Links: Local Info, Photo Galleries, Botanical Sites
Are you seeking a motel or campground to stay overnight? Looking for local
restaurant listings anda place to eat when you visit the town of Superior?
Links on this page include local places to dock your RV, pitch a tent beneath
starry skies just seven miles east of the Arboretum. This page includes
helpful local government links, photo galleries with Arboretum images, and
also connections to Arboreta and botanical gardens around the world. Let
us know if we have missed a valuable local link!
LOCAL LINKS:
Apache Tears can be found in this area -- for more info about these orbs
of obsidian, check out Eileen's Apache Tear page at
http://www.140copper.net/apachetears.html
Want details about hiking Picketpost Mountain or other great trails
and hikes around Arizona? Pay a visit to http://www.hikearizona.com
The Arizona Republic has a thorough article on file about hiking up to the
summit of Picketpost Mountain. Read more at http://img.azcentral.com/travel/hiking/trails/picketpost04.html
Highway 60 is an official Arizona Scenic Byway and proceeds up and through Queen Creek Canyon, just five miles East of the Arboretum's main gate. Take a virtual tour of the scenic drive with a visit to: http://www.arizonascenicroads.com/main.aspx
Town of Superior <http://www.superior-arizona.com>.
Town's homepage with local links and direct email hotlinks to the town manager,
Mayor Michael Hing and other town officials
Superior Chamber of Commerce
<http://www.superiorazchamber.net>. The Business community's homepage
with local links and direct email hotlinks to chamber members and officers.
Check out the menu guide which lists local restaurants!
http://www.worldssmallestmuseum.com
fun website for Superior's unabashed tourist trap. Good food is right next
door at the Buckboard City Cafe
Superior School District <http://www.superior.k12.az.us> visit the local school's website for schedules, details and links
Superior Arts League <http://www.superiorartsleague.com>
read about local artists and galleries.
www.superiorrvpark.com and also
toll free by phone at 866.689.5331 for RV travelers (campers, too) who are
seeking a place to spend the night. Just two miles due east of the Arboretum
on highway 60. Campsites are also available seven miles east of BTA at the
scenic Oak Flats Campground of the Tonto
National Forest <http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/tonto>
http://www.azstateparks.com is
the Arizona State Parks website, and your portal to hiking, camping and
recreation at 28 beautiful state parks at all corners of Arizona. Lost
Dutchman State Park near Apache Junction has RV spots just 30 minutes'
drive from the Arboretum, and Roper
Lake has a fishing lake and natural geothermal-fed hot tub! There are
many more reasons to visit the Arizona State Parks website.
Superior Sun Newspaper
<http://www.copperarea.com> visit our local weekly paper online at
this site, which also publishes news and announcements from the towns of
Kearny, Winkelman and San Manuel
The Central Arizona Association of
Governments (CAAG) has links to information about community development
and planning in Gila and Pinal Counties.
Need a nearby hotel after your day at the arboretum? Gold
Canyon Golf Resort is just 25 miles west of BTA and has 83 hillside
casitas, many with private Jacuzzi room. Visit the website or call toll
free dial 800.624.6445.
The Arizona Golf Resort is 40 minutes
west of the Arboretum, or a drive of just 25 minutes east of Sky Harbor
Airport. The resort is located at 425 South Power Road in Mesa. For Sumer
specials, reservations or any other details check out the resort website
http://azgolfresort.com or else call
toll free 800.528.8282
Guests will "sleep in class" and have breakfast in memorable style
at the historic Noftsger Hill School
Bed & Breakfast about 40 minutes east of the Arboretum in the historic
mining community of Globe. To inquire about reservations call toll-free
877.780.2479
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BTA PHOTO GALLERIES
Want to view closeups and landscapes of Arboretum scenery by a wide range
of artists? More than a dozen online galleries are linked here -- Arboretum
Volunteer photographer Andrew Henry posted this gallery http://www.andrewhenryphotography.com/BTA
with scenic images from 2008-2009, and also pictures from events such as
our annual Bye-Bye Buzzards day this past fall -- September, 2009. Andrew
also posts to online galleries at http://www.flickr.com/photos/36891838@N08
Daryl Faust <http://www.pbase.com/darylf/bta>
has a gallery of images well worth a visit. His wife Tina Faust maintains
the online galleries at <http://www.pbase.com/tfaust/btarboretum>
which include Autumn color and charismatic black-and-white photography.
Thanks Daryl and Tina!
Jason Sampson also uses the Pbase server for his galleries at <http://pbase.com/jgsampso/boycethompson>
well worth a visit if you want more of an idea of what's to see around our
trails and gardens. Thanks Jason!
Jessica Green's gallery <http://www.jessicagreen.com/gallery/bta>
has dozens of beautiful images of the Arboretum taken during various seasons
in 2004, 2005 and 2006. Jessica is an Arizona State Parks volunteer who
generously photographs events here at BTA. Thanks Jessica!
