Frances Short Pond along the Rio de Flag.                     Photo courteous of Tom Bean

During Flagstaff’s 2015 Make a Difference Day, community members gathered at Frances Short Pond to take part in various restoration projects. These volunteer efforts stimulated further interest and activity at the pond with a focus on restoration and recreational opportunities.

We invite you to join us this Thursday, June 2nd, for a walk and talk around Frances Short Pond with David Mckee, City of Flagstaff Floodplain Inspector. David will discuss current projects underway at Frances Short Pond, and visions for the future of the Rio de Flag and the Flagstaff Urban Trail System (FUTS) in the area.

Please join us at the Frances Short Pond on Thursday, June 2nd at 6:00PM. Access the pond by following N Aztec St. north until the road ends at a small dirt parking lot. Directions to the pond can be found here.

Join the Friends of the Rio de Flag in cleanup and restoration efforts this Saturday, April 30th!

Please join us on Saturday, April 23rd in celebrating Earth Day with the City of Flagstaff. The Friends of the Rio is partnering with AZ Conservation Corps to lead a community/Rio cleanup from 9am-11am and we’d love to have you out to help! We had a great time last year and made a big impact along the Rio near downtown. All participants will be entered into a prize drawing!

Please visit the Flagstaff Earth Day Facebook page for more information. If you’re interested in attending any of the workshops, please RSVP here indicating which workshops you will attend.

Volunteers from Heichal Baoranim/Temple in the Pines pose with 29 bags of waste removed during a cleanup event Sunday, April 3rd, 2016

We would like to extend our gratitude to the families from Heichal Baoranim/Temple in the Pines who came out to cleanup the Rio just downstream of Old Rte. 66 near Picture Canyon on Sunday, April 3rd. This particular stretch of the Rio becomes a landscape of trash each year as trash flows through a large part of Flagstaff’s stormwater infrastructure and ends up collecting at this site.

In just 2.5 hours these fifteen efficient volunteers collected thirteen bags of recyclable waste and sixteen of non-recyclable waste. Thank you for your hard work and dedication to keeping our watershed healthy and clean!

Join local artist Karen Knorowski (our December 2015 potluck guest speaker) for an exciting two-day workshop on the art of mosaic at Willow Bend Education Center. Participants will learn and practice important mosaic techniques while focusing on the “indirect method”. Completed works will be permanently displayed on the North Thorpe Road Bridge near Francis Short Pond as part of the Rainbow de Rio Mosaic Project.

All materials will be provided and are included in the cost of the workshop. All levels welcome, ages 18 and up. Two-day workshop: $140. Discounts available for Willow Bend members and if you are interested in attending both workshops.

• 1st workshop series: May 28-29, 9am-4pm
• 2nd workshop series: June 11-12, 9am-4pm

About Karen and the Rainbow de Rio Mosaic Project : Karen Knorowski is a full-time art teacher at an elementary and middle school on the Hopi reservation. She earned a Bachelor of Fine Art from NAU and has attended numerous classes at the Institute of Mosaic Art in Berkeley, California. Karen is currently working on the Rainbow de Rio Mosaic Project which is a celebration of the various habitats, plants, animals, and overall ecological importance of the Rio de Flag as expressed through the art of mosaic.

Upon completion of the 2-day workshop, participants are encouraged to join Karen at the mosaic site to help complete the project while learning the “direct method”. This will be a volunteer opportunity and will take place later in the summer; dates will be announced.

Please visit Willow Bend’s Adult Education webpage to register.

Canyon of the Rio de Flag at Logan’s Crossing, Coconino National Forest, east of Flagstaff. Photo courteous of Tom Bean

A Look Through Time: From Creating a Riparian Reserve with Treated Effluent to Exploring Opportunities for Open Space

Scott Anderson, Natural Resource Manager, Coconino County

Conservation and public education go hand in hand. Please join us tonight, Thursday, March 3rd, for a presentation by Scott Anderson, Natural Resource Manager for Coconino County. In an effort to support conservation and education interests, Scott founded a Riparian Institute in the Town of Gilbert and created a 308 acre riparian preserve using treated effluent. Today Scott’s conservation efforts focus on acquisition and management of Natural Areas with the goal of enhancing the Open Space and Parks system for Coconino County.

We look forward to seeing you tonight, Thursday March 3rd at 6:00PM at the Montoya Community Center for a presentation by Scott Anderson. Enjoy the sunshine!

Dear friends and family,

During Summer 2015 we applied for and received a Community Initiatives Grant with the goal of moving our website to a WordPress platform in order to give Board members better access to updating and posting on the website. After a few months, and with the help of a local web designer (Jesse Waitz), we launched our new site in early February. We hope you enjoy it! Please be patience as we continue to update and edit the site during the next few months, and feel free to contact us at deflagrio@gmail.com with any questions.

Sincerely,

Board of Directors, Friends of the Rio de Flag