Tracks, Trails & Tales

Transcription

1 C O L O R A D O P A R K S & W I L D L I F E Tracks, Trails & Tales News from the CPW Volunteer Program Winter 2016 CPW volunteers, staff, and community partners this is your newsletter about volunteer engagement and volunteer-related educational events, people and happenings within Colorado Parks & Wildlife. We welcome all contributions and ideas for articles. If you would like to contribute, send articles and photos to Fletcher Jacobs, Statewide Volunteer Coordinator at fletcher.jacobs@state.co.us. Please keep articles to words in length. We reserve the right to edit any contributions. Table of Contents Winter Message... 2 Volunteer Spotlight... 4 Regional Highlights... 5 Camp Host Happenings Partnerships Friends More Tales & Serve

2 Winter Message Snow was falling, so much like stars filling the dark trees that one could easily imagine its reason for being was nothing more than prettiness. - Mary Oliver, Snowy Night Warmest Greetings and Best Wishes for the New Year Catherine Brons, Lori Morgan, Trina Romero, Jena Sanchez, and Fletcher Jacobs - Your Volunteer Program Team 2

3 Winter Message. As 2016 comes to a finish, we want to pause and thank all Colorado Parks and Wildlife volunteers and staff for all you do. Once again, we are amazed at all the work our volunteers complete that we know we couldn t otherwise accomplish. For that, we cannot thank you enough. To help us continue to recognize the work you do, please make sure that all of your 2016 volunteer hours are recorded. If you have yet to do so, please either enter them directly in the database or turn them into your staff contact so that we can accurately track the amazing park and wildlife accomplishments done by volunteers. We are excited to continue to work with you to improve our program in the coming year. We appreciate everyone who has taken the time to fill out the volunteer survey we sent out earlier this month. If you haven t yet done so, please take a moment and visit the survey to help us look at ways we can continue to improve our program. We are also going to be giving the newsletter a new look as we move forward and are excited to share that with you. Please enjoy the 2016 Winter Newsletter as you enjoy this holiday season with family and friends. We look forward to seeing you all again in Thank you again, and best wishes in this coming new year. Happy Holidays! The dates for the 2017 International Sportsmen s Expo show are Thursday, January 12 through Sunday, January 15 in Denver and we need your help staffing our booths! The success of this show depends upon the participation of volunteers. Help is especially needed for evening and weekend shifts. If you would like to learn more or volunteer your time, please cpw.volunteer@state.co.us or call

4 Volunteer Spotlight Kokanee Spawntake and Blue Mesa Reservoir by Daniel Brauch, Aquatic Biologist, Upper Gunnison Basin CPW Hatchery, Aquatic Biology, and Aquatic Health Lab staff have been working alongside a total of 23 volunteers to collect about 17 million kokanee eggs in September through November at Roaring Judy State Fish Hatchery. Volunteers included Grand Junction Middle School and High School Students, Paonia High School Students, and Western State College students. The kokanee eggs will be hatched in numerous state fish hatcheries and kokanee fry will be stocked in up to 26 Colorado lakes. With extra eggs this year, we were able to help out our neighbor, New Mexico, who has struggled to obtain enough eggs from their kokanee spawntake waters. Students from the Western State Colorado University student chapter of Trout Unlimited have volunteered to assist with the annual kokanee salmon spawntake and will work to reduce numbers of smaller lake trout at Blue Mesa Reservoir to improve survival of kokanee. These fish were released to maintain opportunities for trophy lake trout. 4

5 Northeast Barr Lake State Park Wins Business of the Year by Michelle Seubert, Park Manager, Barr Lake On October 21st, Barr Lake State Park received the 2016 People s Choice Award for Business of the Year! Michelle Seubert, Park Manager, two staff members, and three volunteers accepted the award. It was a huge honor to be nominated by the public and then to win! A member of the Brighton Economic Department presented our award, noting, While this might be seen as an unconventional business nomination, Barr Lake is a business that draws other businesses and people to live in the Brighton community. We are honored to serve the city of Brighton, and to be chosen by the public to win this award. Thank you to our volunteers for making Barr Lake what it is. Barr Lake Hosts 4th Annual Harvest Festival by Michelle Seubert, Park Manager, Barr Lake Over the last weekend in October, Barr Lake State Park hosted their 4th annual Harvest Festival. We had 346 people attend for all the events that included hay rack rides, crafts, midway carnival games, a face painter, balloon artist, petting zoo, pumpkin patch, visit from Talon, and food! This event was a fundraiser sponsored by the Friends of Barr Lake. They raised $ from their pumpkin/corn stalk sales, festival contest and donations. It was all made possible with the 40 volunteers, 2 full-time employees, and 2 seasonal staff that worked to prepare and work the event. It is a great community event that keeps growing. We are already planning for next year! Lori Morgan lori.morgan@state.co.us 5