EJ Peiker's November 27, 2005 gallery <http://www.ejphoto.com/boyce_thompson_arboretum_page.htm>
includes beautiful Autumn landscapes showing Chinese Pistachio trees at
peak color in Queen Creek Canyon. And check out EJ's breathtaking bird photography
at ejphoto.com
Steve Davidson posted some new images from Summer/Fall 2005 on his galleries
at <http://www.pbase.com/azleader/boyce_arboretum>
which also showcase dozens of landscapes, colorful macros and more. Thanks
Steve!
Preview fall foliage around the Arboretum and also Oak Creek Canyon at Bonnie
Perry's gallery at http://www.pbase.com/glassgarden/arizona_autumn
Spring and Summer, 2006, bird closeups by Randy and Susan Forrest can be
seen at http://www.forrest-creative.com/birds/index-bta.htm!
Arboretum scenes and galleries including a cute page of July, 2006 "egg,
tadpole, toad" pictures by our own Groundskeeper Tammy Knight can be
found at http://www.pbase.com/silverking27.
Tammy offers a singular "insider's view" of the collections, trails
and seasonal color here. Thanks, Tammy!
Kathy McClure of Queen Creek has lovely portraits of autumn leaves, a trailside
redbud in full bloom, and other images posted at http://www.photoreflect.com/pr3/thumbpage.aspx?e=3273086
. The artist was featured in our Visitor Center Arts gallery with a one-woman
exhibit in February, 2005.
These November, 2004 closeups of birds around BTA were taken by Mesa resident
John Emerson. <http://www.pbase.com/jemerson/root>;
thanks for sharing this link to your work, John!
Duncan Kunz has been a BTA member for years, and has images posted at <http://members7.clubphoto.com/duncan467853/owner-99e4-1.phtml>
thanks Duncan!
Another generous photographer is Mesa resident Dave Souers, visit his galleries
of cacti macros at <http://members.tripod.com/coltas/macro3.html>
Mesa Art League President Cynthia Rider has several fun galleries on her
website, including Pinal
Mountain Autumn Color from October 2005. Cynthia was our visitor center
gallery guest artist in November, 2004, and posted THIS
GALLERY from her opening reception, as well as images from her PLEIN
AIR DAY painting Autumnal hues during our Fall Color Festival Nov. 27-28,
2004. Want to see more? Check out her drive to the top of the PINAL
MOUNTAINS in October, 2004 to see Fall Color around Signal Peak.
Gayla Chandler's page juxtaposes Sierpinski Tetrahedrons with plants and various geometry and color around the Arboretum. For details, check out: http://www.public.asu.edu/~starlite/sierpinskiboycethompson.html
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Botany, Arboretum and Botanical Garden Websites
Our staff is often asked about plants available for landscaping -- in particular
Australian landscape plants. These first two links below should be
helpful for Australian landscape plants (the first link) and also landscape
plants in general.
http://www.downunderontop.com/plantlist.htm
http://www.mswn.com/MSWNmasterplantlist%20A.htm
More Links:
http://www.gardenvisit.com/m/garden-finder-indexs/America.htm has thorough links to other botanical gardens around the United States, as well as photos and specific information about each.
www.arizonensis.org/sonoran has a wealth of information about Sonoran Desert ecology and many photographs of desert plants and wildlife.
Central Arizona Cactus and Succulent Society is a wonderful resource to learn about native desert plants and cacti that are cultivated and exotic. Last year the Arizona Cactus and Succulent Society hosted the 2005 annual conference in Scottsdale, and there were field trips, classes and presentations about all things Cacti. Society meetings are held at the Desert Botanical Garden's Dorrance Hall at 1201 North Galvin Parkway in Phoenix. For more detail call 480.481.8129. To learn more about the Central Arizona Cactus and Succulent Society contact Leo Martin by phone at 602.852.9714 or by EMAIL
Desert
Legume Program
The University of Arizona College of Agriculture and Life Sciences sponsors
the Desert Legume Program to promote research and awareness of these plants
which provide a huge array of food, fiber and medicine. The new website
was launched in June, 2005, so please pay a visit to learn more about this
program!
Desert
Plants Magazine
Desert Plants is a unique botanical journal published by The University
of Arizona for Boyce Thompson Southwestern Arboretum. The journal is devoted
to encouraging the appreciation of indigenous and adapted arid land plants.
Desert Plants publishes a variety of manuscripts intended for amateur and
professional desert plant enthusiasts.
Robert
J. Moody Demonstration Garden in Yuma has been designed by University
of Arizona Cooperative Extension and situated near the city Public Health
Department Building and the juvenile court services. The goal is to showcase
types of plants that will perform well in the desert southwest; future plans
include a children's garden, healing and sensory garden (for physically
challenged citizens) a native plants garden, desert adapted garden, tropical
garden, and cultivated plants garden.
Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research
Based in Ithaca, New York, was founded by Col. Thompson in 1924 on the premise
that basic plant research leads to tangible benefits for people. BTI researchers
study how to improve crops by increasing yield or nutritional content, or
decreasing the need for fertilizers and pesticides. Other research relates
to plant-made vaccines, and human immune system. Read more via the website
above.
Desert Botanical Gardens
Phoenix residents are fortunate to have the Desert Botanical Garden so nearby;
one of the most educational and inspiring gardens in the world, this collection
is traversed by wheelchair-accessible trails and has detailed records on
all plants in the collection, a trove of horticultural and botanical information.
Visit online to learn about seasonal events, education and botany.
Tohono Chul Park is located
in north Tucson, with extensive cacti and succulent collections, guided
tours and other special events -- several gift shops and a delightful tea
room with sandwiches and light fare.
Tucson
Botanical Garden is located closer to downtown Tucson and the University
of Arizona campus.
Campus
Arboretum of the University of Arizona
In the 1800's cactus and creosote surrounded Tucson, Arizona. When the University
of Arizona was established as the state's land-grant institute, ornamental
trees, shrubs, and cacti were planted to beautify the grounds (and cut down
on the dust!) Today's campus holds over 500 individual species.
Arboretum
at Flagstaff, Flagstaff Arizona
Founded in 1981,the Arboretum is dedicated to helping visitors understand
the plants and plant communities of the Colorado Plateau. Located at 7,150
feet in elevation, The Arboretum encompasses 200 acres of ponderosa pine
forest just west of Flagstaff, Arizona. Within this expanse, you can experience
a variety of educational adventures. Listen to the babbling brook and learn
about our unique population of Little Colorado spinedace, a threatened native
fish. Sample plants from one of the largest herb gardens in the Southwest.
Gilbert Water Ranch and Riparian
Preserve is about 45 minutes west of the Arboretum, and offers outdoor
recreation and excellent trails to enjoy migratory and resident birds. Education
programs about bats, insects, plants and astronomy are open to the public.
American Public Gardens Association
Check out the newly redesigned American Public Gardens Association web site,
publicgardens.org -- a true showcase of member organizations and gardens!
Southeast
Arizona Butterfly Association
Hackberry Emperors, Monarchs, Cloudless Sulphurs and more butterflies may
be seen at Boyce Thompson Arboretum. To learn more about the colorful butterflies
of Arizona visit the SEABA website. This relaxed group of fun-loving butterfly
enthusiasts has members of all levels of knowledge and experience, the organization
is a non-profit one which promotes non-consumptive recreational enjoyment
and study of butterflies. Meetings are held at Tucson Botanical Gardens.
For details visit the website www.naba.org/chapters/nabasa/home.html or
call 520-742-0071.
http://www.desert-tropicals.com
is a great resource, with a searchable database of plants. Got a question?
Need help identifying a photo you took while on vacation? Visit this site
Nikita Botanical Gardens, Ukraine Cacti Greenhouse at the Nikita Botanical
Gardens, Yalta, Crimea, Ukraine. A collection of rare plants, with indoor
and outdoor exhibition of different cacti and succulents. Website includes
a photo gallery of leafy succulents, abnormal cacti and landscapes; the
list of collections, and articles of interest. http://www.lapshin.org/nikita
Royal
Botanic Gardens, Kew, United Kingdom
Much new to see. Of particular interest are the Living Collections and a
good collection of botanical and horticultural links.
I Love Gardens.com
This site maintains a large list of public and private gardens, you may
select your favorites, and have a pleasurable ramble. Read the comments
of other visitors. Their list is growing every day, so check back often!
Currently, 1633 gardens are listed. Find the nearest botanical garden, arboretum,
rose garden, water garden, rock garden, herb garden, Japanese garden, zoo
or park - or plan your garden visits for your next vacation!
National
Wildflower Research Center
Come on down and visit the new Wildflower Center in Austin, Texas. Don't
miss the wonderful photo of founder Lady Bird Johnson in a field of bluebonnets.
Cornell Plantations: the Arboretum,
Botanical Garden, and Natural Areas of Cornell University
The Cornell Plantations website provides a self-guided tour through Cornell's
gardens and gorges, flora and fauna, geology, architectural treasures, history,
and lore.
Tele-Garden at USC
Visit an unusual garden at the University of Southern California being tended
by people from all over the world with a web-controlled robot.
University of Washington Medicinal
Herb Garden
Gypsy Combs and Doll's Eyes, Goldenseal and Job's Tears, all are growing in
this herb garden. Includes an illustrated partial list of herbs by botanical
name and by common name.
Butchart Gardens
Visit the beautiful Butchart Gardens on Vancouver Island.
Morgan Arboretum
Located on the western tip of the Island of Montreal is Canada's largest Arboretum.
This 245 hectare Enchanted Forest, originally assembled by the Morgan family
and turned over to McGill University in 1945, has served not only as a unique
educational resource, but has also provided enjoyment to generations of supporters
and visitors.