7 events found.
Please review our hiker info page to familiarize yourself with hiker safety rules and our hike ratings so that you can select hikes that meet your level of fitness. Unless specified otherwise in the activity descriptions below, hikes have a 15 person limit, and they begin in the ABDNHA parking lot.
Week of Events
Sunday, February 22, 2026
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February 22, 2026 -Stargazing: Cosmic Gems of the Late Winter Sky – FULL (Waitlist)
Stargazing: Cosmic Gems of the Late Winter Sky – FULL (Waitlist)
Speaker: Dr. Randolph Baron
Program is FULL - please call ABDNHA at 760-767-3098 to get on waitlist
The seasons change, and so do the stars above. Tonight, we will talk about and then look at several different kinds of astronomical objects, from nebulae thousands of light-years away to galaxies millions of light-years away! We will first have a lecture on tonight’s targets in the sky, then go outside to have a look through the telescopes. GP $12, M $10, V $8. Register online, visit, or call us at 760-767-3098.
Register here for the program.
Monday, February 23, 2026
No events on this day.
Tuesday, February 24, 2026
No events on this day.
Wednesday, February 25, 2026
No events on this day.
Thursday, February 26, 2026
No events on this day.
Friday, February 27, 2026
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February 27, 2026 -Lecture: Beauty of the Universe – The Astrophotography of Michael Scott Poirier
Lecture: Beauty of the Universe – The Astrophotography of Michael Scott Poirier
Speaker: Michael Poirier
Michael Poirier’s presentation will include many images of galaxies, nebulae, planets, and other celestial objects taken from his observatory in Borrego Springs and other locations in Southern California. He will also give a brief explanation on how he captures and processes these images.
Michael says he still doesn’t know what he wants to be when he grows up. Educated in the U.S. and Switzerland, he served as a commissioned officer in the United States Navy before embarking on a successful career as a biotech executive and entrepreneur. Through it all, he has always been interested in astronomy. “My interest in astronomy began when I was a teenager. One night, I looked up at the stars through binoculars and noticed that one was a large, fuzzy blob. Later, I found out that it was the Andromeda Galaxy. Ever since then, I have become passionate about it and have focused on astrophotography.” GP $12, M $10, V $8. Register online or at the Nature Center, 760-767-3098.
Register here for the program.
Saturday, February 28, 2026
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February 28, 2026 -Lecture: Native American Life, Use of Native Plants
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Featured February 28, 2026 -Featured ABDNHA Desert Lecture Series: Pursued by a Mountain Lion
Lecture: Native American Life, Use of Native Plants
Speaker: Cathy Chambers, Volunteer
Many hundreds of years ago, there was nothing close to a store in all of North America. The people living here before that time needed materials for clothing, storage containers, food, tools, and other essentials to build living structures. All of these materials were gathered and processed into the items they needed. Groups traded with each other for what they needed, offering what they had in surplus in exchange. In this presentation, you will see and handle samples of plants and the objects made from them that were used in everyday life in the surrounding desert. Cathy Chambers is a lifelong naturalist who studied ethnobotany for her personal and professional development, starting her career decades ago here in Anza-Borrego. GP $12, M $10, V $8. You can register online or at the Nature Center, 760-767-3098.
Register here for the program.
Featured
ABDNHA Desert Lecture Series: Pursued by a Mountain Lion
Speaker: James W. Cornett, Desert Ecologist, Author
While hiking alone in the Baboquivari Mountains of southern Arizona, Jim Cornett came face to face with a mountain lion that had stalked him down a mountainside. The confrontation lasted nearly forty-five minutes, with the cougar lunging at Jim several times, in an attempt to get him to turn and run. Join Jim as he recounts the frightening experience and explains what he did right and what he did wrong in his encounter with the largest of resident American felines. Along the way, Jim will describe the natural history of mountain lions, the threat they pose to humans (real and imagined), and their future in an increasingly urban world. Free for ABDNHA members, all others $10 at the door of the Performing Arts Center. Seating is first-come, first-served.