6 Northeast Halloween Trail by Michelle Seubert, Park Manager, Barr Lake Barr Lake s Halloween Trail was a tremendous event that took place on October 29th. We had a record turnout of 627 people attending! This event required 23 volunteers, 3 full-time employees, and 3 seasonal employees. This is just another example of how volunteers are key to making sure these events are successful and enjoyable for all. Weed Warriors at Barr Lake Do Great Things Prairie View High School Volunteer Day occurred on October 28th. 53 Prairie View High School students and 4 teachers came out for their annual service project day. They were weed warriors and collected 35 big trash bags of mullein and thistle heads. Great job, kids, and thanks for all your hard work! Barr Lake Happenings Barr Lake s volunteer meeting ended with a groupie, not a selfie. Our meeting included updates, training about our tipi and raptor identification. What a wonderful group of people, and a valuable group of volunteers. The Barr Lake Friends group was awarded a grant from the city of Brighton in the Big Little Idea Contest. They rented buses 3 times this year to bring people from the community who might not know about Barr Lake to the park for a variety of activities. The Friends of Barr Lake put together an event to celebrate Mexican Independence Day. We had dancers, salsa recipe contest, pinata, crafts, food, and raffle prizes from local businesses. It was a huge success! Lori Morgan lori.morgan@state.co.us 6

7 Keeping Wildlife Safe Through Volunteer Efforts At Cherry Creek State Park by David Close, Park Ranger, Cherry Creek Northeast Matthew Moltzau with Troop 379 built Cherry Creek State Park 10 monofilament fishing line recycle stations. For Lake Appreciation Day in June, volunteers installed the recycle stations near popular fishing spots within the Park. Three months later in September we were able to collect a five gallon bucket-full of discarded fishing from the recycling stations. This project has greatly helped the Park reduce a huge threat to our wildlife. Thanks to all the park visitors who used the recycle stations and the volunteers whose contributions have made this project successful. Staunton State Park Happenings Staunton State Park held a Hike or Treat event on the 29th of October. Pictured to the left are the festive and fantastic volunteers who helped make the event possible. It is estimated that approximately 70 people participated in the 1 mile Halloween-themed walk! Trail Construction occurs at Chase Meadows. The Staunton State Park Marmot Monitoring Crew Lions Head Loop Trail - Trail Construction Slash Chipping in Staunton Platte Canyon Youth group participates in a weeding project. Lori Morgan lori.morgan@state.co.us 7

8 Southeast Cheyenne Mountain s Volunteer Garden Crew by Darcy Mount, Senior Ranger, Cheyenne Mountain Our Volunteer Garden Crew, with a little help from the Mitigation Crew, planted 11- six foot pinon and ponderosa pines on the east side of the Visitor Center. This garden is in the beginning stages but the big trees made an impact right away. Thank you, everyone, for all your hard work! Pumpkin Shoot a Success at Cheyenne Mountain State Park by Darcy Mount, Senior Ranger, Cheyenne Mountain State Park Our Volunteer Archery Instructors held a Pumpkin Shoot on October 29th. They decorated the event, and some wore costumes. We had approximately 65 people attend in some pretty interesting costumes! Thank you all for your hard work in making this event a success. Jena Sanchez jena.sanchez@state.co.us 8

