might want to do for a career.

He chose CCC.

CCC student embraces sustainability, explores cultures

FLAGSTAFF — The pandemic dashed her family’s plans for a post-graduation trip to Europe, but she remains undeterred in her desire to travel the world.

Now CCC study abroad trip will give Kat Williams the chance. The trip, organized by faculty member Katie Schwartz, will focus on culture, meaning no language prerequisite is required. Students will have the chance to visit several iconic destinations, including the capital of Mexico, La Ciudad de Mexico or Mexico City, the Teotihuacan Pyramids, the capital of the Aztec Empire Xochimilco, and the Frida Kahlo Museum.

Williams said, “I heard about the study abroad trip to Mexico from my Spanish teacher, Katie Schwartz, and others in the class seemed eager too.”

Grand Canyon Weekly Wrap-up: March 27-31, 2023

Fundamentals Program returns to Albright Training Center

A redesigned NPS Fundamentals Program has relaunched! The staff of Horace M. Albright Training Center (HOAL), a National Park Service employee development facility located within the park, are excited for the return of NPS’s keystone Learning and Development program: NPS Fundamentals. The NPS Fundamentals Program has been redesigned into a three-part training opportunity for new permanent employees in agency. The program serves as the foundation for all careers in the NPS. The program’s mission is to invest in new employees, deepen their understanding of the NPS mission and operations, and build their commitment to the NPS core values.

Sedona Arts Center — SAVE THE DATE! Jan Sitts: A Retrospective

This unique exhibit features specially chosen works bridging 40 years of Jan’s career as an artist and features a wide-variety of media.

Jan Sitts, a well known artist-painter and teacher has influenced people all over the country with her unique style she created many years ago. After moving to Sedona, Arizona in 1986 she continued her style of layering painting then moving into abstraction. She has an impressive art background, along with studying at the Kansas City Art Institute and B.A, degree at Western Colorado University. She has been teaching art for decades and will be teaching again this May and November at Sedona Art Center. She has authored two books “Its in the Detail* and “Textured, Color, Feeling.”

The NAU Review — Protecting global supply chains, a marathoner’s Olympic dreams and a modern twist on Mozart

We all remember the empty shelves that marked the early days of the pandemic and the high fuel prices that accompanied the war in Ukraine. Access to food, water, energy and other supply chains is critical for the U.S. economy and the well-being of the American people, yet the infrastructure that keeps the supply chain moving is at risk—not only from world events but also from hackers or terrorists. NAU is building on its FEW-Viewtechnology, a groundbreaking project that maps the entire U.S. supply chain, to reduce these risks through data science and technology.

United Way of Northern Arizona — Dolly Parton Imagination Library Hits Major Milestone

Here are two statistics that should make you proud to be a United Way of Northern Arizona supporter, courtesy of the Dolly Parton Imagination Library (DPIL).

Last month, the Imagination Library passed a remarkable milestone with 200 million books gifted to children since its inception in 1995!
Then there’s this fun factoid – 1 in 10 children under the age of five in the United States receives Imagination Library books. That’s a lot of Little Engines that Could and Llama Llamas in Red Pajamas.

Running for two: Balancing motherhood with marathon training to cross the finish line

Mom, mental-health advocate, and self-described vintage curator, Callee Torrey is no stranger to the art of juggling. This mama can now add marathon runner to her title. Even more impressive, running the 26.2 miles for the first time all the while having to balance breastfeeding her baby. She literally stopped at mile 13.1 to breastfeed her baby and still managed a respectable time of (6:02) hours. She is unstoppable. This month’s HERstory is a celebration of motherhood and a testament to the strength and resilience of women.

Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth — CCC&Y provides variety of free online training including ‘Thriving Families’

COCONINO COUNTY —
The Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth provides a variety of free online training programs for parents, caregivers and all community members.

Our free Thriving Families webinar is a great starting place for parents, caregivers and community members brand new to the topics such as brain development, adverse childhood experiences, resilience and mindfulness. It is a great jumping off place to go deeper in knowledge and support through the rest of our library of webinars.

