Arboretum's final lizard tour at hand

Paul Wolterbeek coordinates public events and the volunteer program at Boyce Thompson Arboretum State Park.

There is just one "Learn Your Lizards" guided tour left for this season at Boyce Thompson Arboretum - so bring your family to learn about common Sonoran desert reptiles for the season finale at 8:30 a.m. Saturday.

Boyce Thompson is about 45 minutes' drive east of Mesa on U.S. 60 and is a great family day trip. It's a great place to learn about nature, and also for girls to meet a cool role model such as Arizona Game & Fish Department reptile researcher Abi King, leader of the Sunday walk.

Mesa Community College's popular Prof. Andy Baldwin will also be on hand to guide the 90-minute walking tour through the gardens.

What lizards are you likely to see? Well, desert Spiny lizards at the Arboretum sometimes can grow as big as bratwursts, and they're among the more common species.

Most common of all are the colorful Ornate Tree Lizards, along with Western Whiptail, Side-blotched and Greater Earless.

This entertaining guided tour shows participants how to identify common lizard species and explains why they have blue bellies, why they do those comical push-ups, and about other Sonoran desert adaptations.

Participants should wear sunscreen and a wide-brimmed hat, and bring along binoculars for the best close-up views of these engaging reptiles. Daily admission of $7.50 includes the Lizard Walk and other weekend nature tours during September.

The arboretum is located at milepost No. 223 on U.S. 60, as you approach the historic copper-mining town of Superior.

Leashed, well-behaved pets are welcome, and the park has more than 2 miles of trails and paths.

For information call 520-689-2723 or visit the award-winning Web site http://ag.arizona.edu/bta.