9 Southeast Nest Boxes Cleaned Out as Monitoring Season Wraps Up by Jena Sanchez, Southeast Regional Coordinator Volunteers have been busy getting nest box monitoring data sheets turned in and cleaning out nest boxes on trails across SE Colorado. Volunteers monitor boxes and collect data to see what cavity-nesting species are using them. Volunteers also discourage non-native species, such as starlings and English house sparrows, from using the boxes. The number of sites has grown to include bluebird trails on state wildlife areas, state trust lands, state park sites along the Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area, fish hatcheries and private lands. This totals over 130 nest boxes that CPW volunteers are monitoring between Howard and Buena Vista alone. Once the monitoring season wraps up, then the data entry begins. The data gets entered into the Cornell University Nest Watch website where national songbird trends are being watched. To view the national data, go to August Volunteer Banquet a Success with Karaoke by Jena Sanchez, Southeast Regional Coordinator Volunteers and staff from Salida and Buena Vista gathered for food, awards, and singing, with the help of Lead Singer Dave Powell a.k.a. Camp Host at Chalk Cliffs Hatchery. The annual banquet recognizes Salida and AHRA volunteer efforts. Thanks to Bryon Johnson and the hatchery staff for hosting and cooking a great meal! Talk about production! At Heckendorf State Wildlife Area outside of Buena Vista, 61 eggs were laid in eight nest boxes and 51 bluebirds fledged. Of the 61 eggs laid, five were abandoned and 5 eggs were laid by tree swallows, another native cavity-nesting species that gets documented. In 2016 volunteers observed western bluebirds moving into the Upper Arkansas Valley and becoming more prevalent. The monitoring volunteers from El Paso and Teller Counties had a strong season with good production too, at these sites: the US Air Force Academy, Cheyenne Mountain State Park, Stratton Open Space and Dome Rock State Wildlife Area. Jena Sanchez jena.sanchez@state.co.us 9

10 Southeast Fin Clipping Project a Success at Mt. Shavano Hatchery by Jena Sanchez, Southeast Regional Coordinator The second annual call for help came from NE Aquatic Biologist Jeff Spohn. Help Wanted at Mt. Shavano Hatchery to clip 70,000 fish fins to mark them for a CPW study. Volunteers from across Colorado showed up for three mornings in late August and early September, to knock out the work. Volunteers from the Denver area, Colorado Springs, Buena Vista, and Salida stepped up. Trout Unlimited members from the Collegiate Peaks and Cheyenne Mountain Chapters were there to pitch in. In all, nearly 30 CPW volunteers, Hatchery and Aquatic Staff helped to get the work done in record time. Pikes Peak Bighorn Sheep Counts Count! by Jena Sanchez, Southeast Regional Coordinator Nearly sixty CPW Volunteers, Staff, Temporaries, and Interns tackled the top of Pikes Peak in July and August to conduct the annual Pikes Peak Bighorn Sheep Counts. This project provides data to biologists on bighorn sheep numbers and their movement across the Peak. Collared bighorn sheep also help track the herd so that biologists can see what s happening to rams, ewes and lambs. Getting to the office at 4:00 a.m. and getting that many people up on the Peak before dawn is daunting, but the annual counts give CPW great data for the management of the Pikes Peak herds. Walleye Crew Summer Rendezvous by Jena Sanchez, Southeast Regional Coordinator Nearly unrecognizable by their summer attire, the Volunteer Walleye Crew got together for breakfast in August to share fishing stories, amongst other things. Thanks to the aquatic biologists for supporting this 20+ year volunteer effort. Jena Sanchez jena.sanchez@state.co.us 10

11 Southeast Southeast Region Raptor Monitoring Effort Still Going Strong by April Estep, Terrestrial Biologist, Area 14 Raptor Monitoring volunteers have been assisting conservation biologists in the Southeast Region since Volunteers monitor nests and raptors on public and private lands from Chaffee county all the way to the Kansas border. Volunteers in the Southeast Region Raptor Monitoring Program have contributed 1,415 hours in These volunteers put in many miles, long hours, and hard work to provide raptor breeding behavior, nest success data, and raptor utilization of habitat. Thank You! Southeast Region Volunteers Assist with Conservation Efforts Volunteers in the southeast region are providing valuable support for conservation efforts. Not only do our volunteers contribute more than 1,415 hours to raptor monitoring, they also play a role in multiple conservation projects. Southeast region volunteers have been working on bluebird nest box monitoring (multi-year project), surveying for Gunnison s prairie dogs, assisting with swift fox surveys, Photo credit: Rose DiCenso trapping Lesser Prairie Chickens, and supplying their time to the Black-footed Ferret Program. In late summer, volunteers assisted with mapping 3 large blacktailed prairie dog colonies that are home to the most endangered mammal in North America the Black-footed Ferret. This fall, the volunteers were able to return to the colonies to release additional blackfooted ferrets into their native range. Photo credit: April Estep. Dale Stahlecker, Eagle Environmental, and Kristi Lund, CPW Volunteer, attaching a PTT on a juvenile golden eagle as part of a USFWS study that CPW Wildlife Biologist, April Estep, is participating in. Photo credit: Rose DiCenso CPW Volunteers, Bill Bane and Rose DiCenso releasing a black-footed ferret into a prairie dog burrow in Southeastern Colorado. Jena Sanchez jena.sanchez@state.co.us 11

