About this Event
Join us for a cactus replanting and invasives removal in the 2020 Bush Fire burn scar at Four Peaks on the Tonto National Forest.
In 2020, the Bush Fire consumed over 193,000 acres, killing an estimated 80,000 saguaro cacti in the Tonto National Forest. Saguaros play a similar role in the Sonoran desert as trees do in our forests, providing food and homes for wildlife. A portion of this region includes over 85 acres of habitat surrounding the base of the Four Peaks Mountains. That's why we are committed to planting native desert cacti, including saguaros, removing invasives, and spreading native desert plant & flower seed mix.
Sign-in: 7:30-8 a.m. | Safety Briefing: 8:00 a.m. | Event Ends with raffle: 12:00p.m.
DIRECTIONS: We are meeting in the main staging/parking area at Four Peaks:
Four Peaks is east of Bush Highway on the Bee-line Highway on the way to Payson. You will see a green sign that says Four Peaks with a right turn arrow and we will have a Natural Restorations Volunteer Event sign at the turn off. Make a right onto Cline Cabin/4 Peaks Road. Drive past the open gate onto the dirt road and follow the road to the main staging area. Make the first right into the main staging area, you will see flags, signs, and shade tents. Watch out for volunteers and drive with caution.
Once you park, please walk over to our green Natural Restorations tents where we will have a walk-up sign-in. Everyone will be required to fill out or turn in a Natural Restorations liability waiver to participate. After you turn in your paperwork/sign-in, everyone will hang out in the main staging area until the safety briefing & game plan for the morning at 8am.
GPS Coordinates: 33.669570, -111.495531
Plug the GPS coordinates above into your phone or mapping system.
Do not use the EventBrite map to get there, it could send you to the wrong location. Use the GPS coordinates above to get to the event staging location and check out the map below to ensure your map system is taking you to the right area.
You do not need an OHV (off-highway vehicle), 4x4 , or high clearance vehicle to participate. The road to the sign-in table is graded but very wash boarded so drive slowly & carefully, especially if you're in a car.
Tonto Recreation Pass: You do NOT need one for this location.
Youth volunteers: anyone under 18 years old must be accompanied & supervised during the entire event by a parent, guardian, or adult group leader.
******We strongly encourage parents, guardians, & adult group leaders to use their best judgment on whether or not a child should be working around and/or with cacti.**********
If you need youth registration paperwork ahead of time for parent/guardian signatures, please email Nicole at [email protected]
Snacks: We will have light snacks for volunteers, including apples & bananas. If you have dietary restrictions, we recommend bringing a snack with you. If you or your organization would like to donate lunch to volunteers, please contact us (info below).
Bathrooms: Stellar Adventures is donating the use of their bathrooms, they will be onsite during the replaning in our staging area. Thank you, Stellar Adventures!!!
Free Volunteer Raffle: We are hosting a free volunteer raffle at 12pm for participating volunteers. Everyone will receive a raffle ticket at sign-in, must be present to win. If you or your organization would like to donate to the raffle, please contact us (info below).
What to wear: Check the forecast & dress accordingly. Please wear clothing & shoes that can get dirty. Wear long pants, thick-sole & closed toe sturdy shoes (no flipflops/sandals), a hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen.
What to bring: We strongly suggest that you come prepared. If you want to plant cacti, please bring a set of thick leather work gloves to protect your hands (leather gloves are necessary when working with cacti). We will have a good number of our kevlar & leather adult-size gloves on hand for volunteers to borrow until supplies last.
***Bring a reusable water bottle or hydration pack, we will have water coolers for you to refill your bottles and packs.
Additional items that are extremely helpful for replanting but not necessary:
*Kevlar Reinforced Leather Gloves - these are the gloves we use on our replanting projects to provide better protection for our hands & forearms. If you plan to attend replanting events with us frequently, you may want to invest in a pair. We like using the RAPICCA Animal Handling Gloves Bite Proof Kevlar Reinforced Leather Padding gloves available on Amazon.
*Knee Pads - a lot of replanting work is spent with your knees on the ground. Knee pads or a pad for your knees can help protect and provide cushion for your knees.
*If you bring any of your own tools, put masking tape with your phone number on them so that we can get them back to you if you get separated.
This project is financed by a grant from the Arizona Department of Forestry & Fire Management. We are grateful for their support of our Bush Fire Burn Scar Restoration Project!
If you have any other questions, please click on the CONTACT button at the bottom of this page or email Nicole at [email protected]
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Four Peaks Main Staging Area - DO NOT USE EVENTBRITE MAP, COPY & PASTE GPS COORDINATES INTO MAP APP (GPS 33.669570, -111.495531), 33.669570, -111.495531, Fort McDowell, United States
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