Current SJMA E-News

Lightweight Backpacking Presentation, April 30, 2008

Exploring the wilderness with a pack on your back is an empowering experience, but lugging a heavy backpack is a humbling experience! Is your pack weighing you down? Are you tired of carrying a heavy pack that weighs 40 or 50 pounds? You don't have to. After all, the whole idea is to have fun and enjoy the wilderness.It's easy to lighten your pack substantially, down to a base weight of 20 pounds or less, without sacrificing comfort or safety. With a lighter pack, you can hike farther, faster, longer, and easier, with less physical stress, fewer injuries, more safety and security, and far more satisfaction.

Plan to attend a Lightweight Backpacking Seminar sponsored by the San Juan Mountains Association, Backcountry Experience, and Backpacking Light Magazine. The Seminar will be held at Backcountry Experience (1205 Camino Del Rio, Durango CO) April 30 from 6:30 to 9 PM. The presenters are Will Rietveld and Janet Reichl, SJMA volunteers and staffers at Backpacking Light Magazine. Will and Janet have a combined 80 years of backpacking experience, and have published over 200 articles on lightweight backpacking gear and techniques.
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Education Volunteers Needed!

San Juan Mountains Association is once again taking elementary school
students on field trips to public lands in May, and we need YOUR help!
Volunteers are needed to help teach stations on subjects such as trees,
tracks, birds, and various other conservation education related topics. No
experience is necessary - just a love for the outdoors and bringing it to
children. Training is provided, as are outlines for the stations and
materials. Contact Gabi Morey for more information at 759-1170 or gabi@sjma.org.
Hope to see you in the woods!

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Ecology Field Seminar to Sand Canyon

SJMA is hosting a series of ecology field seminars this spring and summer to various ecosystems in southwest Colorado. The first will take place on Saturday, May 3rd, in SandCanyon of Canyons of the Ancients National Monument. Larry Eads will lead the group in an exploration of the landscape, plants, animals, their interactions and adaptations in this beautiful area. Takes place from 9am - 3pm. Space is limited; contact Gabi Morey to sign up or for more information at 759-1170 or gabi@sjma.org. For a full list of field seminars in this series, visit
Education Calendar

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Outdoor Women's Workshop coming up May 17-18, 2008

Sponsored by the Colorado Division of Wildlife and the National Wild Turkey Federation. This is a great chance to sharpen your outdoor skills and develop brand new ones! At this "WITO" (Women in the Outdoors) workshop, ladies from all walks of life and all experience levels will get excellent instruction and experiences in (choice of 4):
-wildlife viewing
-campfire dutch-oven cooking
-outdoor survival, first aid, and map and compass
-tours of historic Old Fort Lewis
-firearm safety and handling
-target shooting with handguns, rifles, and shotguns
-archery
-wild turkey biology
-wild turkey calling/hunting instruction
-optional Sunday mentored turkey hunt for those with a hunter safety card and a turkey license!

No previous experience is required! So, whether you want to learn more about local wildlife, cook over an open fire, reduce your fear of firearms, learn to shoot, stay safe in the woods, or even hunt sustainable wild game, this is the event for you. I hope that you'll join us for a fantastic weekend at the "Old Fort Lewis" San Juan Basin Research Center near Durango, CO
Space is limited. The earlier you register, the more likely you'll get the exact classes you want.

Contact Leigh Gillette, Southwest Region Education Coordinator
Colorado Division of Wildlife, for registration information, (970) 375-6709.
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Are you an SJMA Member?

Your support will enable us to:
Educate our volunteers, our partners and the public, with a renewed focus on youth
Connect people - including the public, land managers, and our volunteers - to each other and to our natural and cultural resources.
Inspire respect for our ideals among our partners, the public, and our volunteers.
Strengthen our image and visibility in the community, our membership, volunteer groups, and the partnerships that contribute to meeting our mission.
Diversify funding source by identifying and pursuing new opportunities.
Support our volunteers, staff, and partners by providing opportunities for growth and creativity.
Help us celebrate 20 years of providing stewardship and conservation education.

Join Today! Become a Member

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Save the Date!
HOW TO IDENTIFY WILDFLOWERS, An Introductory Workshop, June 21-22

Are you a wildflower lover who gets frustrated year after year at not being able to identify (or remember!) the gorgeous plants you see each summer? Come to a wildflower workshop presented by the Colorado Native Plant Society and sponsored by the San Juan Mountains Association.

You will learn to identify plants using a number of methods, short cuts, and plant keys. Characteristics of the major plant families will be covered in an hour long slide show. The Four Corners wildflower site ( www.swcoloradowildflowers.com ), plant keys, and microscopes will be used to identify actual specimens of plants in another part of the program, and there will be plenty of time for your questions.

On Sunday we will meet outdoors in small groups led by experienced wildflower experts from the Colorado Native Plant Society. We will identify flowers by putting to use the techniques learned in the Saturday session.

Presenters of the Saturday session are Colorado Native Plant Society members Al Schneider and Dick Moseley. Al is President of the Southwest Chapter of the Native Plant Society, webmaster for the Society, and author of www.swcoloradowildflowers.com. Dick is the former Chief of the Ohio Division of Natural Areas and Preserves, and he is a long-time San JuanNational Forest volunteer guide and plant expert at Chimney Rock.

Time: Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, approximately 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Place: Saturday at the San JuanPublicLandsCenter (just north of highway 160 on the east side of Durango at 15 Burnett Court).
Sunday, Field day, location TBA.
Cost: For Saturday, $30 ($24 for members of the Colorado Native Plant Society, San Juan Mountains Association, U.S. Forest Service, and BLM.) The fee includes a year membership in the Colorado Native Plant Society for new members.
Sunday cost is $5 payable at class time.
Bring a magnifying glass if you have one and bring a sack lunch each day.
Pre-registration is required. REGISTER EARLY, class size is limited.
Make your check out to:
Colorado Native Plant Society
And mail to: Al Schneider, 19049 Road V, Lewis, Colorado 81327
Please include your phone number and email address. For more details see: http://www.conps.org/southwest.html
Also feel free to call or email Al: (970-882-4647) webmaster@conps.org

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SJMA is pleased to share some exciting news about the Puma Project! The permanent signs are now installed on all the publicly displayed pumas. Mark Franklin of Interpretive Design in Durango donated his expertise and assisted with the design and lay-out of these beautiful and sturdy signs. Kathleen May (former SJMA BOD President) graciously donated her talent and time with all the rest of it ~ including the installation. We extend our sincere appreciation to both Mark & Kathleen!!

It's very gratifying to see this ambitious SJMA project "live on" throughout SW Colorado and Utah. These informational signs will help spread the word about caring for our public lands and the wildlife they sustain.

Please click on the link below for a complete listing of all 17 pumas now containing permanent "markings." Puma Locations

We are also delighted to announce the new release of American Art Parades: When Pigs Flew, Guitars Rocked & Cows Jumped Over the Moon! American Art Parades is a colorful 192 page, hardbound, coffee table book that will retail for $34.95. SJMA's Pumas on Parade ~ the Four Corners' first region-wide public art and environmental education project ~ is featured on pages 38-39.
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