May is school Group Month

The Marmot Messenger

STAUNTON STATE PARK

VOLUNTEER NEWSLETTER MAY – JUNE 2018 VOLUME 7 ISSUE 3

What’s Inside Zach’s Column 2

March Volunteer Meeting 3

New Track chair manager 5

Friends 7

Bandits 8

Homesteaders 9

Spring 13

Volunteers 14

Team Coordinators and Staff 16

Over 500 school kids are scheduled for programs at the park in May. They don’t bite, usually,

so please consider volunteering to help. All you have to do is help herd them along.

SAVE THE DATES

Marmot Fest June 23 & 24

You know you want to help.

MARMOT MESSENGER 2

MANAGER’S MESSAGE We have been found...

Visitation is increasing and our popularity is rising.

Every day I get at least one phone call or email request to photograph or film in the park, or question me about best trails to take for group hikes, inquiries about

accessibility and fishing and trail conditions. But, best of all I get inquiries about how to help.

People from across the state are interested in volunteering opportunities and ways to give back to Staunton. Our volunteer numbers are at an all-time high and we have a waiting list for our fall training. At least 20 groups scheduled this year to assist with some sort of service project, including the GOCO (Great Outdoors Colorado) board of directors.

All this fame takes its toll. Keeping track of projects, events, school groups and much more is a full time job. If you ask a question or come up with a great idea for a project, I can guarantee there are 50 more volunteers with the same idea. This is not a bad thing.

Annie sent out an email stating we would be having volunteer requirements, which drew some concerns. I would like to clarify.

The request was a push to increase attendance of new volunteers or those we rarely see at our monthly meetings. We would like to see you and want you to be here. The meetings are not only a place for me to provide park updates, information about common visitor concerns and direction on handling these inquiries, but also a time for volunteers to get together and enjoy common interests. My hope is that you get as much out of volunteering at Staunton as visitors benefit from your service. This is important to us and hopefully to you. It is my intention that this “requirement” does not present a burden, but opportunities for us to grow together and be more productive as a group...and a family.

Your willingness to see that each hiker, biker, bird watcher, rock climber, flower enthusiast...every visitor...has the best experience at their state park...this is what drives me. It encourages me to keep pushing, to continue to look outside the box and to accept those odd requests for projects or events. People in our community are recognizing what you all do and want to be part of it and this is exciting.

Thank you for making Staunton an amazing place to work, recreate and enjoy. I am really excited to see what this year brings.

John Muir stated it best in his book Travels in Alaska. “Longest is the life that contains the largest amount of time effacing enjoyment—of work that is steady delight. Such a life may really comprise an eternity upon earth.”

In April we lost one of our great volunteers, Mary Finley, who always brought a smile to the faces of those around her. I know she left an impression on many of the people at Staunton State Park. She was a joy to have at our meetings, events and programs.

MARMOT MESSENGER 3

March 10, 2018

Volunteer Meeting Notes

Volunteers are asked to enter their hours into the database. In 2016, approximately twice as many hours were entered by volunteers; in 2017, far fewer hours were entered. This has an impact on funding and staffing for the park.

Volunteer park passes are available for those logging 48 hours or more during the past year. Let Zach know if you need a new pass.

Visitor’s Center Update: o The Letter of Intent has been signed and work is

scheduled to begin March 30th. Insurance will cover $1,000,000 of extra costs, which include an external fireplace, patio, heated walkways, and radiant floor heating in the vestibule.

o It will take 3 weeks to tear out the concrete, which will be recycled.

o Projected completion date is November this year.

Vandalism: The SSP entrance stonework was vandalized and several letters were stolen. Replacement will cost between $2500-8,000. There are several possible suspects.

Wildfire: A small wildfire, cause unknown, was recently a cause for concern in the Elk Falls Ranch subdivision. This brings up the issue of egress; the back road is being cleared for future emergency use.

