Maricopa.gov HomepageContact Us (Popup Window)
Site Map | Search | Phone Directory | Departments | Services
Return to Homepage  
   Parks Home   |  News   |  Search Parks   |  Parks Commission   |  Quick Glance

 

 
 

About Us
Annual Pass
Arizona Academic Standards
Brochures & Artwork
Employment
Events
FAQ's
Fees
Geocaching
History of Park System
Maps
Master Plan
Memorial Donations
Nature Centers
Other Links
Park Rules
Programs
Public Notices
Public Records Request
Reservations
Special Use Permits
Subscriptions
Surveys
The Maricopa Trail
Volunteer Opportunities
    - Protect-A-Park Program
Vulture Mountain
Wildlife / Plants

Search Parks

 
  ATV / OHV
Archery
Baseball/Softball
Biking
Boating
Camping
Diving
Fishing
Golfing
Hiking
Hunting
Horseback Riding
Picnicking
RV's
Rodeo Arena
Shooting Range
Star Gazing
Volleyball
 
  Parks Home




 Events for All Parks 
<February 2012>
SMTWTFS
2930311234
567891011
12131415161718
19202122232425
26272829123
45678910
Nature Centers

Parks receiving Nature Centers

About the Nature Centers
The first nature center constructed by Maricopa County's Parks and Recreation Department is is housed at Estrella Mountain Regional Park. This nature center has served as the prototype for additional centers. Before the department began designing the prototype, staff sought Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification criteria from the U.S. Green Building Council to gain a better understanding as to which types of materials and facilities would work best to preserve the natural environment of the park.

The goal of the project was to design a fully functional, sustainable and energy efficient visitor’s center while minimizing the disturbance to the natural landscape and maximizing the design compatibility with the natural surroundings. Several other factors taken into consideration included the preservation of wildlife corridors, the need to avoid disturbing natural undeveloped land and the possibility of utilizing a site which already had been previously disturbed.

After a lengthy design process with a team of architects and staff, Parks agreed on a prototype that would be aesthetically pleasing to guests as well as energy efficient and functional.

The nature centers contain an entry pathway that welcomes visitors into the park and encourages them to venture into their natural surroundings. The nature centers at Cave Creek Regional Park and Usery Mountain Regional Park are paired with outdoor amphitheaters and are connected to the centers by scenic desert walkways that stem from the back patio. The amphitheaters allow staff to and incorporate interpretive and green educational programming opportunities.

As visitors make their way down the path to the center, they’ll notice a garden roof system that contains native plant species and enables the facility to visually integrate into its surrounding. The desert roof adds a significant insulative value, retains rainwater, and reduces storm water runoff on the site.

Once inside the facility, visitors will see a central skylight that is fully glazed for daylight admission yet is situated behind deep shade canopies to discourage direct sun in the summer. In the winter, when the low sun angle hits it, the skylight absorbs and reradiates the heat into the space. The floors consist of exposed concrete that, along with the 20-inch-thick masonry walls, act as a thermal mass.

The walls, glass and the roof are all designed and insulated to meet or exceed American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers energy standards. For instance, the windows are operable with dual-glazed low-e glass, allowing them to be opened for natural ventilation when the weather permits and to resist heat gain in the summer.

Whenever possible, Parks also took special care in selecting materials that were regional, rapidly renewable and offered high recycled content.For example, the majority of the installed materials were left with a natural finish to reduce the use of paints and varnishes. Exterior materials, such as the corrugated metal roofing panels and the unpainted steel siding, were chosen for their durability and low maintenance needs. The restrooms will use low-flow toilets and waterless urinals.