With thousands of views across our various topics, we are sure there is something for all community members and professionals. Whether you are seeking the best info for your family, your community or a program you work for, get a taste for our research supported prevention and community work.

Sedona Arts Center — Check out our Summer Youth Programming!

This summer Sedona Arts Center is launching Gallery 928, a unique art apprenticeship program for teens ages 15 to 18. Based on Chicago’s infamous Gallery 37 summer public art program started in the 1980s, students will be hired to apprentice with master artist Leonardo Beltran to create a public art mural for Sedona Arts Center.

This job opportunity is open to 12 artistic teens interested in expanding their skills and knowledge in the public art field as well as learning other art mediums and techniques. In partnership with Yavapai College, the students chosen to participate in the program will receive 4 free college credits. Students will also be paid a stipend of $500 from Sedona Arts Center for their participation. Gallery 928 is designed to provide participants with the knowledge and desire to consider a future as a professional artist.

CCC Community Education — April Courses: Stress Management | True Colors | Aikido | Charcuterie | Shakespeare & Kabuki

Stress Management

Monday, April 3 and 17
4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Join a discussion about the neuroscience of trauma- and stressor- related disorders, and adaptive interventions. Zoom option available.

Stress Management – Learn more and register!

The NAU Review — Celebrating HSI and inclusion work, Indigenous Youth Media Workshop and Rima Brusi answers our questions

Creating inclusive spaces: policing and education at NAU
Luis A. Fernandez, professor and chair of the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice, is also the Hispanic-Serving Institution Advisor to the Provost at NAU currently researching the impact of the Black Lives Matter movement on policing and how to create a more balanced approach to community safety while working to support Latinx students and increase their access to education. Fernandez aims to create inclusive spaces that promote safety, inclusivity and opportunity for all students.

Consulado de México en Phoenix — 15th edition of the Consular Newsletter on Economic and Tourism Affairs

I am sharing with you the 15th edition of the Consular Newsletter on Economic and Tourism Affairs of the Consulate General of Mexico in Phoenix.

#ArizonaThrives features an article from Arizona’s Secretary of State, Adrian Fontes, who points out the interdependence and common interests between Mexico and Arizona.

Coconino County Responds to Damaged Road in Doney Park Neighborhood

(On March 24) water flows compromised the culvert at the Rio de Flag crossing of Slayton Ranch Road. These river-like flows caused a portion of the roadway to collapse at this location.

At approximately 7 a.m., a Flagstaff Unified School District (FUSD) school bus drove over the area and broke through the roadway surface. According to FUSD officials, no students were on board the bus at the time and there were no injuries reported to the driver. Coconino County Public Works is assisting FUSD with the recovery of the school bus.

Grand Canyon Weekly Wrap-up — March 20-24, 2023

Rockfall frequency increases; flash flood warnings remains in effect throughout Northern Arizona

Recent storm impacts have created near impassable road conditions throughout much of Coconino County, especially in flooded roadways adjacent to creeks. Although these areas are limited within park boundaries, please be aware of the increased likelihood of rockfall and flash flood activity within the inner canyon as temperatures rise and active snowmelt occurs.

This week there were three reported sizeable rockfalls along the Bright Angel Trail reported by staff at the Backcountry Information Center. The trail remains passable to hikers. It is likely these events will occur on a routine basis in the coming weeks/months.

If you observe an active rockfall along a trail, please notify Grand Canyon dispatch as soon as possible at 928-638-7805. If you have a camera or phone, photos of the rockfall can be helpful to staff on Trails and the Backcountry Information Center.

For a more comprehensive list of backcountry trail updates, visit our park website here.

United Way of Northern Arizona — Volunteers Evaluating Grant Requests

Right now, two UWNA volunteer groups are evaluating more than 50 requests for grants from either the Community Impact Fund or the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). Earlier this year, the City of Flagstaff chose UWNA to administer $700,000 in ARPA funds on behalf of the City.