Natalie Bostow has been hired to manage the Track Chair Program. Training will be in April. May 1st registration will open, and the program will begin June 1st, with two hikes offered Friday, Saturday, and Sundays. The Davis Ponds and Staunton Ranch trails will be used for this program.

Jack Darnell spoke about plant identification cheat-sheets which are now available on-line. There is also a study guide which provides in-depth information from the plant binder. We can print and laminate these pages or download them to an i-phone. Steve Sparer can help.

The park’s web cam will be moved to the Visitor’s Center when it has been built; it currently is on the Chase Chalet.

Nathan Beckman of the Colorado State Forest Service was the guest speaker. He has a degree from CSU and specializes in foresting and wildfire management. He spoke of the Forest Management Assessment Recreation Plan, which addresses: o Conditions of forested land o Forest health improvement o Maintenance and improvements

MARMOT MESSENGER 4

Snack team does their part.

Snacks The most important meal of the

day.

A lot of the park has been treated with forest management and prescribed burns, resulting in a functioning eco-system. Lower Staunton has a lodgepole pine forest which needs to be disturbed so it can regenerate and be healthy. Ponderosa, blue spruce, pine, and aspens want to regenerate. Prescribed burns control noxious weeds. Volunteers want to be part of the solution and can help with hand work in rocky areas, thinning, and prescribed fire. The Dines area hasn’t had fire for over 100 years. It has connecting crowns, is overgrown, and has ladder fuels. After big burns, the forest is thinned and there are no touching crowns. Mason Creek East has numerous dead trees and interconnecting crowns. o A Fire Triangle has three parts:

Fuels: Manage fuels to suppress fires Weather: Windy; low humidity Topography: Uphill slope

o Trees need water, nutrients, and sun. o Property owners should prioritize: lodgepole

and Douglas fir. o Brochures are available through the Colorado

Forest Service website.

What did she say? As captivated volunteers look on, Carol (a real doctor) explains phrenology and how the bumps on your noggin help determine

your personality. Check out your own head.

Zach describes how it took seventeen

mouse clicks to enter one

volunteer pass into the

system. That would have

taken only two marmot clicks to accomplish the same job.

MARMOT MESSENGER 5

New Track chair manager ready to go

“Memorable experiences” the goal for participants and volunteers in the 2018 season

Natalie Burnside-Bostow came to Staunton for a hike and her whole life changed. The new track chair program manager, 28, asked about a seasonal position and the job just “fell into my lap,” she said.

Robert (Lew) Lewis happened to be working that day and the former track chair co-coordinator told her about the newly formed position. Natalie, who had previously visited the park, was already familiar with the program.

“I learned about the track chair program when I hiked at Staunton before with my husband,” she said.

Burnside-Bostow was hired after an interview with park manager Zach Taylor and began work in March. She said she is “passionate” about her new position and could not wait to get started. From personal experience with the outdoors, she believes “nature is a healer” and this is her impetus for making the program a success.

Natalie is no stranger to Colorado Parks and Wildlife and brings park experience to the job. The native Coloradoan has worked as a boat attendant at Chatfield State Park where her “sole duty was to drive the boat” for water rescues.

She was also employed at Golden Gate Canyon State Park as a park ranger intern.

“I worked every section of the park and became a full seasonal Title 33 ranger,” she said. She has also worked at Chatfield Botanic Gardens and currently holds a part time position at the Goodson Rec Center, which is part of South Suburban Parks and Recreation.

Natalie, who previously lived in Elizabeth, is a graduate of Rocky Mountain School of Expeditionary Learning, (RMDEL) in Denver. She graduated from Metro State University, Denver, in 2016 with a degree in recreation management. She and her husband AJ, who works for Apple and is studying secondary education at Metro State, live with her parents in Centennial. She has an older brother and sister.

Her new position entails managing the volunteers

who are involved with track chair, scheduling trips for visitors, marketing the program through various media, recruiting new volunteers, administrative work such as getting visitor waivers signed and getting track chairs ready for trips, along with chair maintenance.

