As Erica Prather and 24 others gathered at Catalina State Park trailhead, she began advising the hikers not to pick any of the park’s native flora. Moments later, 18-year-old Khadija Saboor ran up holding a large yellow wildflower. The group laughed at the timing.
“But no more out here, okay?” Prather said after Saboor apologized. “Because we’re in their home, right? This is the animals’ home. They live here.”
The outing brought together participants with the Amphi Women and Girls Union — mostly young women and girls, but also a few men — ranging in age from 4 to 43. For many attendees, it was their first hike. They set off along rocky trails surrounded by prickly plants and towering saguaros, with most of the young women and girls laughing and chatting in Dari…