12 Southeast Other Projects Completed in the Above and Beyond Department Above: CPW Super Volunteers Zach Holme, Dan Frankowski, Jim Thomas, and Bill Snowden finished up cages to support the transfer of lesser prairie chickens from Kansas to Colorado on short notice. To left: CPW Volunteers & Staff Cleaned the Garage Bays in August. Go Team! Can someone give Bill Bane a ladder, please? Upcoming Volunteer Trainings CPW Festival Training, January Wildlife Transport Training, Febuary and March Contact Jena Sanchez at jena.sanchez@state.co.us or for more information! Hey! If you are reading this, send an to cpw.volunteer@state.co.us with the subject line Pika by 12/31/16 to win a prize! Jena Sanchez jena.sanchez@state.co.us 12

13 Habitat Restoration in Area 16 by Nathan W. Seward, Terrestrial Biologist, Area 16 Southwest CPW Area 16 hosted more than 140 volunteers and 120 students from Western Colorado State University, Colorado Mountain College, and Gunnison High School during a multiple day event in September with Wildland Restoration Volunteers (WRV), a non-profit organization that provides an opportunity for people to come together, learn about their natural environment, and take direct action to restore and care for the land. Volunteers and crew leaders camped at the Miller Ranch State Wildlife Area and helped construct simple, yet effective rock structures to restore and create resiliency of wet meadows/mountain swale communities in the face of a changing climate. Bill Zeedyk and restoration experts and partners provided technical expertise and oversight to the volunteers with WRV conducting leadership training for new crew leaders. More than a 120 rock structures were built on BLM, USFS, and private land during the event. The restoration work will help provide critical brood-rearing and summer-fall habitat for Gunnison sage-grouse, a federally threatened species, and enhance winter range for mule deer and elk. Other benefits include enhancing water quality and quantity, high quality forage for livestock, and creation of neo-tropical bird nesting habitat. CPW looks forward to hosting WRV again next September and working with the Gunnison Climate Working Group lead by the Colorado Chapter of The Nature Conservancy. River Watch of Colorado Holds Annual Training Event in Cedaredge, CO by Sam Gilbertson, River Watch Community Outreach Coordinator From October 25-28, sixty students, teachers and citizens from all across Colorado came together at the 2016 River Watch training in Cedaredge to learn how they could make a difference in their local watersheds. New River Watch volunteers were trained in the basics of water sampling and the importance of monitoring Colorado s watersheds. They spent four days learning about indicators of healthy streams, including tests for alkalinity, hardness, dissolved oxygen and ph, while having lots of fun along the way. After electro-fishing and collecting macroinvertebrates, students ages 8 to 18 marveled at the abundance of aquatic life in even the smallest of creeks. At the end of the week, students shared what they learned, and how they would bring this program home to their schools. After completing the training, these volunteers can now return to their rivers and streams to start sampling and collecting high-quality data. If you are interested in getting involved in River Watch, please contact me at sam@ coloradowatershed.org or find us on Facebook! Our next training will be held summer 2017, and we would love to see you there! Catherine Brons catherine.brons@state.co.us 13

14 Southwest Wildlife Museum Luncheon by Catherine Brons, SW Region Education & Volunteer Coordinator This November, the Durango Wildlife Museum Board hosted the annual thank you luncheon for our fantastic Durango Wildlife Museum volunteer hosts. Each of the nearly 30 attending volunteers and their significant others received a special mug and a delightful lunch to thank them for their service during the past museum season. The luncheon highlighted the tremendous accomplishments of the volunteers and what they have done to welcome and engage the staggering 15,000 museum visitors between May and September of this past year. The Durango Wildlife Museum would not be what it is without the dedication and enthusiasm of the hosts who enrich the wildlife learning experience for so many. Thank you to all of our Wildlife Museum Volunteers and to the Board for hosting such a wonderful event- we couldn t do it without you! Leland Flores, Gail Lovell, Priscilla Sherman, Cathy Brons Museum Board: Gail Lovell, Marie Hawks, Priscilla Sherman, John Williamson, Derek Snyder. Catherine Brons catherine.brons@state.co.us 14

