‘Last call’ for morning walking tours at Boyce Thompson Arboretum

Editor’s note: this walk­ing tour explores the Curandero Trail, which has steep sections that are not suit­able for visitors who use wheelchairs or walkers. Other specialized tours to catch this month include:

• Guided Bird Walks April 14, 20 and 28 at 8:30 a.m. Learn to identify resident birds and spring migrants on a two­hour walk starting from the visitor cen­ter breezeway; these continue with tour guides Marceline VandeWater and Kathe Anderson April 14, and then Richard Ditch, Pete Moulton and Cynthia Donald April 20. Joanne Barr leads the final 8:30 a.m. bird walk of the spring on April 28.
• Plants of the Bible April 20 at 1:30 p.m. This tour moves to 8 a.m. May 18. Bible scholar Dave Oberpriller discusses botany, history and scripture on this slow-paced, two-hour walking tour down smooth and flat trails that are wheelchair­accessible.
• Tree Tour with Tom McDonald April 21 at 1:30 p.m. It repeats at 8 a.m. May 19. What’s an arboretum? Tom McDon­ald, owner of Smiling Dog Landscapes in Gold Canyon, shares the answer on his leisurely guided tour through BTA’s col­lection of oak and olive trees, hackberry, mesquite and more.
• Geology walk April 27 at 1:30 p.m. It repeats at 8 a.m. May 27. Professional geologist Alan Seymour explains rocks and volcanic formations seen along Queen Creek and our high trail, how tectonic forces shaped Apache Leap and the volcanic origins of Picket Post Moun­tain. Make sure to carry water and wear sturdy hiking shoes for this walk, which proceeds along the .5-mile High Trail and rambles at tree-top level above and alongside Queen Creek. Note: Some trails are not wheelchair-accessible.

For more information about any of these classes or the arboretum, visit www.arboretum.ag.arizona.edu/.