Projects - Reports and Event Photo Albums
Many event participants enjoy reviewing the results and photos and sharing this with family and friends. Participants can experience the thrill of "Googling" their name and possibly finding several hits. Non-participants can see what they missed (avoided?) and prospective volunteers can get an idea of what VOAz events are like and make an assessment of the wisdom of associating with this organization.
Interactive map of VOAz Projects
Active Projects
| Canyon Creek Invasive Plant Removal |  |
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Canyon Creek is located just below the Mogollon Rim and a bit east of the Young Road. This beautiful, deep canyon is the site of a major fish hatchery and Canyon Creek is very popular among trout fisherman. VOAz has made a multi-year commitment to Tonto NF to help them realize their goals in Canyon Creek and reduce the presence of invasive species.
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| Central Arizona Invasive Plant Removal | |
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VOAz works with various land managers to remove noxious weeds (Buffel grass, Fountain Grass, Malta Starthistle, Bull Thistle, Saltcedar) from sites in central Arizona.
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| Dead Horse Ranch State Park | | In 2004, VOAz helped to plan and then built a paved, wheelchair friendly trail in a pesticide-free area of the Verde River flood plain at Dead Horse Ranch State Park. This makes it an attractive place for chemically sensitive people to walk beneath the giant cottonwood trees. This work required excavation of a five foot wide bed for the trail, mixing cement and ABC aggregate, filling the trail bed with the wet mixture using wheel barrows for transport, compacting by mechanical means, and aiding the curing process. Dirty but rewarding work, once completed.
A realignment of the Raptor trail will take place in 2001.
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| Grand Canyon NP Conservation Work | |
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VOAz is pleased to partner with Grand Canyon National Park. We completed noxious plant removal and trail tasks at our first event in 2008. Additional events are anticipated that draw on VOAz strengths to address park priorities.
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| Jug Trail Extension at Salome Creek | |
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VOAz consolidated many wildcat exit trails from the popular slot canyon on Salome Creek into a single trail and now performs bi-annual maintenance work.
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| Montezuma Castle Conservation Work | |
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VOAz conducts a variety of restorations and enhancement projects at the Well, including maintenance of the archaic/historic irrigation channel.
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| Phoenix Mtn. Pres. Trails & Habitat Restoration | |
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VOAz has conducted many events for this division of the Phoenix Parks system including trail realignment out of Dreamy Draw (VOAz Loop Trail project) and Buffelgrass eradication (Central AZ Invasive Plant Removal project). This new project was formed to accommodate future volunteer work with the scheduling of the Fall 2010 REI Service Project.
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| Reach 11 Barrier Free Trail | |
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VOAz is repairing a three quarter mile asphalt trail for the City of Phoenix. Located off Tatum Blvd. between Bell Road and Tatum. This trail features a dense mesquite, palo verde, and acacia Bosque that is a favorite for trail users, birders, and wildlife. The work includes repairs to the supporting berm and drainage crossings and the tread surface.
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| South Mtn. Park Trail & Landscape Rehab | |
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The Park Supervisor at South Mountain Park asked VOAz to plan and build an new alignment for a reach or perimeter trail accessible from 35th Avenue. This was to be the first of several "projects" within South Mountain Park to be undertaken by VOAz. All of the events associated with these projects are described here.
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| The Phoenix Trails | |
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VOAz was selected by the City of Phoenix as a Professional Trail Construction and Rehabilitation Contractor for a period of three years, which may be extended to five years. Under the general contractual arrangement VOAz will complete specific projects of varying duration for negotiated prices in Phoenix Parks and Preserves.
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| VOAz Segment of The Arizona Trail | |
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VOAz as accepted Stewardship responsibilities for the Turkey Mountain Segment 29b, Happy Jack Passage of the Arizona Trail. The trail is "complete" although much of it lies on an old forest road. Maintenance and possible reroutes on this reach will be carried out during the months when people are eager to escape the Valley.
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| VOAz Volunteer Management Institute | | VOAz provides training for Crew Leaders, Event Managers, and other volunteer leadership positions. The training is free to members of VOAz who wish to join the leadership team. Leaders from other organizations can be included, depending on the nature of the training and the availability of resources.