15 Northwest Rifle Complex s Three Year Crew by Josh DeVries, Park Resource Technician, Rifle Complex What an amazing year 2016 has been so far. Volunteers showed up as early as Easter and some are still around. I have been at Rifle Complex for just over three seasons now and this was definitely the busiest one yet! And our amazing volunteers handled it with ease. The campgrounds ran smoothly, the bathrooms stayed clean, and best of all, the visitors had a great time. I look forward to each spring when things start turning green, but more than that is the arrival of our dedicated volunteers. They have all become friends. Some will come back next year, and some won t, but they are always on our minds as we head into the cold season! I would like to highlight three of the best camp hosts there ever were! First is Burt. Burt Ives showed up my first summer here and set roots in Cottonwood campground. He does an amazing job, and is constantly getting compliments on everything he touches. Thanks Burt! Second, is Wayne Pecjak. Wayne also started my first summer here and takes care of the upper section of Lakeview campground. Wayne, along with his wife Sandy (who started working in the Visitor Center this year) have done an amazing job in that campground! Thanks Wayne & Sandy! And last, but not least, is Bob Bobo Wells. Bob is our resident Marine, and all around big help. Still mean, not as lean, always a Marine, right Bob? A big thank you to all three of these amazing guys for hanging in there for the past three summers, and we look forward to many more seasons with them! See you in the spring! Photo by: Cherelle DeVries Trina Romero trina.romero@state.co.us 15

16 Northwest Highline Lake State Park s 2016 Volunteers by Patty Hedrick, Administrative Assistant, Highline Lake Highline Lake State Park has always been fortunate to attract excellent volunteers, and this year has been one of the best! Dan and Barbara Dever started out the winter of 2015 in the campground as camp hosts, and quickly became invaluable to the Visitor Center and outside tasks. Both Dan and Barbara are people-persons, and awesome volunteers! The Devers continued with their cheerful, smiling, awesome ways at the South Park Campground with Dan outside in the park, and Barbara inside the Visitor Center. There is no word to describe their work at Highline Lake! Their ethic was: if it needs to be done, we ll do it and it will be done the right way, right now. Dan and Barbara are totally wonderful people, and very special volunteers! Judy and Ron Cobb arrived just before the mountain biker busy season, and they soon discovered what a busy park Highline Lake is in the spring! Judy cheerfully helped at the Visitor Center, while Ron found himself in the campground, always with a smile on his face. Ron eventually found himself working out of a golf cart in the rest of the park, collecting trash and helping the maintenance crew with anything that needed doing! Judy was becoming a pro at the duties in the Visitor Center, and is still remembered when the driveway buzzer goes off! We have greatly missed these valuable volunteers, and we would welcome them to spend time at Highline Lake again! Much to our delight, John and Anna Siebert spent a month of their 2016 summer in the United States volunteering with Highline Lake, for their second time! This couple lives in Australia, and when their treks bring them near Colorado, they stop by to volunteer for a month or so! Both are very hard workers, and John and Anna s visit to Highline Lake was, and is always, an awesome treat for visitors and staff alike. During the busiest and hottest times of the summer, Rodney and Geri Whitley and their mutt Charley came to Highline Lake to volunteer for the first time! Rodney took on the volunteer maintenance crew-golf cart duties. Geri has a personality and background perfect for the Visitor Center, and greeted park visitors, sold passes and licenses and made arrivals feel welcome! Charley s best times at Highline Lake were sitting in his own little RV, tail wagging and tongue hanging out a window, while being pulled behind Geri and Rodney s Harley! What a volunteer dog s life, and what awesome volunteers! Sally and Peter Gilbert arrived from Phoenix, after living in South Africa and Boston. They had camped at Highline Lake several times, when near our little piece of Colorado, and loved it so much they asked about volunteering! The Gilberts loved hiking on the trails around Highline Lake each day, even in October, when Trina Romero trina.romero@state.co.us 16

