ABDNHA

Hike: Mountain Palm Springs (Moderate)
2026-01-18 08:00 - 14:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | ABDNHA Parking Lot, 652 Palm Canyon Drive, Borrego Springs, CA, 92004, United States
Leaders: Tom Keffer and Lee Christie, ABDNHA Volunteers
We will visit not one, not two, not three, but five different palm groves, some of them with up to a hundred trees! 4.5-mile round-trip, 550’ vertical, mostly soft sand, but there are some moderate sections with a bit of bouldering. Be prepared to pay a $10 parking fee. Travel time is 1 1⁄4 hours each way. Meet at ABDNHA by 7:50 am. Bring lunch/snacks, water. Call 760-767-3098 to reserve. Limit: 10.

Hike: California Riding and Hiking Trail Part 2 (Strenuous)
2026-01-19 07:50 - 13:00 | ABDNHA Parking Lot, 652 Palm Canyon Drive, Borrego Springs, CA, 92004, United States
Leader: Rachel Rench, ABDNHA Volunteer
Meet at the ABDNHA parking lot at 8:00 am to arrange our car shuttle. We’ll drive up to mile 11.2 on Hwy. S22 and leave a set of cars at the Big Spring parking area. We’ll take the rest of the cars down to Hellhole Canyon and start our hike up to Culp Valley Camp. There will be a $10 parking fee for any vehicle parked at Hellhole Canyon if participants don’t have a State Park pass. From here, we hike up the California Riding and Hiking Trail to the Culp Valley Campground Trail, over a small pass, and descend into Dry Canyon, where we’ll pick up a faint social trail. The group will follow Rachel up a hill out of Dry Canyon and eventually pick up a trail that will take us back to the parking area on S22. This hike is approximately six miles with 2500′ of elevation gain, and some steep sections to navigate. Long pants, long sleeves, and hiking poles are strongly recommended. Max. 12 people. Call the Nature Center to reserve.

Hike: Crazycline Canyon Loop (Strenuous)
2026-01-20 08:00 - 16:00 | ABDNHA Parking Lot, 652 Palm Canyon Drive, Borrego Springs, CA, 92004, United States
Leaders: Carmelita Logerwell and Terri Straub
Hike: 5.0 miles, 1000′ gain. A very rocky and interesting canyon. Plenty of rocks and dry waterfalls to go up, over, and around. Many synclines and anticlines, hence the canyon’s name. High clearance vehicles recommended. Meet at ABDNHA by 7:50 a.m. Bring snacks/lunch, water, good hiking shoes, and a good attitude. (Hike statistics subject to change based on group, weather, or other factors.)

Nature Journaling in the Field (Easy)
2026-01-20 09:00 - 12:00 | ABDNHA Parking Lot, 652 Palm Canyon Drive, Borrego Springs, CA, 92004, United States
Leader: Pam Blake, ABDNHA Volunteer
Come practice nature journaling in the field with Pam Blake. Meet in the ABDNHA parking lot at 9:00 am and set out from there. You’ll need your own supplies and some familiarity with this practice, as this session offers a chance for further nature journaling with a group but without instruction. No charge; call the Nature Center to reserve. This activity is repeated on the third Tuesday of each month.

Lecture and Stargazing: Winter Star Clusters
2026-01-20 18:00 - 19:30 | ABDNHA Library, 652 Palm Canyon Drive, Borrego Springs, CA, 92004, United States
Speaker: Randolph Baron
In the winter our night sky is graced by the winter Milky Way and the sky is packed with beautiful star clusters. We will first talk about how these star clusters form and evolve and then head on out to look at some splendid examples. 30-minute lecture followed by stargazing in the ABDNHA garden. In the ABDNHA Library and ABDNHA garden. Registration required. General Public: $12, Members: $10, Volunteers: $8. Register online at abdnha.org or at the Nature Center, 760-767-3098.

