Students arrive at Pinnacle Peak Desert Center for previous visit.
Donation made in name of former Campo Bello student, who restored Scenic Drive in 1975 (see below).
On December 18, 4th grade students from Campo Bello Elementary School, in Phoenix, will have fun and learn about the importance of stewardship of the desert and how to survive in its harsh environment. For the third consecutive year, the visit is being sponsored by GPPA and The Peak. After past visits, teachers have expressed their gratitude, saying that such learning experiences are invaluable for their students and that because of a shortage of educational funds they, the teachers, have had to pay for similar field trips out of their own pockets.
The Desert Center, which conducts its program at Florence Ely Nelson Desert Park, formerly La Mirada Desert Park, is located at 6950 E. Pinnacle Peak Road. Donna Ropp, who has managed the program for years, told The Peak that many children from central Phoenix have
Students listen intently as volunteer Dave Ropp answers their questions about rocks and minerals.
never really seen the desert in person.
The program began more than 30 years ago when Florence Nelson began visiting schools and offering informative programs. At the center, a volunteer gives a presentation about the Sonoran Desert, which includes tips on how to survive if the child becomes lost or stranded in the desert. After that, the children are divided into smaller groups and visit four stations offering information about rocks, animals, plants, and Native Americans.
The Desert Center is businesses, organizations, or individuals, who will sponsor a program for a school. Donations are accepted. Sponsor contributions are used to pay for transportation costs and Desert Center fees associated with a school visit. To volunteer, donate, or sponsor a visit, call Donna Ropp at (480) 585-0224.
For Tracy Armstrong
This year’s donation is being made in the name of Tracy Armstrong, who as a boy attended Campo Bello Elementary School. In 1975, as an Eagle Scout candidate, he organized and carried out a project to restore plant identification signs along the, now forgotten, Cave Creek Road section of the Desert Foothills Scenic Drive. In 2007, Armstrong, a father of nine, living in Utah, was shot four times. Paralyzed, from the chest down, he survived and proudly recalls his community service project.
Read “Former Campo Bello Student Restored Scenic Drive in 1975”
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