Jun 5, 2024
The U.S. Forest Service was founded in 1905, under the leadership of President Teddy Roosevelt. Its motto is “caring for the land and serving the people”. The Forest Service is mandated to balance five uses of national forest land: recreation, timber, range, wildlife...
May 2, 2024
Friends of the Forest Sedona is celebrating its 30th Anniversary in 2024. Don’t miss the special 30th Anniversary Edition of Branching Out, which contains messages and history from our past presidents. Friends gathered in early April to celebrate the anniversary, with...
May 1, 2024
Arizona Archaeology and Heritage Awareness Month and methods of Indigenous technologies was celebrated at the Beaver Creek Heritage Days at the Crane Petroglyph Heritage Site. The US Forest Service, Arizona Archaeology Society: Verde Valley Chapter, Verde Valley...
Apr 3, 2024
Agaves have been an important plant for desert dwellers for thousands of years. In addition to being a dependable and nutritious food source, agaves are an excellent source of fiber for clothes, sandals, rope, and building materials. Agaves were a staple food source...
Mar 6, 2024
One of the greatest benefits of living in the Verde Valley is that it’s a place of intense beauty. Throughout my life, I have been overcome by the landscape and moved to tears. My grandfather, Ned Russell, served as Chairman of the Yavapai-Apache Nation and was a...
Feb 7, 2024
Did you know that the fastest land mammal in North America lives in our area? Pronghorns achieve speeds approaching 60 mph and they can maintain 40 mph for almost 2 miles. The only mammal faster in the world is the cheetah. Historically, there were hundreds of...
Jan 3, 2024
Advanced planning is vital for hikes, regardless of the planned duration, difficulty, or your level of hiking experience. Here are some tips and techniques to help successfully and safely navigate hiking trails. Before hitting the trail, thorough research and planning...
Dec 6, 2023
In the Red Rock Secret Mountain Wilderness, there is a little used trail called Bear Sign. Exactly how it got its name is unclear, but anyone hiking it can make a pretty good guess. Recently, a Friends of the Forest volunteer was hiking Bear Sign and found that...
Nov 1, 2023
Friends of the Forest Sedona is a 30-year old all-volunteer nonprofit. Members are dedicated to maintaining, protecting and restoring the scenic beauty of the National Forest lands in the greater Sedona area. By building a partnership with the Red Rock Ranger District...
Oct 4, 2023
What is that fuzzy or scaly stuff that grows on rocks, trees, and even soil in our area? It is probably a lichen. Since March of 2015, Friends of the Forest member, Garry Neil, with the assistance of Janie Agyagos, Wildlife Biologist for the US Forest Service, have...
Sep 6, 2023
Monitoring and caring for the wildlife, fish, and plants within the Coconino National Forest is more than a fulltime job. Red Rock Ranger District, Wildlife Biologist Janie Agyagos balances the needs of the forest by prioritizing projects and tapping into volunteers....
Aug 9, 2023
August 9th marks 79 years since the U.S. Forest Service and Ad Council partnered to create the living mascot that has become the worldwide symbol for wildfire prevention and education. We are celebrating Smokey’s birthday by talking about the kind of fire that even...