Birding Walk: Sonny Bono Refuge Visitor Center (Easy)
2026-01-22 08:00 - 14:00 | ABDNHA Parking Lot, 652 Palm Canyon Drive, Borrego Springs, CA, 92004, United States
Leaders: Tom Keffer and Lee Christie, ABDNHA Volunteers
Some of the best birding in our area. We will walk out to Rock Hill, two miles round-trip, with no elevation gain. We are likely to see Snow Goose (sometimes in the thousands), Shoveler, Pintail, Teal, Dowitcher, and Burrowing Owl. Travel time is 1 ¼ hours each way. Meet at ABDNHA by 7:50 a.m. Bring lunch/snacks, binoculars, and water. Call 760-767-3098 to reserve. Limit: 10.

ABDNHA Friendly Friday Bike Ride
2026-01-23 10:00 - 12:00 | CA
Leader: Paul Petersen, ABDNHA Volunteer.
Relaxed social ride of 20-30 miles, mostly flat, at a 10-12 mph pace. Routes vary weekly, and fun rides to highlight the roads less traveled. Return times vary depending on the chosen route. FREE, every Friday. No registration required. Meet in the parking lot opposite the County Public Library.

Lecture: Flash Floods in Semi-Arid Landscapes - FULL (waitlist)
2026-01-23 18:30 - 19:30 | ABDNHA Library, 652 Palm Canyon Drive, Borrego Springs, CA, 92004, United States
Special Earth Sciences Weekend!
Speaker: Suzanne Walther, Ph.D., University of San Diego
PROGRAM IS FULL – PLEASE CALL ABDNHA at 760-767-3098 to get on waitlist.
It has been said that the two most common ways to die in the desert are from thirst and from drowning. Flash floods are the leading weather-related cause of death in the U.S. and many parts of the world, and cause billions of dollars in damage. Dr. Suzanne Walther is a fluvial geomorphologist. She studies rivers, streams, floods, sediment movement, and how the natural flow of water shapes the landscape, interacts with ecosystems, and significantly impacts human development. The focus tonight is on flash floods in semi-arid areas, such as Borrego Springs, where they can occur, the conditions that lead to their formation, the powerful forces they unleash, their effects on water supply and drought, and what can be done to mitigate their destructive impact on human development. In the ABDNHA Library. General Public: $12, Members: $10, Volunteers: $8. You can register online at abdnha.org or at the Nature Center, 760-767-3098.

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Field Trip: Ancient Lake Cahuilla - FULL (waitlist)
2026-01-24 08:45 - 12:30 | ABDNHA Parking Lot, 652 Palm Canyon Drive, Borrego Springs, CA, 92004, United States
Special Earth Science Series!
FIELD TRIP IS FULL – PLEASE CALL ABDNHA at 760-767-3098 to get on waitlist
Leader: John Peterson, Hydrologist and Geologist
Approximately 12,000 years ago, the Colorado River altered its course, forming a massive prehistoric lake known as Lake Cahuilla, which is now the Salton Sea. The lake served as a vital resource for the Cahuilla, Kumeyaay, and Cocopah peoples. Over the centuries, the lake filled and dried up many times. It last filled between 1731 and 1733. Hydrologist John Peterson will lead a half-day field trip to the Salton Sea, where participants can explore the ancient lake’s remnants, including visible “bathtub rings” and fishing traps. Meet at ABDNHA. General Public: $18, Members: $12, Volunteers: $10. Register online or at the Nature Center, 760-767-3098.

Lecture: Geology of San Diego County’s Peninsular Ranges
2026-01-24 18:30 - 19:30 | ABDNHA Library, 652 Palm Canyon Drive, Borrego Springs, CA, 92004, United States
Special Earth Science Series!
Speaker: Geologist Don Barrie
Please join Mesa College geology professor and ABDNHA board member, Don Barrie, for this lecture on San Diego County’s Peninsular Ranges, with emphasis on the Laguna Mountains west of Borrego Springs. Don’s lecture will focus on how plate tectonic processes have created the complex collage of igneous and metamorphic rocks exposed both regionally, throughout southeastern California, and locally, in the Lagunas. In the ABDNHA Library. General Public: $12, Members: $10, Volunteers: $8. A related field trip is scheduled for Sun., Jan. 25.

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