Black Point

Babbitt Ranches is the landowner of two biological research field stations that will serve as SEGA garden sites: Blue Chute and Black Point. Grassland is the dominant vegetation type at Black Point. Babbitt Ranches, through its Landsward Foundation, is an active SEGA partner.

Background: Established in 1886, Babbitt Ranches practices ecological ranching while maintaining western traditions. The Landsward Foundation is a nonprofit organization that serves as the liaison between the owners of Babbitt Ranches and the scientific community. The purpose of the Landsward Foundation is two-fold: (1) to develop and disseminate scientific information that will increase awareness and understanding of ecological processes and (2) to facilitate and advance land-use management based on a land-use ethic that places the long-term ecological health of the lands as a primary objective and takes into account the intimate relationships that exist between people and the natural world.

Site Characteristics Table
Garden name: Black Point
County: Coconino County, Arizona
Latitude and Longitude: 35.6835172, -111.478647
Nearest city: Flagstaff, Arizona
Elevation: 5,138 ft (1,566 m)
Annual Mean Air Temperature: Minimum 41°F (5°C) - Maximum 69.8°F (21°C) - Mean 55.1°F (13.37°C)
Annual Mean Precipitation: 6.0 in (152 mm)
On-site manager: No
Overnight housing: No
Parent material: Mixed basalt, limestone, and sandstone
Water source: Well fed by Cemex to on-site tank
Dominant veg. type: Desert Grassland
Weed species:
Mammalian herbivores: Pronghorn antelope, cows.
Cell phone reception at site: Yes
Other: May be bees, rattlesnakes, scorpions . This garden site is adjacent to one of the headquarters of Babbitt Ranches, which owns the garden site.
Potential Hazards: lightening during monsoon season (June-Sept)