17 Northwest the wind was chilly enough to redden Sally s nose! Peter and Sally both worked overtime jumping in with both feet to help with the Annual Highline Lake Halloween Carnival! Sally painted wonderful designs on willing faces and Peter wandered around, taking amazing photos! We are very thankful for Peter s and Sally s never-ending, limitless, cheerful, volunteer-to-doanything-anytime, amazing volunteering at Highline Lake! April through October were extraordinary at Highline Lake for park staff and visitors! Volunteers Kari and Paul Bennett and Ron and Sandy Stuck returned to volunteer as campground hosts in April and hosted through October. Both couples know the entire park, especially the campground! Paul and Kari have been coming to volunteer at Highline Lake since 2009 (they missed one season). The Bennetts have camphosting down to a science, and have made suggestions and changes that have helped make the camping experience at Highline Lake much easier and more enjoyable for hosts and campers! Paul likes to take their dog on the trail around the lake in the morning, looking at all the wildlife and birds. He calls it a bird watcher s paradise. Ron and Sandy Stuck just finished their fourth season camphosting at Highline Lake, out of the past five! Ron and Sandy are full-time RV-ers, along with Simba, their harness-trained traveling cat. Ron and Sandy set up several geo-caches in the Park during their stay in 2014, and geo-caching has become very popular at Highline Lake since then. Campers new to Highline Lake also find the Bennetts and Stucks to be incredibly awesome camphosts! We will miss them this winter, and we would gladly welcome both couples back to Highline Lake in 2017! Steamboat Lake Winter Volunteer Opportunities Among the beautiful glistening northern peaks of our beautiful state sits Steamboat Lake State Park. This winter, this park is implementing two new volunteer opportunities - a Winter Trails Ambassador and Winter Wildlife Monitor. These two programs can be independent or go hand in hand, depending on the volunteer s experience and preference. Steamboat Lake has a gorgeous winter trail system that can be traveled by snowshoe or cross country ski. As a volunteer Trails Ambassador, you would assist with trail maintenance and report trail conditions, make friendly contacts with other trail users and provide information and assistance to park visitors. So basically, volunteers get free use of the trail system for visiting with folks and helping out parks staff! The other volunteer opportunity is a Winter Wildlife Monitor, which can be separate or coincide with being a Trails Ambassador. These volunteers would have the opportunity to document wildlife activity by photographing wildlife, their tracks and assisting with the trail camera program. Most observations would be documented through inaturalist, a smartphone application that parks staff will train volunteers to use. Both of these volunteer opportunities can be modified for short-term volunteers if you are just visiting the area, or long-term volunteers for closer residents. If you are interested in either of these efforts, please contact Julie at Thank you for your interest and we look forward to a wonderful winter season! Trina Romero trina.romero@state.co.us 17

18 Camp Host Happenings Camp Host Jamboree 2016 by Kelsey Mazur, Statewide Volunteer Program Assistant The 2016 Camp Host Jamboree was a wonderful success! Hosts from all across the state came to Stagecoach State Park at the end of September for the 3-day gettogether, and were hosted by Stagecoach s own camp hosts Dick and Sandy Loucks, and Dan and Sherry Bruce. An enjoyable Welcome Barbecue was hosted by Craig Preston, Andy Dean, and Cory Spakes of Stagecoach State Park. The following day was perfect for enjoying all that Stagecoach had to offer. Attendees enjoyed time on the water with a pontoon boat tour around the Stagecoach Reservoir, learned about local history and the dam from Andy Rossi of the Upper Yampa Water Conservancy District, tested their archery skills with Andy Dean, the Stagecoach Park Senior Ranger, and participated in a nature hike led by Cory Spakes, Stagecoach Park Administrator. The day wrapped up with a delicious Chili Cook-off, and a Campfire Sing-Along lead by the impromptu band of Cory Spakes, Phil Beckett, and Laura Spakes. Games, prizes, and s mores abounded. We would like to extend a thank you to the folks who made the Jamboree possible, as well as all the wonderful hosts who joined us this year. We ll see you next year! Rifle Gap and Rifle Complex Hosts by Jennifer Ives, Park Ranger, Rifle Complex It s the end of the summer which means a time for reflection at the Rifle State Park Complex. The campground started to fill early this year which meant that the camphosts had to hit the ground running! We even convinced Burt and Vicki Ives to come a couple weeks early in Cottonwood! The campground was fully opened by April 1st and we were still down a couple camphost positions. Luckily we were able to convince new comers Cindy and Terry to sell their house and manage the Cedar Campground. Our volunteers this year consisted mostly of returners, which is a huge help to staff since they know the operations and do not need much training. The first Saturday of every month the camphosts come together, along with staff, and have a breakfast. This is a good time to relax and discuss the current events of the park. Staff members also show their appreciation at several barbeques that occur during the summer. Even after working the long summer a position down, and dealing with the sudden departure of the Rifle Falls host, some of the camphosts decided to stay into October and November. Since all of the seasonal staff is gone, this keeps the park operating at the high level that the visitors expect to see. We really appreciate all that the camphosts do (which is much more than cleaning sites and bathrooms), and we can t wait until they return next spring! Long time camp host Frank Falke cooked up a wonderful pike at the Rifle Chili Cookoff. 18