“All the volunteers will need to do from now on is come for the hike.” she said. “My job is to make sure everything runs smoothly.”

Burnside-Bostow also wants to make a docu-drama about the program to promote track chairs in parks and make some money to help sustain it.

As new manager, Natalie has already set up training sessions for all volunteers, including those she has recruited. The sessions include safety and information about the chairs. She also wants the volunteers to get to know each other.

“My objective is that all participants have a memorable experience—that everyone stays safe and that volunteers can walk away having learned something,” she said. Natalie said 2018 will be an amazing and “transformative”season.

For herself, Burnside-Bostow said she believes she is not taking on a job but a cause. “I am doing something that ensures other people can enjoy the

MARMOT MESSENGER 6 outdoors as I have my whole life.” She sees the job as a “learning process.” She said, “The best thing about parks jobs is that you go into it doing one thing and come out with a different perspective.” She added she could see herself doing this job full time.

Natalie hopes the track chair program can progress to the point that every state park in Colorado has a similar system for helping disabled visitors to enjoy the outdoors. Her goal is to produce a manual with information that will aid other parks in starting their own track chair programs.

The new track chair season begins on May 1 when reservations will be taken. Track chair trips will begin June 1 and run until the end of October. Currently, the program will start as a Friday-Saturday-Sunday sign-up.

Although the goal is for trips to eventually be scheduled seven days a week, Natalie said, “we have to make sure we have the right equipment---that everything is working well” before trips are extended to an every day format.

When she is not working in the outdoors, Burnside-Bostow is exploring the beauty of her home state for herself. Last summer, after much planning and training, Natalie, an avid hiker, set out to complete the Colorado trail on her own. She was able to hike just over 100 miles of the famous trail before she had to hang up her boots because of physical problems.

“I was stubborn,” she said. “I carried too much in my pack and did not take rest days like I should have.” She hopes to try again sometime and complete the entire trail.

The new manager strongly believes in her “mission” because, as she noted, “Going for this 'hike' could be the last thing some of these people do (outdoors). You don't think about that.” She wants track chair participants to have an amazing experience they will remember.

Raymond

Raymond, what do you mean we have to make our

own Johnny cakes now?

They’re never going to taste quite the same you know.

I know.

MARMOT MESSENGER 7

FRIENDS OF SSP NEWS

Track-Chair Program Update

Natalie, SSP’s new Track-Chair Program Manager, is already fully on board and busy training volunteer track chair hikers. Three training sessions have been scheduled to make it convenient for as many volunteers as possible: Saturday April 7, Saturday April 28 and Wednesday May 16. Because the accessibility program continues to expand, even more volunteer help is needed to ensure nobody gets turned away for lack of a trained park hiker. If you are interested, take the opportunity to learn more by attending a training session. And you may see some special volunteers-in training (e.g. park neighbors and current volunteer family members) who will be dedicated exclusively to helping with track chair hikes. Check it out.

Wayne Parkinson and Steve Sparer, co-team leaders for the program, have spear-headed this effort with funding from Friends of SSP. The Friends group continues active fund-raising with the goal of purchasing a third track chair. This #3 unit would be available to be in service if one of the chairs breaks down or can’t be fixed overnight. While this is hopefully a rare occurrence, nobody wants to disappoint a rider who is looking forward to a hike at Staunton. Funding is still needed for this purchase. Donations can be made online at friendsofstauntonstatepark.org (see HOW TO HELP on the home page and choose ‘Park Accessibility for All Mark Madsen Accessibility Fund’).

2018 Partners in the Outdoors Conference

Four Friends board members have received scholarships from Friends of CO State Parks to attend CPW Partners conference to be held May 9-11 in Breckenridge. This annual three-day conference brings together ‘organizations, agencies, schools, businesses and communities engaged in the future of Colorado's conservation and outdoor recreational opportunities’. This is a great opportunity for networking and access to grant funding – and visibility for Friends of Staunton State Park, including the annual Friends Rendezvous.

