CMGA General Info

Apple blossoms. Photo by Cynthia Murray.

Welcome to the Coconino County Master Gardeners Association

The Coconino Master Gardener Association began in 2009 to create a corps of well-informed volunteers, and to deliver quality horticultural education programs adapted to our regional high elevation environment. The association provides support for Master Gardener graduates and volunteers as well as continuing education and opportunities to participate in community programs that increase the visibility and participation in the Master Gardener Program.


Monthly meetings are held on the 2nd Thursday from 6:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church
1601 N. San Francisco St. in Flagstaff, Arizona.

On this page you will find:
- How to become a member Membership form
- How to report volunteer and education hours Report your hours
- Upcoming events calendar
- Gardening columns and articles
- Links to other useful websites and resources
- Master Gardener Association documents and forms

Change in Contact Information

Make sure you are receiving the regular emails from Master Gardeners, which are filled with reminders about upcoming events and useful gardening information.Click here to update your contact information!

Event Calendar

Friday, August 26, 2011

Highland Center for Natural History


Photo by Elizabeth Vogler

As a docent at the Arboretum at Flagstaff I participate in monthly Educational Brown Bag lunches during the touring season. We have a variety of lectures, garden visits and field trips. This past week we had an interesting field trip that I thought I would share. We went to Prescott to visit the Highlands Center for Natural History. I have been to Prescott many times but did not know they were there. The mission of the Highlands Center for Natural History is to help children and adults discover the wonders of nature and become wise caretakers of the land. The facility and their programs are a wonderful addition to the Prescott community that should not be missed. The main building, the James Learning Center, is LEED certified, which means their utilities are off the grid, all powered by the sun. Part of our tour was to see all the components involved in being certified. It is a difficult and brave process in this day and age of electronics, but worth the effort in fulfilling their mission of being wise caretakers of the land. We spent our day looking at the features of the LEED building, eating lunch, and then walking the nature trail with a guide. Needless to say the flora and fauna have similarities to our elevation (ponderosa and Abert squirrels), but also differences with manzanita common and a variety of oaks I haven't seen before.

They are very involved with the schools of Yavapai County, providing education at the center, and through school nature gardens (not vegetables) that teach, inspire and connect them to nature. In addition they provide adult education on the natural history of the Central Arizona Highlands. They have 2 miles of nature trails to walk and learn in, on 80 acres of property near Lynx Lake. Twice a year they do native plant sales. Their next project is a small arboretum. If you are interested in visiting or learning more their web site is www.highlandscenter.org.

Loni Shapiro

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