Events Calendar
Family Science: Grow Your Own Microgreens!
Your family can discover the magic of growing your own food in this interactive, hands-on workshop.
Join us on February 21 for a hands-on workshop with Jamison Douglas of Living Foods, a local Flagstaff microgreens and sprouts business. Learn the essentials of growing microgreens, from soil setup and planting to watering and harvesting, and create your very own tray to take home. This event is best suited for ages six and up.
Adult Workshop: Grow Your Own Microgreens!
Discover the magic of growing your own microgreens!
Join us on February 21 for a hands-on workshop with Jamison Douglas of Living Foods, a local Flagstaff microgreens and sprouts business. Learn the essentials of growing microgreens, from soil setup and planting to watering and harvesting, and create your very own tray to take home.
Science Saturday: Awesome Archaelogy!
Explore the wonders of the past and learn how it’s all applied to the present at March’s Science Saturday! Willow Bend and community partners will host hands-on activities, lessons, crafts, and fun for all ages.
No registration required—just come ready to learn, create, and have fun!
Science Saturday is an event held on the first Saturday of every month from 9:30am-11:30am. Each month is focused on a different theme, and each event offers fun and educational hands-on activities. Artists, scientists, and experts join us on occasion to provide extra special opportunities to learn and explore. There is no need to RSVP, and the events are drop-in format.
Thanks to generous funding from Flagstaff365, Creative Flagstaff, APS, and the City of Flagstaff BBB Revenues, this event is free and open to the public.
Pollinator Puppet Making Workshop
Join us to celebrate the importance of pollinators! From bats to butterflies and bugs, you'll have a chance to help tell a visual story of some of our most important ecological allies.
Willow Bend is thrilled to be partnering with Red Herring Puppets of Tucson on a fun-filled, hands-on afternoon of puppet making. In this family-friendly workshop, participants will work with Willow Bend and Red Herring staff to build six large (2-4 feet) puppets on rods, along with pollinator and flower-themed cardboard masks to be used in a parade and exhibition later this year!
Activities may include using contact adhesive to glue parts together, applying a glue and paper mixture for color and stability, sewing, painting, and simple assembly. Red Herring Puppets will prepare puppet bases and materials in advance and will guide participants throughout the build, with support from Willow Bend staff.
Registration is required.
Teens' STEM Spring Break
Free STEM Spring Break for Teens (Ages 14+)
Join us March 10–12 at the new TynkerSpace (Tynkertopia’s new center for ages 14+) for a free, hands-on STEM Spring Break experience in collaboration with Willow Bend Environmental Education Center. Teens can attend for one day or all three days while exploring STEM careers through creative, real-world projects.
Participants will work on design and building challenges, explore renewable energy concepts, experiment with tools and technology, and learn from professionals working in STEM fields.
March 10–12 (join for one day or all three!)
10:00 AM–3:00 PM
Free lunch and all materials included
Advance registration required. Space is limited. Click here to register.
Community Seed Swap
Bring seeds, swap seeds, and meet other growers in our community! This all-ages event is free and will have family activities. (You do not have to bring seeds to participate.)
To request a reasonable accommodation for any type of disability, please call 928-213-2348. Three days prior notice is requested.
Adult Workshop: Starting Seeds with Elevated Gardening
Learn the basics to help you start seeds at high elevation!
Tina Gustafson, Northern Arizona Master Gardener and owner of Elevated Gardening, will teach you all you need to know about starting garden seeds. This hands-on workshop will give you the knowledge and tools necessary to get your seeds started, covering general seed starting techniques, soil, light, and moisture considerations, and how to prepare your plants for the move to the great outdoors. You’ll leave the workshop with a variety of your own seed starts, ready to be planted in your garden when the time comes!
All materials are included in this free workshop. Registration is required to ensure we have enough space for everyone, and will open at this link (coming soon) on Friday, March 20th at 9 AM.
Adult Workshop: Off-loom Weaving (Round 2!)
Discover the ease and freedom of off-loom weaving! In this two-hour workshop, instructor Jessica Holton will guide you through a shared pattern while educating about the history and mental health benefits of weaving. All materials will be provided! Spots are limited and fill up fast - register today!