Friends of SSP Nominated

Our Friends of SSP board was among the nominees for the Norm Meyers award presented March 9 at the Conifer Chamber Award Banquet. Although not

selected as the award winner, it is an honor just to be nominated and recognized for contributions that positively impact our community. Congratulations are in order for the recognition of continued hard work.

Mountain Lion for Visitor Center

In anticipation of our Visitor Center opening this fall, Friends of SSP has donated funds for the female mountain lion mount that will grace the multipurpose room – a true ‘Wow factor’. The taxidermy is in the works and will be completed in about two months, thanks to the generous donation of $2000.

Elk in the meadow across from the entrance in March

MARMOT MESSENGER 8

Smartest Little Bandits in Town

They don’t really care what we humans think of them – adorable critters or just plain pests - but raccoons seem to outsmart us at every turn. Studies have shown they can figure out how to open locks and remember for up to three years. What is it about raccoons that make them great invaders of human territory?

They love warm spaces

With thick coats with guardian hairs to shed moisture, the Northern raccoon is adapted to living outdoors – but who can resist a nice warm house with a well-stocked pantry? Female raccoons den together in the wild but much prefer your house if you leave a window open. Think of the destruction a returning ‘snow-bird’ might find after a winter vacation! Youngsters (called kits or cubs) are born in spring after 65-ish day’s gestation. They stay with their moms until they can be out on their own. Meanwhile, she is teaching them all about how to live – sometimes right in your neighborhood.

They love our garbage and compost

Raccoons in the wild are omnivores (check out the full complement of incisors, canines and molars – 40 in all). We humans need to remember that for animals in the wild it’s all about the food. They would normally eat crustaceans, berries and small mammals – but cat food, dog food, garbage is all fair game. And it’s our responsibility to keep it out of reach – or scare the robbers away until they move on.

They like to wash their food

Who really knows what a raccoon is thinking when they douse their food in a stream? This dousing behavior has been noted by all cultures familiar with raccoons, from Native American tribes to Europeans. But more than any other sense raccoons rely on touch to explore their world, and it is known that those ‘fingers’ have even more

tactile sensitivity when wet. Sometimes in the wild they may just rub what they have picked up – but it is not about washing dirty food. Regardless of why, the

characteristic muddy tracks left by long five-fingered paws are a sure sign that a raccoon has visited.

They scare us with rabies

They can carry rabies, but no more than other animals in the wild. And a raccoon out and about in the daytime doesn’t necessarily mean it is rabid. But an animal that is lethargic or walking with difficulty and out in the daytime is probably sick and should not be approached. Call a wildlife expert.

They are intimidating

An adult male Northern raccoon (Procyon lotor) can measure more than 24 inches tall when standing upright and weigh in at more than 30 lbs, however the size is variable depending on the habitat and subspecies (22 recognized as of 2005 and very widely distributed). Raccoons are not known to be aggressive, but they will stand their ground and don’t back down. A mama with kits would be somewhat smaller, but she’s still a mama. . .

But we are, after all, the humans, and we need to defend our territories. So how to get rid of a pesky bandit:

Stow all pet food and trash inside house or garage – keep doors and windows without screens closed

Harass loudly – a bag of recycle cans and bottles shaken and thumped is pretty effective

Be persistent – they certainly are

If necessary, call a trapper

Above all – be brave and remember you’re the boss!

And let’s not forget, they’re

also guardians of the galaxy.

MARMOT MESSENGER 9

Homesteaders in the Elk Creek Valley: An historical perspective of the Elk Creek Community a century ago

by Bonnie and Dick Scudder, and Deborah Darnell

The Homestead Act of

1862 was signed by

President Lincoln on May

20, 1862, during the Civil

War and provided that

any adult citizen or

intended citizen could

claim 160 acres of

surveyed government land. Claimants were

required to spend five years on the land and to

“improve” the plot by building a dwelling and

cultivating the land.