District 1 Supervisor Patrice Horstman — February/March 2023 District 1 Newsletter

In This Issue
Hello from Supervisor Horstman
Short Term Rentals
Hearing on Coconino County Fair Fees
BOS Adopts New Fort Tuthill Management Plan
Upper Rio de Flag Watershed Forest Restoration
County Receives $10.9 Million State Funding for
Flood Mitigation
County Comprehensive Plan and Flagstaff
Regional Plan Explained
Community Meeting on Proposed Forest
Restriction Plans and Emergency Preparedness
NACo Legislative Conference
Fort Valley Gets Its Sign!
Fort Valley Community Meeting on Rain and
Snow Melt
Valle It Is!
County Parks and Recreation Receives Arizona
Forward Environmental Excellence Award
Congratulations to Jim Driscoll, Western States
Sheriff of the Year!
Community Events

CCC students received All-Arizona Academic Scholarship

Two Coconino Community College students – Maize Pratt and David Cassidy – have been recognized for the prestigious 2023 Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) All-Arizona Academic Team Scholarship.

The scholarship provides free tuition for 60 credit hours at the recipient’s choice of one of the three state universities: Arizona State University, University of Arizona and Northern Arizona University.

A transplant from the west coast, Pratt came to Sedona, Arizona for a mindfulness-based program.  

“Having gone to four previous community colleges, I was looking at CCC to save some money before going to NAU,” Pratt said.

Pratt said he plans to use his new scholarship money toward a Business Management degree from NAU and is currently exploring different career paths through internships.

More Art Classes and Workshops to Explore at the Sedona Arts Center!

Sedona is surrounded by a magical landscape of red rock formations and high desert hills with beautiful Oak Creek meandering through it all. Come experience the Shangri-La of the Southwest, a beautiful learning environment with Art Colony roots going back nearly 100 years.  Click here to see all of our classes and workshops

Coconino County Parks & Recreation — Public Meetings (March 22) for Proposed Fair Fees

Coconino County Parks and Recreation is inviting you to attend presentations to learn more about the proposed Coconino County Fair fee updates.

The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, March 22 beginning at 6:00 PM through Microsoft Teams. We expect these presentations to last approximately 1 hour including the Q&A. You can learn more, RSVP to those meetings, and provide comments at coconinocountyfair.com/feeupdate. The public may also post comments and questions to the Fair’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/CoconinoCountyFair.

Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth — CCC&Y presents free webinars on understanding how emotions impact adult and child relationships

CCC&Y shares this free online opportunity to ease some of the daily stress during this busy time of year.

Motivated by a long wait list for behavioral health services, and aware of challenging adult and child emotions causing behavior difficulties, Bethany Camp put this two part training together for CCC&Y to help meeting a wide-spread community need.

First we learn to understand our emotions and then we can understand and respond to the big emotional responses of children.

Watch Webinar – Managing Adult Emotional Responses, Part One

Watch Webinar –  Helping Children Manage Their Emotions, Part Two

These videos are meant to help support our community.  Having the tools to take care of ourselves and respond to children, is a great resource.

March 2023 Hispanics Hunting and the Outdoors (HECHO) Newsletter

March is Women’s History Month, and HECHO honors the leadership and contributions of women in conservation. Elevating their voices is essential to our mission. From Indigenous women in Oak Flat fighting for environmental justice and Latinas working in the wilderness to safeguard wildlife for future generations to many other female conservationists are an example of courage, resiliency, and strength.

Here are their stories and other important news about our efforts across the Southwest.

Sincerely,
Camilla

STEM City Flagstaff — STEM Celebration 2023–Register Today!

Your organization is invited to join us once again for this unique STEM Event!

Register Today! 

2023 STEM Celebration Registration 

STEM City and its partners are pleased to sponsor this community-wide event

to engage children and adults in the broad range of

STEM opportunities throughout northern Arizona.   

Hands-on activities, demonstrations and conversations excite participants,

expose the community to STEM educational and career opportunities

and celebrate Flagstaff’s designation as “America’s First STEM Community.” 

We hope you will participate in this once-a-year celebration of STEM in our community.  