Science Saturday: Earth and Planetary Science
Join Willow Bend and friends for an out-of-this-world, family-friendly event! We’ll have fun, Earth & space-themed activities, eye-opening demonstrations, and stellar crafts for all ages at this free, drop-in style event.
Adult Workshop: Off-loom Weaving
Discover the ease and freedom of off-loom weaving! In this two-hour workshop, instructor Jessica Holton will guide you through a shared pattern while educating about the history and mental health benefits of weaving. All materials will be provided! Spots are limited and fill up fast - register today!
Adult Workshop: Wild Food in the Modern Diet
Mike Masek leads the first workshop of our Seeds and Skills: Hands-On Community Food Workshops Series on Saturday, January 17th. This workshop provides a detailed overview of the realities of incorporating wild edibles into our daily diet, along with the skills and information necessary for safe, successful, and sustainable foraging for wild foods. Recommended field guides will be shared.
Thanks to Flagstaff Sustainability Grant funding, these workshops will be free to the public. Advance registration is required - click here to register (registration opens 1/9/26).
Science Saturday: Winter Wonderland
Start 2026 off right with Willow Bend! We’d love to invite you and your family to join us on the first Saturday of the year, January 3rd, for Science Saturday: Winter Wonderland. Through games, crafts, demonstrations, and hands-on activities, curious minds of all ages can learn about the science of the season. We’ll study how animals adapt to the cold, how water changes to snow and ice, and so much more!
Adult Workshop: Herbal Honeys and Syrups for Winter Health
Just in time for the holiday season, Mike Masek from The Forager's Path returns to lead our popular Winter Holiday Herb Workshop. This hands-on workshop will guide you in creating unique, useful gifts for friends, family, or even yourself.
Science Saturday: Sustainable Gift Making
Get ready for a family-friendly crafty extravaganza at Willow Bend! Embrace the holiday spirit with us by creating quirky gifts from eco-friendly material. Hands on activities for all ages.
Adult Workshop: Woodpecker Watercolor
Discover the beauty of the Acorn Woodpecker in a limited enrollment watercolor workshop! Join us for a friendly and informative session where you'll receive step-by-step instruction on painting these captivating birds. All art materials are provided, and you'll have the joy of taking home two small, personalized paintings.
$80 for Willow Bend members, $85 public. Follow this link to register.
Science Saturday: Renewable Energy Extravaganza
Explore the incredible world of renewable energy with Willow Bend! Learn how we can harness the power of the sun, wind, and water to sustainably charge our lives.
Mother Road Brewery Pint Night for Willow Bend
Join us for a Pint Night at Mother Road Brewing Company benefitting our mission. $2 from each community pint will be donated to Willow Bend!
Adult Workshop: Acorns, from Branch to Bread
Join Willow Bend and forager John Slattery for an information-packed, hands-on workshop that will
take you through all the steps of processing acorns for food, and provide recipes for preparing your leached acorn meal. We will be processing the acorns of locally abundant Gambel’s oak (Quercus gambelii) which can be found throughout the urban environment of Flagstaff and the surrounding forests. Late September to early October is prime time for gathering these tasty acorns so be sure to join us so you can be prepared to handle this prime wild food resource.
Cost: $48 non-members, $40 Willow Bend members, includes materials. Space is limited and fills up fast!
Science Saturday: Fall Celebration!
Welcome Fall with Willow Bend Environmental Education Center! Bring the whole family to play in the tapestry of the changing seasons at our fun-filled, fall-themed, harvest event. Dive into creativity and exploration with hands-on activities, including crafting seed art, pressing apples, science experiments and more!
Festival of Science: Cultivating Resilience - Sustainable Building and Community Garden Tour
The 2025 Sustainable Building and Community Garden Tour is coming up! Learn more about green building and growing in Flagstaff.
Download tour packets from coconino.az.gov/sustainablebuildingtour, or pick one up the day of the tour at Willow Bend!
Festival of Science: Fun to Learn - Caterpillars to Butterflies with Momentum Aerial
There will be plenty to see and learn at Willow Bend Environmental Education Center at this event for younger children. A big caterpillar made of stilt-walkers will transform into butterflies, puppets will demonstrate the four phases of a butterfly's life, and more.