Prior to the Homestead Act, land could be

purchased for $1.25 an acre. However, with the

large influx of immigrants in the 1850s, the idea of

homesteading became more popular. Political

opposition came from Northern factory owners who

feared a mass departure of their cheap labor force

and Southerners who worried that the West would

be settled by farmers who would be against slavery.

In 1862, this second objection was moot since 11

states had seceded from the Union by that date.

Ironically, the

Homestead Act

required a dwelling of

12-by-14 but failed to

state feet or inches.

Some land speculators

took advantage of the

vague language and

built very small houses.

Six months after the

Homestead Act was passed, the Railroad Act was

signed and by May 1869, a transcontinental

railroad stretched across the frontier.

Manufactured items, including complete house kits

from Montgomery Wards, could now be shipped via

the rails, making homesteading much easier than in

earlier years.

By 1934, over 1.6 million homestead applications

had been processed and more than 270 million

acres, 10% of all US lands, passed into the hands of

individuals. The average grant was a quarter-

section, or 160 acres. In 1936, the Homestead

National Monument was established near Beatrice,

Nebraska, to commemorate the changes to the

nation brought about by the Homestead Act. The

Act was repealed in 1976 by the Federal Land Policy

and Management Act, with a 10-year extension on

claims in Alaska.

Homestead

ing in the

Elk Creek

Valley

All of the

land in

Staunton

State Park

was owned at

one time by

homesteader

s beginning in the 19th Century. Most early

homesteaders, such as Anton Glasmann, and

Samuel Cunningham, homesteaded fairly large

tracts. Cunningham earned

his 160 acres in 1886. None

of his land, however is in

Staunton State Park. It is in

the Elk Falls Ranch

subdivision. The Glasmanns

had quite a fine ranch,

which Anton began to build

in 1885. He was drawn to

the Elk Creek Valley

because it reminded him of his homeland in

Germany. Located at the

base of Lion’s Head at the

intersection of North and

South Elk Creek, his

ranch had a number of

buildings. Part of his

property lies outside the

park’s boundaries; in fact,

the Phelps family currently owns some of his land.

Homestead Act image from

internet

Homestead Act image from internet

Lion’s Head Ranch building

Lion’s Head Ranch, circa 1895

Glasmann ranch house

MARMOT MESSENGER 10 It is said that Anton spent 15

years searching for the Reynolds

Gang’s hidden gold in a large

cave on his property. If this was

true, then someone else in the

family may have tended to the

business of running the

homestead ranch, raising crops

and livestock, and children. Or

perhaps he did the searching

when his chores were completed

and didn’t spend full-time in his search.

Anton died in 1900. His wife, Caroline, also from

Germany, had raised three children before her

death in 1891. After Anton’s death, his daughter

Louisa Glasmann Meanea and her husband,

Theodore, ran the Lion’s Head Ranch for another

twenty years. In 1920, the Lion’s Head Ranch was

sold to John Jensen for $1,300.

Homesteading the Staunton Ranch

The Staunton Ranch was also built on homestead

claims starting with Dr. Archibald G. Staunton’s

large holdings of 680 acres. Staunton obtained four

homestead patents starting in 1918, and they were

proven in 1922 and 1923.

The Staunton

Ranch grew to

encompass 1,720

acres, which

included the

acquisition of

homesteads

originally owned

by: Moses Mason

(160 acres), D.

Dennison (80

acres), B. Ames

(80 acres), John

E. Denver (520

acres), J. Cruse

(80 acres), J. Ray

(80 acres), and

Briscoe (40 acres). Dennison proved his homestead

in 1891 and it was the earliest homestead on what

would later be the Staunton Ranch. The Blaines

later owned that property. Moses Mason proved his

homestead in 1904, and Mason Creek originates on

this property; Ray later owned this land, before it

transferred to Staunton. Over the years the

Stauntons acquired and merged several of these

properties from the original homesteaders (Denver,

Cruse, and Ray); the remaining parcels were sold or

transferred to the Stauntons through later owners.