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| West Pinto Trail | |
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Years of no maintenance have left this trail all but impassible in some reaches. The goal of this project is to reopen and reestablish the corridor and repair the tread over the 8.8 miles of lightly used trail in the eastern Superstition Wilderness. The trail runs from Miles Trailhead (3700') to Rogers Trough Trailhead (4700') and follows (for a distance) the West Fork of Pinto Creek.
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Complete and Inactive Projects
| young Volunteers for Outdoor Arizona | |  |
Launched in 2008 with funding from REI, this program provides outdoor volunteering education and work opportunities to young people. Events are typically custom scheduled for groups from area schools and other organizations on weekdays or weekends.
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| Agua Fria Watercourse Trail | | This one-off project resulted in the construction in 2006 of a short loop trail in the bottom of the Agua Fria River in Peoria. It was built as a kick-off event for a community coalition that is working hard to convert a significant reach of the river into and Indian Bend-like greenway with recreation facilities and walkways. The trail passed under I-10 and afforded a view of a significant encampment of people we presume would be labeled "homeless" in our society to clearly indicate how different they are from those of us who are "homed." It most likely that this trail is no longer there.
There is no report information or photography for this project.
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| Arizona Trail | |
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VOAz's first event was on the Arizona Trail at the Utah boarder. Since that date, VOAz has completed many events on the Arizona Trail. This includes work at Pickpost Mountain, nearby Whitford Canyon, Cottonwood Canyon and Four Peaks near Roosevelt Lake, Sunflower, the Highline Segment east of Pine (the subject of a separate report); General Springs Cabin at the ROM (the subject of a separate report); Mormon Lake, and Anderson Mesa near Flagstaff. In 2009, VOAz accepted Stewardship responsibility for a portion of the Blue Ridge Segment in the Coconino National Forest. VOAz partnered with the Arizona Trail Association and REI for many of these events.
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| Black Canyon Trail | | In 2003, VOAz volunteers constructed a short segment of the major new trail on BLM land as a National Public Lands Day event. It was not yet physically connected to the rest of this trail, for which construction was just getting under way. A photo by Gail Landry was submitted to the national competition and received an award.
There is no report information or photography for this project.
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| Boyce Thompson Arboretum Preservation | | From 2002 to 2004 VOAz volunteers completed several habitat and facilities improvement projects at the Arboretum. The most ambitious of these was the reconstruction of a deck and the addition of a redwood trellis at Avery Lake under the management of Ed Blanchard.
There is no report information or photography for this project.
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| Brown Ranch Habitat Restoration | | In 2001, VOAz volunteers responded to an urgent request from the City of Scottsdale to assist with a desert tree planting at the north end of the McDowell Sonoran Preserve. This was part of an experimental revegitation project.
There is no report information or photography for this project.
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| Canyon Point Campground Exclosure Fence | | In August of 2004, volunteers constructed a large (about nine feet high) buck and pole fence across the front of Canyon Point Campground in Hgwy. 270 above the Rim. The fence cannot be jumped by elk seeking to forage on young willow.
No report information or photography from this event are available.
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| Caroline Bartol Preserve Nature Trail | | In 2007, VOAz designed and built new trail in this small preserve belonging to the Desert Foothills Land Trust. The preserve is in the center of Cave Creek next to the public library.
Ne report information or photography from this project are available.
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| Dolan Springs Community Trail Network | | On February 28 & March 1, 2009, twenty seven volunteers from VOAz and the community of Dolan Springs held a kick-off trail building
and training event for a new trail project. Over 2,700 feet of trail was built in a beautiful area of Joshua Tree dotted desert on the edge of town.
Ten community volunteers received a short course on the fundamentals of crew
leadership so that they may help lead future community based work events.
Photo Album
There is no detailed report information for this project.
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| Gatlin Archeological Site | | In 2005, the archeologist at the Hohokum site in Gila Bend ask VOAz to assist in an unusual site preservation strategy. Refuse trash mounds at the site were loaded with artifacts. The discourage (further) pilfering, soul was brought in and spread over the top of the mounds.
There is no report information or photography for this project.
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| Hassayampa River Preserve Habitat protection | | In 2000, a small group of VOAz worked on restoring perimeter fence at this Nature Conservancy Preserve near Wickenburg. Flooding and the debris it transport down the river regularly dismantle these fences. No report information or photography are available.
