Friday is a flexible day of riding, learning, workshops, and community connection. During registration, participants will choose one morning activity, two educational workshops, and one afternoon activity.

Friday Morning

• Breakfast

• Morning Activity (choose one)

  • Morning Bird Walk
    A guided walk through grasslands or along Sonoita Creek focused on local birds, wildlife, and habitat.

  • Morning Eco Ride
    Explore the surrounding landscape by bike while learning about regional ecology and conservation.

  • Morning Yoga & Meditation
    A gentle session focused on mindfulness, movement, and connection to place.

Friday Afternoon

• Educational Workshops (choose two) Workshops are subject to change

  • Community Science and Groundwater Monitoring - Friends of Sonoita Creek
    Digital tools to collect, organize, and share data.

  • Wildlife Watching with Trail Cameras - Sky Island Alliance
    Learn the basics of setting up trail cameras, identifying wildlife, and contributing your observations to Sky Island FotoFauna community science.

  • Seed the Borderlands - Borderlands Restoration Network
    Seed Pellets are a mix of organics, binding agents, and fillers designed to protect seed from animals, insects, and losses to abiotic factors such as wind. Make native seed pellets, learn how they support restoration, and take them with you to disperse biodiversity along your ride!

  • Cholla Bud Processing and Indigenous Food Sovereignty - San Xavier Co-op Farm
    Learn about traditional Sonoran Desert food systems, cultural preservation, and indigenous food sovereignty. 

  • Migration, Accompaniment, and Human Dignity - Kino Border Initiative
    Explore migration through the lens of human dignity, accompaniment, and community response. 

  • The Spirit of Sonora: Discovering Bacanora Through Culture & Cocktails - Agave Spirits Specialist and Mixologist Manu Hidalgo
    An immersive introduction to Bacanora, Sonora’s iconic agave spirit. Explore its history, traditional production methods, cultural significance, and unique sensory profile, and discover its versatility in modern cocktails through a guided tasting experience.

  • Natural Building, Permaculture and Land Stewardship - La Tierra del Jaguar
    Get hands-on with natural building techniques while exploring local materials, permaculture, and ecological land stewardship. This is an active, hands-on workshop—come prepared to get your hands dirty!

• Afternoon Activity (Choose One)

  • Nature Writing - Joan Meiners
    What does it mean to channel your thoughts, observations, and feelings about nature, our place in it, and the many threats it currently faces through your pen onto a notepad on site? How can you structure this most effectively, and how might you use the exercise to internally recharge or even as a call to action that educates and motivates others around a cause? We will spend about 3 hours outside working through these questions through small-group activities and individual writing exercises. You will come away with new perspectives and tools for how to turn words into hope (plus a free Ruta del Jefe notebook from Sarah!). Bring sun protection, water, and something to sit on, like a small mat.

  • Natural Building, Permaculture and Land Stewardship - La Tierra del Jaguar
    Get hands-on with natural building techniques while exploring local materials, permaculture, and ecological land stewardship. This is an active, hands-on workshop—come prepared to get your hands dirty!

  • Community Group Ride
    Ride a new section of the Arizona Trail through Borderlands Restoration Network while connecting with fellow participants. 24 miles / 2,400 ft elevation gain.

Friday Evening

• Expo

• Happy hour

• Dinner

• Music

• Nightly Presentations & Storytelling

  Hear directly from leaders and organizations working in conservation, restoration, Indigenous food sovereignty, humanitarian aid, environmental advocacy, and community resilience throughout the borderlands.