The Staunton Family became homesteaders in June

of 1918. Dr. Rachael Staunton was the one who

lived on the land for seven months each year,

raising crops and livestock, treating patients,

delivering babies

and fulfilling the

requirements of

homesteading.

Archibald

completed and

filed annual

reports to the

Secretary of the

Interior. In his

Final Proof Testimony of Claimant, dated March

20, 1922, he stated that he was a native-born US

citizen, married with one daughter. He further

stated that he first established residence on the

land on June 25, 1918, and that the house was

completed in August of 1918.The family lived in a

tent while the house was being built. The house was

enlarged and remodeled in 1919 and 1920.

According to the regulations, the Stauntons were

required to summarize the dates when they lived on

the homesteaded land, and when they were absent.

Rachael Staunton usually arrived in April and

departed in November. Archibald described the

land as “rugged and mountainous, and rough.”

Approximately 10 acres were cultivated. The

Stauntons had cows, horses and burros, and raised

oats and potatoes. Remnants of the fields can be

seen now in the terraces near the Staunton cabin.

Homesteaders had to describe in detail any

improvements made to the property and the cost.

Records show that the Stauntons reported building

the house, adding on to it, growing crops and

adding wire fences.

Staunton’s notice of homestead

approval of 80 acres.

Anton Glasmann, circa 1895

Tax receipt for property taxes on Staunton

Ranch

MARMOT MESSENGER 11 The Davis Ranch

The Davis Ranch (960 acres) was originally

homesteaded by A. Lesser (120), H. Richards (160),

G. Holdren (320), W. Dougherty (80), and G. Groth

(160). Charles and Armelia Hurlbutt expanded

their ranch to around 1,000 acres in 14 years. They

also homesteaded 80 acres which were proven in

1921. This land is just north of the Dines property

and extends eastward to the border of the park. The

rest of the Hurlbutt Ranch was purchased from

several other parties, including the Shaffer family.

Catherine “Birdie” Hurlbutt, was their daughter

and a close, lifelong friend of Frances Staunton. The

Davis family acquired the ranch from the Hurlbutts

and raised hay, horses and cattle. The Hurlbutt

Ditch, which was on the north-western portion of

their ranch, served as an irrigation ditch and took

water from Black Mountain Creek, a tributary of

Elk Creek.

The Elk Falls Ranch

The 1040 acres of the Elk Falls Ranch also

consisted of numerous homesteads once held by J.

Powers (160), R. Stellway (340), J. Miles (160), J.

Eoff (40), L. Corbin (40), M. Crampton (200), R.

Pomeroy (60), and A. Glasmann (40). In addition

to Glasmann, who proved his homestead in 1892,

Pomeroy also took ownership in 1892. While John

Jensen later owned the Elk Falls Ranch, he was not

a homesteader. He acquired ranches, including the

Lion’s Head Ranch, and built the large Elk Falls

Ranch. Elmer Berg, who married Jensen’s

daughter, Alice (Sally), also acquired substantial

acreage, significantly increasing the size of the Elk

Falls Ranch.

The Chase and

Dines Properties

This 160-acre parcel

was homesteaded by

H. Groth in 1891.

This land went

through several

owners before being

purchased

separately in 1971 by

the Chase and Dines

families.

Building the Elk Creek Community

From the earliest peoples and the Ute Indians, who

inhabited the Elk Creek Valley during the summers

and perhaps the winters as well, to the

homesteaders who began arriving in the 1870s,

communities-of-sorts existed in this valley. These

families knew each other and depended upon each

other. The Stauntons were a good example of this.

Dr. Rachael lived on the land much of the year.

They did not have a telephone, at least not in their

early days. Catherine Hurlbutt wrote that they

would come to their ranch, next door, to use the

telephone. Rachael delivered babies in the area.

