Tucson Weekly: Outdoors (June 15

OUTDOORS

ARCHAEOLOGY TOURS. The Center for Desert Archaeology offers group or individual tours of the significant sites in the Tucson Basin. Choose from ancient rock art, Hohokam ballcourt villages and more. Call 885-6283 for information; reservations are requested 24 hours in advance.
DIG IT. Old Pueblo Archaeology Center, a nonprofit corporation, offers opportunities to dig with archaeologists at the Sabino Canyon Ruin starting at 7 a.m. on June 17. Experience the thrill of discovering buried pottery and other items left behind by prehistoric Arizonans, as the professionals show you how archaeologists excavate, interpret, and care for ancient finds. Admission is $35, or $50 for a two-day program. Reservations are required by 5 p.m. June 16. The Center also offers volunteers opportunities to assist at the Fort Huachuca Archaeological Laboratory, and at the Curation Facility. Volunteers can assist, clean, label and catalogue artifacts that have been recovered from sites on Fort Huachuca. Volunteer from 2 to 4 p.m. or 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, June 15, and from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Friday, June 16. There are opportunities for volunteers every Thursday and Friday through June. Call 798-1201 for reservations and information.
SABINO CANYON VOLUNTEERS. The Sabino Canyon Volunteer Naturalists are looking for people who enjoy the outdoors and working with children for their desert ecology program. Training begins in September. Call 749-8700 for information.
SIERRA CLUB HIKES. Explore the beauty of the Sonoran desert with the local chapter of the Sierra Club during free hikes and outings on most weekends. Both beginning and experienced hikers are welcome. Non-members are welcome to participate. For a listing of upcoming events, visit www.sierraclub.org/chapters/az/page4.html.
SONORAN DESERT MOUNTAIN BICYCLISTS. The association sponsors two rides on Saturday, June 17. Intermediate-level riders can explore secondary routes in the Golden Ranch area during a 12- to 15- mile ride. Meet at 6 a.m. Saturday, June 17, at Trader Joe's, 7912 N. Oracle Road. Call Dick Bryant at 299-9588 for information or call 907-3782 on day of ride. Hardcore cyclists can take on a highly technical ride on Butterfly Trail. Call Rudy Nadler at 327-0655 for ride information. Beginners can enjoy a novice session showing riders the basics of shifting, riding small bumps, and maneuvering turns on a short trail ride Sunday, June 18. Call Chuck at 219-4398 for time and directions. For updated ride information, visit www.sdmb.org.
TOHONO CHUL PARK. 7366 N. Paseo del Norte. 742-6455. Regular "Walk in the Park" tours, an overview of the park's 48 acres and its flora and fauna, are offered at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, and at 1 p.m. Sunday. "Art in the Park" tours, docent-guided looks at gallery exhibits, are at 11 a.m. Tuesday and Thursday and 2 p.m. Sunday. The park offers additional guided tours for your enjoyment. "Birds of Tohono Chul" provides opportunities to observe the many species frequenting the park, and meets at 8 a.m. Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. Grounds are open from 7 a.m. to sunset daily. Exhibit hours are 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Greenhouse hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. Admission is $2. Call 742-6455 for a daily events schedule.
TUCSON ORIENTEERING CLUB. The Orienteering Club holds an event at 9:30 a.m. Sunday, June 18, at the Palisades on Mt. Lemmon. There is a free beginner's clinic on how to use a map and compass meeting at 9 a.m. Costs are $8, $10 for a team, with a $5 discount for members. Bring a compass and whistle or rent them for $2. Call 628-8985 for information.
WILDERNESS VOLUNTEERS. Experience the beauty of wild lands while reinvesting in them this summer and fall. The Wilderness Volunteers is a non-profit organization that works with public land agencies to organize volunteer services to benefit U.S. wild lands. Trips are one-week long and cost less than $200. For information, call 1-888-737-2888 or visit www.wildernessvolunteers.org.