NAU Review — World Water Day, learn about NAU students’ Super Bowl activities and a look at NAU en Español

What sustainable freshwater management looks like in Arizona

World Water Day is an annual United Nations observance day held on March 22. The day highlights the importance of freshwater and the need for sustainable management of freshwater resources—a pressing issue for all. Abe Springer, professor of ecohydrogeology in the School of Earth and Sustainability, shared his expertise with The NAU Review, giving insights on the critical importance of sustainable freshwater management and why it is essential to ensure a healthy future for our planet.
Read the blog

Check out the Galleries at Sedona Arts Center!

NOW FEATURING:
Ed Buonvecchio, Mary Heyborne, Casey Cheuvront, and Sue Horine

Our Gallery showcases the largest selection in Sedona of artwork by local artists. If you are seeking a rare piece of fine art, a gift of exquisite jewelry, appreciate stunning photography, or looking for a lovely keepsake from your visit to Sedona, the Arts Center has it all and more. The Arts Center is a 501(c)3 organization that offers all purchases without sales tax – almost a 10% savings.

Grand Canyon Weekly Wrap-up — March 13-17, 2023

Grand Canyon Trails Update and Flash Flood Safety 

Possible flash flood and rockfall activity this week and throughout the next month  

Increased precipitation and seasonal snow-melt may lead to enhanced flood risk along creek drainages in the inner canyon. Backpackers and hikers should be especially aware of elevated flows in rivers, creeks, washes, and low water crossings. Low water crossings may become impassable due to flooding or flood damage. 

Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth — CCC&Y 2023 Legislative Position

To CCC&Y members and participants,

In lieu of taking individual positions on bills this year: CCC&Y has had a voice at the table for many advocacy positions that support our partners and others to advocate for the well-being of children and families in our State.  We also continue sharing action alerts and updates from our trusted partners so that you can stay informed and utilize the Request to Speak system to show your support or opposition.

Many of the bills are evolving so quickly that an organization with our limited resources would risk doing you an injustice by taking a formal position that may need to change multiple times in this current climate.  However, please know we are at the table and will continue to voice concerns and support during this session.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Friends of Flagstaff’s Future — March Sanity Film Series — ‘Stewart Udall & the Politics of Beauty’ on March 15

As Secretary of the Interior from 1961-1969, Stewart Udall led the fight for environmental legislation, championed racial and social justice, and shaped our national park system. This is an uplifting documentary on the power of a single individual and proud Arizonan to accomplish visionary change. Watch the trailer here.

Bilingual report — Gina Santi Photography Images of the Month – March 2023

Saints play a significant part in Naples’ institutions. The devotion to these saints – who alleviate pains or defend against the diseases- echoes a delicately masked polytheistic system which dates back to the foundation of the city by the Greeks about 3,000 years ago.

Naples’ agnostic fervor to idols is nowhere more epitomized than in the memorial to Argentinian soccer player Diego Armando Maradona inside Bar Nilo in Naples’ Quartiere Storico. Created from plaster and painted in blue and white -the club colors-, the altar is buried in Maradona memorabilia. Its centerpiece is a strand of Maradona’s “miraculous” hair exhibited inside a revolving, clear box. It has become a site of pilgrimage for Maradona fans all over the world, elevating the footballer to the status of a saint.

The basis for this worship is the fact that Maradona steered Naples to its single two Italian league championships in 1987 and 1990, and also the 1989 UEFA Cup. Naples had never won anything substantial before Maradona’s coming to the team, and he was treated as a redeemer by a city known for its poverty, and social struggles.

Flagstaff City – Coconino County Public Library — Happening at Your Library week of 3/13/23

View this email in your browser March 13th, 2023 Connect with your community Adult & All-Ages Events Youth Events Book Clubs Technology Help To request a reasonable accommodation for any type of disability, please call 928-213-2331 (Downtown Library) or 928-213-2348…

Fulbright teaching assistant Pamela Espíndola shares culture, language with CCC students

She may be half a world away from her home in Argentina, but Pamela Espíndola is at Coconino Community College doing what she loves:

She’s teaching students Spanish.

“My job here is to work as a cultural ambassador and to help with the courses to have students learn a foreign language,” she said.

Espíndola is a Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant for Spanish courses taught at CCC, and she is the fourth one that the college has been graced to receive said Katie Schwartz, Spanish faculty at the college who supervises the FLTAs.