19 Camp Host Happenings Barr Lake Camp Hosts by Michelle Seubert, Park Manager, Barr Lake Big shout out to our winter park host Bill and Melanie Boschetto, Wayne and Suki Girten and Kevin and Denise Mason. They are a great group of park hosts that wear many hats from park maintenance, public programs to pumpkin patch caretakers. We love them and appreciate all their hard work and dedication. Golden Gate Camp Hosts by Lauren Stanford, Park Ranger, Golden Gate Park A huge thanks to the camp hosts who volunteered at Golden Gate Canyon State Park this summer: Mike and Bobbie Brown, Sam and Gail While, and Sandy and Todd Hansen. The campgrounds that our camp hosts took care of were were full every day from Memorial Day Weekend through Mid-October. Our camp hosts put in a combined total of over 2300 volunteer hours, making countless numbers of park visitors happy with their great attitudes, friendly demeanor, and hard work. They went above and beyond our expectations, especially Bobbie who dressed up like a bat for one of the kid s programs she presented. Thanks again for a great summer! 19

20 Camp Host Happenings Ridgway Camp Hosts by Ranger Mark Farris, Park Ranger, Ridway Cliff and Cyndy Mills volunteered as Campground Hosts in the Dakota Terrace Campgrounds in Ridgway State Park this summer. This was their first time as Camp Hosts for Colorado Parks and Wildlife, but they have spent the previous two years volunteering at a Visitor Center in Soldotna, Alaska and as Camp Hosts at Dworshak State Park in Idaho and Brazos Bend State Park in Texas. The Millses love interacting with visitors and made many new friends during their time at Ridgway. In addition to cleaning vacated campsites, Cliff would clean the interiors of the three yurts at the park. Cyndy sold ice and firewood to campers, created the monthly park newsletter (featuring park events and staff) and collected revenue from the change machines and self-service entrance stations. Cyndy also took on the responsibility of editing the yurt books. The yurt books are binders full of helpful information and are available to campers who stay in one of Ridgway s yurts. The books cover local history, park rules and regulations, wildlife, and local attractions. After several rounds of revisions, the yurt books are nearing completion at a whopping 150 pages! The Millses were able to volunteer until late October which gave them an opportunity to see the park transition from the busy summer months to a more relaxed pace. Even though the park had slowed down, Cliff continued to find projects to help with, such as filling fire pits with gravel, sanding and painting barbeque grills throughout the park, and painting closure gates. Cliff and Cyndy volunteered for a combined total of just over 1,100 hours this year! The Millses plan on returning to the Front Range of Colorado to visit family before traveling to Mesa, Arizona for the winter. 20

21 Partnerships Our partner, Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado, have done quite a lot of good work this fall. Here are some highlights of projects that took place in our state parks: Renewable Choice Energy: Trail Maintenance at St. Vrain by Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado Staff On Friday, September 30th, 12 hardworking employees from Boulder-based Renewable Choice Energy came out to St. Vrain State Park to help build trail around the Blue Heron Reservoir. The bench was dug out, and piles were staged for the group when they arrived. The park employees wondered if the group would finish, due to their small size, but they knocked it out of the park! The group flew through the work and had the section of trail done by lunch time. A great day was had by all! Newmont Mining Corporation at Castlewood Canyon State Park by Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado Staff A team of 13 Newmont Mining Corporation volunteers cared for Colorado at the beautiful Castlewood Canyon State Park on Friday, October 28. During the day s work, the small but mighty group of volunteers worked on the the Inner Canyon Trail. They removed an old, rotting staircase and installed 5 new timber steps; replaced 4 planks on the bridge over a creek; closed 2 user-created trails; reconstructed an armored drainage feature; and completed minor maintenance on roughly 750 of trail! In total, these hardworking trail wizards contributed 104 hours of sweat equity, and their efforts will certainly help to create a more enjoyable experience for the thousands of park visitors at Castlewood Canyon State Park each year. Monarch Investment Management Group Trail Work by Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado Staff 27 employees from Monarch Investment & Management Group stepped out of the office and into Castlewood Canyon State Park on Friday, October 14th, to the park s Rim Rock Trail. Amid gorgeous fall colors, the employees spent the day completing what other VOC volunteers began working on last month. The group not only finished installing timber steps, but they also built six additional steps, constructed seven drainage structures, and maintained about 300 feet of trail corridor. Thank you, Monarch Investment and Management Group! Your hard work and amazing accomplishments will help to connect thousands of hikers to incredible trail experiences in this park for generations to come, and we couldn t have done it without you. 21

