Napa Valley State Parks Association - Bothe

Napa Valley State Parks Association
Spring 2014
by Ranger Sandy Jones
Photo: Angela O’Neill
California Buckeye
By Ranger Sandy Jones
Miller Rob or Miller
Miller Mario
Photo: Ranger Sandy
Miller Paul
Photo: Ranger Sandy
Living History Wardrobe
by Charlotte Williams
Our Living History period correct clothing collection
continues to grow. We can now outfit 17 women, eight
girls, three boys, and 12 men. Fancy or plain we have
clothing made for the occasion. Many of our staff and
volunteers for Old Mill Days in October and Pioneer
Christmas in December were dressed from our collection.
Some of our regular millers also wear our clothing.
We currently have two seamstresses sewing our garments
and one lone laundress. It’s a big job to wash and iron
the voluminous skirts and dresses, making clear how
important it was for women in those pre-automation,
pre-electricity days to wear aprons and do whatever
necessary to keep their dresses clean as long a possible.
We plan to be able to dress more boys (there were several
at Old Mill Days who expressed an interest) and outfit all
our millers and weekend volunteers and staff in 1850’s
attire.
Thanks to all who have donated to our collection.
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Photo: Jeanne Marioni
Membership Update
Federal Tax ID# 94-2459815
Naturalist
Hiker
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by Rob Grassi
Photo: Bob Frescura
Tucker’s Tales
Tucker, our Bothe Visitor Center mountain lion, has seen
many things since he arrived. He has seen the management
of the Park and Mill transfer from the State of California to
two local partners (Napa County Regional Park and Open
Space District and the Napa Valley State Parks Association).
He has seen all the park staff
except Ranger Sandy relocate
to other parks. He has watched
volunteers in the Bothe Visitor
Center come and go. Through
all this, however, Tucker has remained on his ledge and he has
tales to tell.
First of all, he would like to
tell a tale about Ranger Sandy.
Like Tucker, she has a connection to the Tucker House (our
Bothe Visitor Center). Sandy’s
mother went to school with the
wife of a great grandson of George W. Tucker and Angeline
Kellogg Tucker (the couple that built the Tucker House in the
early 1860s). It was through this connection that the Visitor
Center was given the exquisite photos of the Tuckers that are
displayed on the mantel of the fireplace in the Center.
Tucker also wants to tell us about some of the animals that are
displayed in the Visitor Center. Raccoons, bobcats, foxes and
by Violet Hover
squirrels are seen in the Park. Porcupines live around the Napa
River off Larkmead Lane and may be coming into the Park.
Tucker likes to look at the ring-tailed cat, which is displayed
on the fireplace mantel. He likes its sleek body and long tail.
He is not sure, however, if any of these cats still live at Bothe.
The last confirmed sighting of a
ring-tailed cat in the Park, by a
former Ranger, was in 1985.
All of Tucker’s bird friends that
inhabit the Visitor Center are
species that fly in and about the
Park. In early March two hikers
came into the Visitor Center to
report their sighting of a Pileated Woodpecker, our largest and
most dramatic looking woodpecker, on the Ritchey Canyon
Trail. Three other notable birds
have been seen in and around
the Park recently. Last year a fledgling Spotted Owl was seen
several times by hikers on Ritchey Canyon Trail. Peregrine
Falcons are often seen flying overhead and Western Bluebirds
have been flying near the Visitor Center lately.
Tucker roars “thanks” for reading his tales. In future articles
he will provide additional historical notes on Bothe Napa Valley State Park and more observations on its wildlife and flora.
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Yu r t , S w e e t Yu r t
A Bothe Yurt Campsite
By Shellie Sakai
Photo: Jeanne Marioni
Bothe Yurt interior
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Photo: Jeanne Marioni
Volunteers Needed at Bothe Visitor Center
NVSPA 2014 CALENDAR
Nature camp: July 21 - 25 and July 28 - August 1
Teen camp: July 22 - 25 and July 29 - August 1
Harvest Dinner: September 6
Old Mill Days: October 4 and 5
Sawyers and Antique Machinery Get Together:
November 8
Pioneer Christmas: December 6
Napa Valley State Parks Assn. Board
Jeff Conwell – President
Chip Bouril – Vice President
Natalie Curtis – Treasurer
Ken Stanton – Secretary
K K Burtis
Michael Fradelizio
Kathleen Shannon
Bob Frescura
Napa Valley State Parks Association
by Violet Hover