“This is a big deal for CCC because we can’t pay to help with living expenses,” Schwartz said, adding that the organization, International Institute of Education, helped create a grant with the U.S. Department of Education to make a Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant for CCC a reality. In fact, the first FLTA at CCC shared having such a positive experience at the college that all the subsequent FLTAs have been possible. CCC’s FLTAs have come from Argentina, Columbia and Mexico so far.

Sedona Arts Center — NOW SHOWING! 42nd Annual Juried Members Exhibition

42ndAnnual
Juried Members Exhibition and Sale
March 6–31, 2023

Sedona Arts Center’s 42nd Annual Juried Members’ Show, our community’s largest and longest-running group exhibition of visual art in Uptown Sedona is now showing! Free to the public and all the works are for sale, with no sales tax included.

Visitors will find everything from painting and watercolor to metal, wood, jewelry, and fiber art. A focus is also placed on drawing, mixed-media, photography and digital art. The Members’ Show is steeped in tradition and remains open to all current Arts Center members, whether seasoned professionals or new and emerging artists.

The show is open 10am – 5pm Monday through Saturday, and 12 – 5pm on Sunday in our Special Exhibitions Gallery.

Opening Reception / Meet the Artists
Friday, March 10 from 4 to 6pm

March at the Museum of Northern Arizona

March certainly arrived like a lion. Beautiful as all this snow is, I’m looking forward to some more lamb-like weather and eventually some spring flowers. While we may not see those flowers until April or May, we have lots to look forward to at the Museum this month, including fun activities for kids during spring break next week. It’s another example of our efforts to broaden our engagement with visitors and the community, as identified in our Strategic Plan.

This is also the final month for the exhibition Baje Whitethorne Sr: Náátsʼíilid/Rainbow Light, which has been nominated for a Viola Award in Visual Art. If you haven’t seen it yet, come in to enjoy a burst of vibrant color by one of Flagstaff’s preeminent artists. Then come back on March 25 for a closing event to celebrate Baje and this marvelous exhibition, which was curated by another Viola honoree – Alan Petersen.

Board of Supervisors Approves Proclamation Designating March as Women’s History Month

“Coconino County is proud to join the nation’s celebration of Women’s History Month,” the proclamation reads. “The 2023 theme ‘Celebrating Women who Tell our Stories’… is a tribute and recognition of women, past and present who have been active on all forms of media telling stories that have significantly impacted our communities in areas of social justice, labor rights, gender, human and political rights.” 

The NAU Review — Our women influencers, Pi day reflections, using degrees to help those in need and an All-Steinway School designation

The women who shaped us
March 8 is International Women’s Day, and it has been a global celebration since 1911, recognizing the many contributions women have made to society. To honor the day, The NAU Review asked the women of NAU to reflect on a historical female figure who inspired them. From trailblazers like Ruth Bader Ginsburg and visionary writers like Octavia Butler to other figures with whom you may not be familiar—this is a list you don’t want to miss. And despite their different influences, these historical figures all have one thing in common—they fully embody and represent the month’s themes, whether it be environmental consciousness, cultural influences, equal representation, self-identity or equity. Their stories remind us that we’re all in this together, fighting for gender equality and celebrating the countless ways women have shaped our world.

Read the story

United Way of Northern Arizona — Parents & Students Give KinderCamp™ High Marks

Participants in last year’s KinderCamp™ program – and their parents – gave the early childhood education program high marks in a survey conducted by AZ OnTrack.

The survey was completed by 50 children who were part of the KinderCamp program at Kinsey Elementary School in Flagstaff last summer. More than 80 parents also participated in the survey. AZ OnTrack is the state’s initiative to help children catch up from learning losses caused by the pandemic.

Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth — Your membership, donations support the work of CCC&Y

COCONINO COUNTY — We imagine a world where every person lives in peace and is supported by a thriving, resilient community.

The purpose of CCC&Y is bold and your help is needed.

When you become a member of CCC&Y, your financial contribution helps cultivate and strengthen well-informed communities by providing education and resources, bringing stakeholders together, building new systems of communication and more.