Charles Hurlbutt rode his horse quickly to fetch Dr.

Rachael when his wife went into labor. Rachael

grabbed her bag and quickly accompanied him back

to the Hurlbutt Ranch to deliver their son. Frances

rode her pony over and was the baby’s first visitor.

During the children’s summer camps days, facilities

at the Elk Falls Ranch as well as the Staunton (aka

Hurlbutt Ranch, late 1920s

Elk Falls Ranch

Homestead map

MARMOT MESSENGER 12 Lazy V Ranch) provided a community for the

summer campers. Brochures advertised the store at

Shaffer’s Crossing as a place where campers could

buy items like postage stamps.

This sense of community extended down to

Shaffer’s Crossing, as evidenced by letters found in

the Staunton Collection. Isham Jones and his

brother, Sam, helped Archie in caring for Mr. Bean,

an old man who lived in a small cabin (long gone)

near Black Mountain Creek. (The remnants of his

home are likely the ones near the Maintenance

Building.) They also helped Archie with chores,

such as providing firewood.

The Shaffer’s Crossing community is another good

example. Originally homesteaded by Ezequiel D.

McPeek in 1877 and 1889, (shaded in pink) and

Robert Standring (shaded in lime green) in 1873.

Communities at Shaffer’s Crossing had been

previously referred to as Willowville, Belleville and

Urmston. In the early 1900s, this community

included a sawmill, post office, church, school,

blacksmith shop, store and quite a few homes. And

of course, the historic Elk Creek Octagon (marked

with an *) which served as the grange, community

hall, school, church, barn and a very popular dance

hall… the place where the community came

together for decades.

References:

Photos of Lion’s Head Ranch and Anton Glasmann obtained through the Park County Archives.

Photo of the Hurlbutt Ranch was obtained from Bryan Youll, Catherine’s next-of-kin.

Photo of the Elk Falls Ranch was from elkfalls.com.

Alderfer, Hank, MALT’s Armchair Adventure 2009

Shaffer- Pioneer Family Album, compiled by Charlene Santivasci, Shaffer descendant.

Scudder, Bonnie E. The Secrets of Elk Creek; Shaffer’s Crossing, Staunton State Park, and Beyond, 2013.

The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).

Civilwaronthewesternborder.org

Perryville.k12.mo.us

Homestead map

MARMOT MESSENGER 13

Watching for Spring

March 17

Robins spotted in a ponderosa top just past the GPA gate

March16

Three pygmy nuthatches excavating holes in an aspen grove in separate trees. No time to waste and off they went. The hole closest to the ground was around two inches deep. They may not whistle while they work, but they do chatter.

Pygmy nuthatches are gregarious little songbirds that are seemingly always on the go. Our smallest nuthatch weighing in at about a third of one ounce, they devour a whole 9 calories a day.

=

March 16

The bears are up. New clump of bear fur on a tree trunk in Mason Creek

4 pennies 1 pygmy nuthatch

March 10

Diminutive mountain candytuft seen near Red Wall trail

Pygmy nuthatches are around all winter. No records exist of them roosting alone. To survive the cold they roost together at night in tree cavities, sometimes with more than you can count piled into one hole. Although communal cavity roosting has its warmth advantages, don’t get stuck at the bottom of the pile. The remains of multiple nuthatches have been found in tree cavities, possibly having suffocated amidst a large group in poorly ventilated cavities.