Festival of Science: Downtown Geology Tour
This 45 minute-1 hour walking tour will cover the 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.
Festival of Science Preschool Program: Weather Wonders + Energy Explorers
Join Willow Bend for an exciting adventure where you'll discover the magic of the weather, the power of the sun, and the breeze of the wind! Perfect for preschoolers, this fun-filled program is packed with hands-on activities, playful experiments, and lots of giggles. Get ready to learn, play, and explore the fantastic world of nature and energy!
FoS: Ponderosa Pete Readalong with NAU Ecological Restoration Institute
Spend the day with Ponderosa Pete as he explores northern Arizona and learns about forest health! All participants will be given their own copy of this beloved children's book while Ecological Restoration Institute staff read his story. Reservations are required.
Adult Workshop: Pine Needle Basketmaking
Marina Vasquez, from the highlands of Huehuetenango, Guatemala, is here to share her expertise in pine needle basketry. Participants will learn about various types of baskets, the materials required, how to collect and cure pine needles, and receive step-by-step instructions for crafting their own basket. Each participant will have the opportunity to start and complete a small basket and will gain the skills needed to create larger or more intricate designs. All participants will enjoy hands-on experience and take home both their basket and supplies.
Cost: $45 non-members, $35 Willow Bend members, includes materials. Space is limited and fills up fast!
Science Saturday - Wonderful Wildlife!
Get to know your wild Northern Arizona neighbors with Willow Bend and friends! Join us to learn about local animals, identify tracks and scat, and more! Add to the fun by dressing up as your favorite wild animal!
Willow Bend Annual Community Celebration
Join the Willow Bend Board of Directors and Staff for our annual celebration of environmental education in Flagstaff!
Science Saturday: Rocks Rock!
Unearth the secrets of how rocks shape the world around us! Explore rock samples, piece together the story of geologic history, + more with hands-on experiences and activities for all ages.
Adult Workshop: Mushrooms, Fungi, and More!
Join Mike Dechter of the Arizona Mushroom Society to learn more about the cryptic kingdom - mushrooms and fungi.
Science Saturday: The 5Cs of AZ
Discover how Cotton, Cattle, Copper, Citrus, and Climate have shaped Arizona through hands-on crafts, live demonstrations, and fun activities for all ages. No registration required—just come ready to explore and have fun!
Family Science: AZ Wildlife Up Close
Join us at Willow Bend and get up close with live animal ambassadors from the Arizona Game and Fish Department! This engaging program explores native wildlife, their adaptations, and how we can help protect their habitats.
Presentation geared toward ages 8 and up; younger children are welcome.
Admission:
$10 per participant
$35 per family (2 adults + 3 kids)
FREE for Willow Bend Members*
*Willow Bend members receive free or discounted admission to events and workshops. A Family Membership (2 adults + 4 children) is $50, and an Individual Membership is $35. You can sign up for a membership during registration or by clicking here.
Annual Eagle Celebration
Join a local biologist from Arizona Game and Fish for an in-depth look at the incredible bald eagle and witness these majestic birds up close with a live presentation from Liberty Wildlife. This engaging session is open to all ages but is not specifically designed for young children. Families with children ages 4-12 are encouraged to attend the 2025 Eaglets: Family Eagle Presentation instead. Special thanks to Tim Macy for sponsoring this event, making it possible for Liberty Wildlife from Phoenix to bring this incredible experience to Flagstaff, as well as Arizona Watchable Wildlife Experience and Arizona Game and Fish for their support.Admission: $10/participant $35/family (2 adults + 3 kids) or FREE for Willow Bend Members*.Additionally, join us for an optional Watchable Wildlife Bird Viewing Field Trip from 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM at Kachina Wetlands Preserve (weather permitting). This portion of the event is free. For more information see below.*Willow Bend members receive discounted or free admissions to our events and workshops. A Family Membership ( up to 2 adults + 4 kids) is $50. An Individual Membership (one person) is $35. You can sign up for a membership when you continue to the next page and register for the workshop, or by clicking here.
Science Saturday- Awesome Archaeology!
Celebrate Archaeology Month with us at this FREE, family-friendly event! Drop in and learn about the exciting field of archaeology through hands-on activities, fascinating demonstrations, and creative crafts led by local experts and community partners.