22 Partnerships Stanley British Primary School Students Become Weed Warriors by Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado Staff Denver s Stanley British Primary School came out to Cherry Creek State Park on three different occasions on September 21, September 28, and October 5 with their 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade classes. Each class helped remove invasive mullein from the park, and they were champions! They battled warm weather, bees, and allergies to remove a total of 7 acres of mullein! Way to go, Weed Warriors! Rim Rock Trail Restoration at Castlewood Canyon State Park by Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado Staff Armed with shovels, McLeods, pickaxes, timber blocks, hand tools, water bottles, and sunscreen, a group of 40 volunteers split up on the Rim Rock Trail at Castlewood Canyon State Park on Thursday, September 15, for a day of restoration. The Rim Rock Trail has unfortunately taken a beating over the years due to sustained high use and unaddressed drainage and erosion issues from heavy rainfall. To help remedy this, volunteers on this project installed 24 new timber steps and 20 drainage structures on over 700 feet of trail. Volunteers also did some much-needed spot work, improving the trail corridor in overgrown areas, and reestablishing the trail tread in others. Thanks to all of these hardworking volunteers for their great work! Lockheed Martin Become Stewards of Cheyenne Mountain State Park by Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado Staff On Friday, October 7th, 32 volunteers with Lockheed Martin and The Mission Continues gathered at Cheyenne Mountain State Park to restore a trail. The trail system was in need of a bit of upkeep due to significant erosion in preparation for a couple of regional trail races that are going to take place this fall. Volunteers contributed a collective 172 hours on Friday, and by the end of the day, three different sections of multi-use trail totaling 1,700 were maintained! The corridor was cleared, the tread was restored in various places, and a couple of structures were repaired. The work accomplished on this project will help reduce the erosive impacts of water and of high volume trail use going a long way in defining a sustainable and complete trail for users to enjoy for generations to come. Thanks to our volunteers for caring for Colorado! Photos By: Cindy Bond, VOC Volunteer Photographer 22

23 quote quote caption Friends Friends groups are generally defined as nonprofit, 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organizations established primarily to support a specific Colorado State Park or a group of parks. Friends of Mueller State Park by Linda Groat, Program Coordinator, Mueller The Friends of Mueller State Park is off to a great start! A bunch of very dedicated volunteers began about a year ago creating a Friends group to support and enhance the park and its activities. They have organized into a board of directors, have identified projects and priorities in the park, and are spreading the word and becoming known in the community by participating in numerous events around town. The Friends were seen at the Farmer s Market all summer and the Chamber of Commerce Business Expo, as well as Mueller s 25th Anniversary celebration and Mueller in Gold Fall Festival! They were excited to be awarded two small grants in the first year! One funded the start up costs of printing brochures and creating a website. The other grant supported the fall festival and school field trips which paid for buses for 877 students to come to the park to learn all about the ecology of elk and aspen! The Friends of Mueller State Park has lots of great plans for the future. You can keep in touch on the website: 23

24 More Tales RECIPE Let s Raise a Cup of Wassail for the Holidays! Ingredients 1 64-ounce bottle of Cranberry Juice 2 1/2 cups apple juice 1/4 cup sugar, optional 3 3-inch cinnamon sticks 1 teaspoon whole allspice 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg Orange slices, garnish Whole cloves, garnish Directions Combine all ingredients, except garnishes, in a large saucepan. Heat to boiling, reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Strain punch to remove spices. Place in a heat proof punch bowl. Garnish with orange slices studded with cloves. Makes 14 6-ounce servings. WAYNE D. LEWIS Apple-tree, apple-tree, Bear good fruit, Or down with your top And up with your root. - The Apple Rhymes of South Hams of Devon, 19th Cenutry. 24