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.