Community to Benefit from Cookout


The community will see the benefits of Cookout at the Ranch III.  A portion of the money raised will be used to support the McDowell Sonoran Preserve and the rest will be invested in the Desert Foothills Scenic Drive. Naturally the number of improvements is a function of cost and the size of additional donations.  

  • Maintain plant sites and identification signs like the Chuparosa pictured here.

Chuparos Plant Site

  • Landscape drive entry sign sites.  A area small around the drive Drive entry signentry sign will be landscaped using native plants.  Pictured here is the southbound drive entry sign located at Carefree Highway and Scottsdale Road. We will also plant desert plants to screen walls that have been exposed by the recently completed APS project to bury power lines along Scottsdale Road.  The City of Scottsdale will be using a native plant seed mix to hydro-seed roadside areas that had to be cleared to bury the lines.
  • Landscape the exhibit area.  Native plants and rocks will be used to improve theDrive monument sign appearance of the area near the exhibit. The exhibit which is located on the east side of Scottsdale Road just south of Jomax Road is marked by the large Scenic Drive monument sign pictured here.  The exhibit provides information about the history of the Scenic Drive, local climate, plant use, and native plants and animals. Some of the exhibit plaques are pictured here. Click on the images to make them large.

Exhibit monument with plaquesExhibit: map of drive plaqueExhibit: monuments with plaquesExhibit: dove plaqueExhibit: cholla plaque

If you would like to learn more about the dove and cholla pictured above visit the Critter Guide and the Plant Guide. To learn more about the exhibit area click here.

  • Work with the City of Scottsdale and residents to: 1) develop standards for scenic corridors, 2) encourage the revision of the sign ordinance to minimize the number and size of signs along scenic corridors, and 3) have light poles, traffic light masts and utility boxes along the Scenic Drive painted with the same desert-toned color.