Payson Roundup

Green Valley Park will be the site of an Arizona Game and Fish Department public wildlife-viewing workshop on Tuesday, Sept. 8.

This program is designed to help people find, observe and enjoy elk and some of the state’s many wildlife species on their own. The event will start at the Payson Parks and Recreation Office at Green Valley Park and then move out to the field to view elk.

The program will begin at 4 p.m. with an information program that focuses on the natural history of elk and elk viewing in Arizona, giving suggestions on how and where to find these majestic animals. Workshop participants will then go into the field that evening to find and watch some of Arizona’s elk.

“We’ve designed this workshop to provide people with sufficient information for them to have a quality, firsthand experience in the outdoors, and to be able to regularly find and watch elk on their own,” says Randy Babb, spokesman in the department’s Mesa office.

“If you've never heard a bull elk bugle in the rut, you’ve missed one of nature’s most awesome sounds. This will be an excellent opportunity to see and hear elk.”

Because it will be necessary to maintain a small group once in the field and due to transportation limitations, the clinic is limited to 20 participants.

“Also, because wildlife viewing in general does require patience and a minimum of movement and noise, we request that children attending be old enough to sit quietly in order to not disturb the elk,” Babb says.

The workshop fee is $5/person to reserve a spot.

Registration can be done at the Payson Parks, Recreation and Tourism Office at 1000 W. Country Club Drive, or online @ www.paysonparks.com.

You can also call the Payson Parks, Recreation and Tourism Office for more information at (928) 474-5242, ext. 7.

“Arizona is a state rich in wildlife resources,” Babb notes.

“More than 900 different species of fish and animals can be found here. We highly encourage folks to pause and discover not just the visual beauty of Arizona’s settings, but also to learn to find, view and appreciate the different creatures that live in and about our state’s diverse landscapes.”