Community Outreach
IFNM Field Trips
Friends of Ironwood Forest believes the best way to encourage preservation of our environment is to experience it firsthand. When students, and others, enjoy the Ironwood Forest we believe they will be motivated to protect this public treasure.
Friends of Ironwood Forest offers field trips during February and March each year. The field trips are designed for middle school and high school students and offer expert guides and accredited naturalists who will lead activities. The 129,000 acre Ironwood Forest National Monument safeguards an incredible landscape recognized for its rugged scenery. It serves as a biological anchor point for conserving some of our rarest flora and fauna.
![Blooming hedgehog cactus at Ironwood Forest National Monument. Photo BLM.](https://ironwoodforest.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/IFNM-Field-Trips-1024x678.jpg)
Field Trip themes include geology, natural history, archeology, botany, biology, climate, art and photography.
A small grant of $500 is offered to schools needing assistance with the costs of transportation.
Hikes
Each year Friends of Ironwood Forest hosts guided hikes in the monument. The number of hikes and locations depends on the availability of our volunteer guides. Make sure to sign up for our email to find out when hikes are happening.
Tucson Festival of Books
In March, Friends of Ironwood Forest hosts a booth at the wonderful Festival of Books. Our volunteers are there to give out maps, sell copies of the Ironwood Forest natural history book, and answer questions about the monument. We also usually have a couple of volunteer biologists who sometimes bring an educational animal with them.