Summer Educational Hikes

Ecology Field Seminar Series
Raise your awareness of the beauty to be found in understanding our natural world and join us for one, or all of the following field seminars, taking you across ecosystems of southwest Colorado. Hikes are lead by Larry Eads, whose background in Forestry and love of the natural world make this an opportunity not to be missed! Registration is required. Contact Gabi Morey 385-1256 to register.

Plateau Canyons and Pinon-Juniper Ecosystems
Our group will carpool to Sand Canyon in beautiful Canyons of the Ancients National Monument and hike into Sand Canyon and Rock Creek Canyon to explore the dry pinon-juniper ecosystem and the canyon desert ecosystem. Saturday, May 3, 9am - 3pm

Medicinal & Edible Plant Walk, near Haviland Lake, led by Calida Maischoss. May 17.10am-1pm. Bring a brown bag lunch or snack for the hike. Meet at the turn-off for Haviland Lake from Hwy 550. Contact Calida to register at 759-9287.

Geology Hike - June 10 - Join Jason Hooten, geologist with the Southern Ute Tribe, on a hike through the geological time periods of the Animas River Valley. Great informational hike for those who know nothing about geology, to the bigger rock hounds among us. 5:00pm-8:00pm at Animas City Mountain Trail. Contact Gabi Morey 385-1256 for more information or to register.

Field Seminar to Ponderosa and Mixed Conifer/Aspen Ecosystems
Vallecito Lake area. June 14, 9:00am-2:30pm. Meet at the Community Center and carpool to Vallecito Campground for a short hike on the Vallecito Creek trail to explore the Ponderosa and Mixed Conifer/Aspen ecosystems. Return to the Community Center for a short hike into the 2002 Missionary Ridge fire burned area to see the effects of fire and recovery and learn about fire ecology. Registration required. Contact Gabi Morey 385-1256 to register.

Field Seminar to Sub-alpine (Spruce-fir) Ecosystem
August 2, 9:00am-3:30pm. Meet at North City Market in Durango to carpool to the top of the mountain at Durango Mountain Resort. Hike into the area at the top of Lifts 1 & 2, then outside the ski area to explore the spruce-fir ecosystem including some meadows, logged and unlogged mature forests. We will also talk about the geology of the area and how it has affected the landscape and ecology. Registration required. Contact Gabi Morey 385-1256 to register.

Alpine & Sub-alpine Ecosystems
Thursday, August 7, 8am - 3:30pm. On this hike we will carpool to the Pass Creek trailhead (Coalband Pass) and hike through mature spruce-fir forest to the alpine meadows. This is a longer and more rigorous hike than the others in the Field Seminar Series (about 5 miles roundtrip) but is not difficult. Contact Gabi Morey 385-1256 to register.