CCC&Y is building an inclusive movement of people dedicated to transforming and healing our communities.

Through leadership, education and advocacy. By becoming a member you add your name to an expansive list of individuals, families, businesses and organizations who are igniting collective action that creates better lives for children and families.

Please visit Membership Options

Make an Online Donation 

Remember, CCC&Y is a non-profit organization with a 501(c)(3) status-so your contributions are tax deductible eligible. Please consult your tax professional. ​​​​​​​

The NAU Review — Research using NASA’s ECOSTRESS, tracking indigenous plants and Arizona’s new flat tax explained

NAU has received a $600,000 grant from NASA for a three-year project led by Teki Sankey to study the impact of forest restoration treatments on drought resilience in Arizona’s forests using NASA’s ECOSTRESS satellite. The team of researchers will focus on Arizona’s forests including Ponderosa pines and will validate their findings with field measurements of canopy and soil moisture. The project aims to determine if forest treatments result in water benefits for the entire ecosystem and will advance the development of satellite-based remote sensing methods for rapid detection of drought stress in vegetation.

Grand Canyon Weekly Wrap-up: Feb .27-March 3, 2023

Grand Canyon National Park experienced its eighth busiest year ever in 2022 with 4,732,101 visits. Last year’s visitation was more than 200,000 above the previous year at a 4.5% increase. Grand Canyon also went from the fourth most visited national park to the second most visited. (#1-Great Smoky Mountains National Park).  

Visitation to Grand Canyon reached its highest level ever with approximately 6.4 million visits in 2018. Although 2022’s reduced visitation lessens the stress on the park’s resources, park operations still rely on the revenue from all income sources. Fewer visitors translates to reduced revenue for park programs. Federal Lands Recreational Enhancement Funds (aka FLREA), transportation fees, and concession franchise fees are still reduced compared to pre-pandemic years. Funds from these sources support many programs across the park and park managers continue to work on programming costs with these smaller revenue projections in mind for this fiscal year. 

March 2 Meet & Greet with CCC’s new president has been rescheduled

Due to considerable snowfall amounts in the Flagstaff region, the Meet and Greet event for Coconino Community College President Dr. Eric Heiser originally scheduled for tonight, Thursday, March 2, will be rescheduled for a later date in April.

Dr. Eric Heiser has scheduled Meet and Greet events throughout Coconino County in communities that CCC serves in order to listen to what matters most to the residents of those communities when it comes to what they need from their community college.

Future events scheduled for March 8 in Flagstaff, April 4 in Williams and April 13 in Page.

The NAU Review — DART=success!, Hip Hop National Champions, expanding nursing and celebrating Women’s History Month

Remember DART, NASA’s attempt to redirect an asteroid? Results are in. It worked.
After ramming a spacecraft into a small asteroid last fall, researchers knew almost immediately that the mission had worked—that the impact changed the asteroid’s orbit. A new study authored by Cristina Thomas found that the orbit changed by a whopping 33 minutes, suggesting that the momentum of the ejected material was a significant contributor to the change. The study is published in Nature alongside three other articles detailing findings from this groundbreaking NASA mission.

Sedona Arts Center — More Art Classes and Workshops to Explore!

Sedona is surrounded by a magical landscape of red rock formations and high desert hills with beautiful Oak Creek meandering through it all. Come experience the Shangri-La of the Southwest, a beautiful learning environment with Art Colony roots going back nearly 100 years.

Click here to see all of our classes and workshops

Coconino County Parks & Recreation March 2023 Update

Book Corner

Blustery weather makes for the perfect time to curl up with a good book! 50 Things to do in the Urban Wild by Clare Gogerty is a book to get the creative juices flowing by giving you ideas for how to connect to your local area. Although written in the United Kingdom, the book is applicable to people living anywhere, including the diverse landscapes of Coconino County. Topics include how to create a leaf journal, how to identify trees in winter, cloud spotting, city hiking, and restoring natural habitats. Get inspired to enjoy your local trail system, nature, and wildlife. Maybe you can even learn skills that you can enter in the Coconino County Fair, with topics including growing plants and incorporating nature in art!