 

Pemberton Trail 50K - McDowell Park
Bird Walk With Sonoran Audubon-Estrella
Fitness Challenge Hiking Series (2 of 6) - Usery Park
Yoga – Connect In Nature! – All Levels Class - Usery Park
Archery 101 - Cave Creek Regional Park
Find the Ranger - Wind Cave Trail - Usery Park
The Gold of San Tan - Hike
Archery 202 - Usery Park
Basic Day Hiking - Lake Pleasant
Geology of the East Valley with Professor A. J. Lombard - Usery Park
Panning for Gold- San Tan
Rock Identification - Part II
Live Birds of Prey Program with Liberty Wildlife! – ADA Accessible- McDowell Park
Mammals of the White Tank Regional Park
Archery 202 - Cave Creek Regional Park
All About Hummingbirds - "Brown-Bag It" with the Birding Lady - Usery Park
"Cat Cave" Hike - Usery Park
Snacks for Snakes! - Estrella
Late Afternoon Campground Nature Walk - Usery Park
Valentine’s Campfire Sing-along with Smore’s -Trailhead Staging Area (Ramadas) - McDowell

Sonoran (Snorin') Sunrise Hike-Estrella - 2/12/2012
Elephant Mountain Fortress Hike - Spur Cross - 2/12/2012
Find the Ranger - Wind Cave Trail - Usery Park - 2/12/2012
What's in that Hole? - McDowell Park - 2/12/2012
New to Arizona? - Walk - Usery Park - 2/12/2012
Take Your Walk to the Desert - Spur Cross - 2/13/2012
Yoga – Connect In Nature! – All Levels Class - Usery Park - 2/13/2012
Loving Arizona - Arizona Centennial Day at Lake Pleasant - 2/14/2012
100 Mile Hike Awards at White Tank Park - 2/14/2012
100 Mile Hike Centennial Celebration - Cave Creek Regional Park - 2/14/2012
100 Mile Hike Centennial Celebration- McDowell - 2/14/2012
100 Minute Hike Centennial Celebration- San Tan - 2/14/2012
Celebrate Arizona's Centennial at McDowell Mountain Regional Park - 2/14/2012
Centennial Celebration and 100 Minute Hike - Usery Park - 2/14/2012
Yoga – Connect In Nature! – All Levels Class - Usery Park - 2/14/2012
Celebrating the State Centennial and Centennial Trail Groundbreaking - 2/14/2012
All About Arizona - "Brown-Bag It" with Ranger B - Usery Park - 2/14/2012
Basics of Bird Watching - Usery Park - 2/15/2012
Movie Madness - Kung Fu Panda (Rated PG) - 10AM - San Tan - 2/15/2012
Medicinal Plant Walk – McDowell Park - 2/15/2012
Movie Madness - Kung Fu Panda 2 (Rated PG) - 2PM - San Tan - 2/15/2012
Paddling toward Gold - Paddle and Hike to Historic Humbug Hydraulic Gold Mining Dam - Lake Pleasant - 2/16/2012
Reach Your Goal Fitness Series 6 of 8 - Cave Creek Regional Park - 2/16/2012
Yoga – Connect In Nature! – All Levels Class - Usery Park - 2/16/2012
Desert Wash Hike at White Tank Park - 2/16/2012
more...


General Park Hours
Sun-Thu: 6am-8pm
Fri-Sat: 6am-10pm
- 365 days a year 

Headquarters Admin Hours
Mon-Fri: 8am-5pm
except holidays 

Maricopa County Parks & Recreation Dept.
Headquarters Administrative Offices
234 N. Central Ave, Suite 6400
Phoenix, AZ 85004
Ph: 602-506-2930 Fax: 602-506-4692
maricopacountyparks@mail.maricopa.gov
 
Our Parks:  
Adobe Dam  |  Buckeye Hills  |  Cave Creek  |  Desert Outdoor Ctr  |  Estrella Mtn  |  Lake Pleasant  |  McDowell Mtn  |  San Tan Mtn  |  Spur Cross  |  Usery Mtn  |  White Tank
Main Parks Homepage  

To visit a city website, click on the link below...
Apache Junction | Avondale | Buckeye | Carefree | Cave Creek | Chandler | El Mirage | Fountain Hills | Gila Bend | Gilbert | Glendale | Goodyear | Guadalupe | Litchfield Park | Mesa | Paradise Valley | Peoria | Phoenix | Queen Creek | Scottsdale | Surprise | Tempe | Tolleson | Wickenburg | Youngtown

 

 

  Maricopa Home      Site Map      Legal Information      Privacy/Security Policies
Maricopa County Home Page
Maricopa County || 301 W. Jefferson St. || Phoenix, AZ 85003
602-506-3011