Through generous funding from Mountain Sports Flagstaff and 1% for the Planet , Willow Bend Environmental Education Center will be offering guided Downtown Geology Tours. The 45 min walking tours are based on local Flagstaff author, Marie Jackson’s Stone Landmark’s book. An exclusive and unique opportunity for the community to explore downtown like never before.

The tour will cover ancient history of stones used to build downtown’s iconic buildings, including Moenkopi Sandstone, Pumiceous Dacite, Kaibab Limestone, and Malapais Basalt. In addition tours will highlight progression of architectural styles, discuss changing preferences for certain rock types, and provide an overview of historic events. Participants will search for fossils on the Ice House walls, find out what stone is referred to as “Arizona Red”, visit the layers of the "Grand Canyon" at Heritage Square, view beautiful stone etchings, and more.

Tours will meet at 1:00pm (please arrive a few minutes early to sign in) outside Mountain Sports Flagstaff 24 N. San Francisco. The tour is FREE and will be limited to 20 participants. Sign-up in advance. Comfortable walking shoes, water and a sun hat are recommended. Tour is wheelchair and stroller accessible and suitable for all ages.

Tour dates are (all beginning at 1pm at Mountain Sports):
May 20th
June 3rd
June 14th
July 1st
July 19th
August 5th
August 23rd
September 27th *in conjunction with the Flagstaff Festival of Science

Willow Bend Environmental Education Center is a 501 © 3 non-profit organization providing education outreach services that build environmental awareness and an ethic of responsible stewardship of our natural and cultural resources.