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| Highline Segment of the Arizona Trail | | The Arizona Trail and the Highline Trail overlap for about 18 miles from Pine Trailhead east to Washington Park.
VOAz has worked on the middle portion of this segment heading out from Geronimo Trailhead in both directions.
VOAz has worked on six segments of the Arizona Trail.
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| Hubbell Trading Post Riparian Restoration | |  | From 2003 to 2006, VOAz worked on the final phases of a restoration project at this National Monument. A deeply incised intermittent stream was restored to a more natural sinuosity, which permitted successful reintroduction of native vegetation along a recharged flood plain.
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| Jewel of the Creek Preserve Trails & Restoration | |  | From 2003 to 2007, VOAz completed a new, sustainable trail network in one of the few remaining riparian zones in the Valley.
Rutted wildcat trails were closed and the landscape rehabilitated. Numerous water harvest structures were built to retain
runoff and protect the creek.
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| Lower San Pedro River Habitat Restoration | | In VOAz's first habitat restoration program and one of its very first projects we partnered with the Arizona Chapter of The Nature Conservancy to support the reintroduction of native Sacaton (a bunch grass) at two sites and a variety of other restoration and facility maintenance tasks.
No report information or photography is available for this project.
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| Orme School Service Caravan | | In 2005 and 2006, VOAz provided two service outings in the Flagstraf are for students of the Orme school.
No report information or photography is available for this project.
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| Overlook Trail | | In 2002 and 2003, VOAz helped Sonoran Conservancy volunteers in Fountain Hills to begin their trail planning and construction program. While designing and building a trail overlooking the town, we trained local volunteers who then continued their program.
Report and photography are not available.
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| P.A. Seitts Preserve Trails and Conservation | |  | The goals of this project were to enhance the preserve, protect sensitive archeological sites along Cave Creek, and
build a network of sustainable trails that provide recreation access to non-motorized trail users, including links
to the Cave Creek Regional Park immediately to the west. |
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| Pinnacle Peak Trail | | This was VOAz's first urban trail project. Volunteers worked many weekends and weekdays to to stabilize a trail at the Scottsdale park. The rapidly decomposing granite around the peak made this extremely difficult. The trail is supported in some areas by rocks from the locale, which are themselves decomposing. (The proper solution would have been to bring in compatible but good rock; but, that would have cost the developer who built the adjacent mega-bucs golf community some bucs.) After delivering more than 1,000 hours of volunteer work, the City brought in an out-of-state commercial contractor who trashed our work using a mini-excavator. At least that is what we saw--they never bother to talk to VOAz about this. This was ostensibly to make it more equestrian friendly. One key volunteer at the park--it requires constant maintenance--is a VOAz crew leader. He and others report that they have never seen a four legged horse on this trail.
There is no report information or photography for this project.
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| Salida View Trail #95 | |  | This new trail near Prescott (& Lynx Lake) replaced a trail passing through a sensitive archeological site.
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| Sevenmile Trail | |  | Under an agreement with the White Mountain Apache Tribe, VOAz is helping to complete the first 2 plus miles of the Sevenmile Trail development plan. |
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| Sierra Blanca Preserve Habitat Preservation | |  | July of 2001, The Nature Conservancy of Arizona asked VOAz to complete and repair a perimeter fence around this
new preserve in the White Mountains of Eastern Arizona. Based out of the magnificent lodge pictured at the top of this page,
Volunteers came for varying lengths of time over the ten days it took to complete the work.
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| Sonoita Creek Trail | |  | A new birding trail below Lake Patagonia has several challenging transitions from the original flood plain to the deeply incised
creek channel. VOAz worked to lower the trail gradients and stabilize banks. The available rock was of insufficient size, and
some of the rock work was subsequently washed away. |
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| Verde Springs Preserve Habitat Restoration | | The Nature Conservancy of Arizona has asked VOAz to help with several tasks on this small preserve at the headwaters of the Verde River, which sets within a large Wildlife Area of the Arizona Department of Game and Fish.
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| VOAz Loop Trail | | | |
VOAz has worked on several reaches of a trail that wraps an unnamed peak and is most directly reached through Dreamy Draw. Much of the original trail is steep and severely eroded. Most of the work has involved heavy-duty realignment.
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