“Some years ago Samuel W. Gadd, a journalist of Colorado Springs, Colorado, and an amateur ornithologist, told me of seeing a large number of Pygmy Nuthatches enter an old pine stub at dusk in the foothills just west of the Broadmoor section of Colorado Springs. I was unable to investigate this matter until early October of the following year at which time I found the location by following Gadd's directions. The tree in question was a very large yellow pine (Pinus ponderosa) which stood in the middle of a clearing. It had broken off about 30 feet from the ground, and the trunk which remained standing was pierced with holes. Subsequent investigation revealed it to be almost completely hollow, so that it consisted mainly of one very large cavity and a few additional minor cavities. As I sat at the edge of the clearing waiting for darkness, I heard the chattering of a flock of nuthatches approaching through the pines. It was apparent that the flock was quite large. Upon reaching the edge of the clearing, some individuals flew directly to the tree and entered the holes in the trunk. Others lingered in the surrounding pines investigating the bark and feeding. Eventually the remainder of the flock, individually and in small groups, flew to the old pine and disappeared into the holes. At first I tried to tally the incoming birds but lost count at 90. I finally estimated that there were at least 150 individuals roosting together in the trunk, with a minimum of 100 sharing the same cavity. Whether this large number of birds represented a single flock or a combination of several smaller flocks is unknown. The chattering continued for a short time, and then all was quiet. Before leaving, I tapped the trunk and was rewarded with more chattering but no birds flew out.”

Knorr, Owen A., et al. “From Field and Study.” The Condor, vol. 59, no. 6, 1957, pp. 398–402.

MARMOT MESSENGER 14

In and out of the Park

Dave resting his eyes

April trail work improving the Staunton Ranch Trail for track

chair use.

MARMOT MESSENGER 15

Dick and Jane walk about through the valley of the gentle

giants. Hank clings to his new best friend. Alex’s new sign near the climbers’ kiosk directs stick

people to their special climbing routes

Progress is being made

Representing Staunton at Ken Caryl

Spring Fling

Smokey soon to be added to park’s collection

MARMOT MESSENGER 16

Volunteer Team Coordinators

Staunton State Park Staff

Education: Claudia Gunn – cmarygunn@gmail.com

Annie Thran – annie.thran@state.co.us

Fencing: Susan Festag – kpfestag@wispertel.net

Wayne Parkinson – wayne.sally.96@gmail.com

Chainsaw: Scott Aaronson – sea_b5@yahoo.com

Ted Hammon - tedhammon8@gmail.com

Newsletter: Nancy Coburn – peakbagger10@gmail.com

Elaine Rideout – elainer_9@msn.com

Small Construction: Ed Samberg – ed@sambergs.org

Jack Gunn - jharoldgunn@gmail.com

Trails: Gary Sims – simsgry@comcast.net

Plants: Jack Darnell – jackrdarnell@earthlink.net

Deborah Darnell – deborah_darnell@yahoo.com

Raptor Monitoring: Richard Prickett – cyclevetd@yahoo.com

Wildlife: Ron LaLone - ronlalone@yahoo.com

Elaine Rideout – elainer_9@msn.com

Park History: Bonnie Scudder - bscudder@evcohs.com

Deborah Darnell – deborah_darnell@yahoo.com

Rock Climbing: Kirk Miller – kmillerlbrink@yahoo.com

Alex Andrews – Alexclimber@outlook.com

Entrance/Office: Susan Festag – kpfestag@wispertel.net

Trail Host: Jane Nault – jfnault@msn.com

Sally Parkinson - sally.parkinson.96@gmail.com

Wayne Parkinson – wayne.sally.96@gmail.com

Weed Warriors: Mark Fisher - fisher@wispertel.net

Patty Warnick - plwarnick@yahoo.com

Scouts/Eagle Scouts: Randie Boldra - rcwbold@yahoo.com

Mark Fisher - fisher@wispertel.net

Ron LaLone - ronlalone@yahoo.com

Gary Finley - gmfinley@wispertel.net

Geocache: Jack Darnell – jackrdarnell@earthlink.net

Zach Taylor Park Manager

Dave Stigall Park Resource Technician

Dale Specht Park Ranger

www.parks.state.co.us

Newsletter Team:

Nancy Coburn

Bonnie Scudder

Elaine Rideout

Marmot Mascot Designer:

Meagan Webber

Special Thanks to

Zach Taylor