New Full Time Staff! by Todd Marts

Spring 2015
EL PASO COUNTY PARKS NATURE CENTERS
Naturalist Notes
MISSION
El
County
El Paso
Paso County
Parks
Nature
Parks Nature
Centers
will
Centers
connect
connect
people people
to their to
natural
andand
their
natural
cultural resources
resources
cultural
and
to
andinspire
inspirethem
them
become
stewards for
to become
the
parks and
stewards
for our
the
environment.
parks and our
environment.
New Full Time Staff!
by Todd Marts
F
or most of us, we remember the
“old days” when the nature
centers were fully staffed and
open five days a week. If you haven’t
heard yet, we are returning to 2007
staffing levels with two full time staff
at both nature centers. Ian Wilson and
Maria Petkash have accepted the new
full time Interpretive Program
Coordinator positions and are
wonderful additions to the team.
I would like to recognize Paula
Megorden, Nancy Bernard, and Jamie
Bequette for doing excellent work to
Maria Petkash, Bear Creek Nature Center
years. It is difficult to run a public
facility with one person. When you add
all of the programming and special
events that have been conducted it is
especially significant.
Volunteer Corner
We are all excited to meet new
challenges, create new innovative
programming, and continue the legacy
that so many before us started.
2
Volunteer Highlight 3
Rick’s Cartoon
4
New Seasonal Staff
4
Fountain Creek
Happenings
5
Bear Creek Sightings 5
Planned Giving
6
Upcoming Programs 6
Ian Wilson, Fountain Creek Nature Center
keep the nature centers open and
maintaining the high quality programs
and customer services with limited
staff. I would also like to thank all of
the volunteers that dedicated thousands
of hours serving the public at both
nature centers during the past seven
New Hours
Beginning in June!
Nature Centers will resume prerecession operating hours: TuesdaySaturday, 9:00-4:00. Mark your
calendars for more volunteer
opportunities!
Naturalist Notes
Page 2
EXECUTIVE BOARD
Volunteer Corner by Paula Megorden, Volunteer Consultant
Friends of El Paso County
Nature Centers
President
Jim Mariner
Vice President
Anne Schofield
Secretary
Susan Luenser
Treasurer
Jane Sandstrom and beaver friend
Melody Agruso
At Large members
lease welcome new volunteer
Karrie Williams
Jane Sandstrom, recently
Shirley Gipson
relocated from Alaska. Jane
attended Environmental Education
STAFF
training in February along with
Division Manager
volunteers Patt Kupka, Jackie
Lacasse, Russ Lambert, Chuck
Todd Marts
Miller, and Eileen Somers. Their
BCNC Supervisor
assistance with school programs is
Jamie Bequette
greatly appreciated.
FCNC Supervisor
The annual Interpretive Volunteer
Nancy Stone Bernard
Recognition Dinner on March 18th,
Bear Creek
was a fun-filled evening with favorite
Nature Center
dishes shared and music provided by
245 Bear Creek Road
“Peppergrass,” our very own musical
Colorado Springs, CO
trio with Rick Flores, Ian Wilson and
80906
Theron Jeppson. Many awards and
719-520-6387
recognitions were given including
special awards to Risë Foster-Bruder,
Fountain Creek
Nature Center
Rick Flores, Jim Mariner, Sue
320 Pepper Grass Lane
Luenser and Bobbie Lewis for
contributing over 200 hours of
Fountain, CO 80817
volunteer service in 2014.
719-520-6745
P
Editor: Todd Marts
Layout & Design: Nancy
Bernard
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elpasocountynaturecenters.com
“I go to nature
to be soothed and healed,
and to have my senses
put in order.”
-John Burroughs
Remembering Smilin’
Jim Wilson
W
ith his smile, he made you
feel liked. Jim passed
away in March. 2014 was
his five-year anniversary as an
interpretive volunteer at Bear Creek
and Fountain Creek Nature Centers.
During 2014 he contributed 142 hours
of volunteer service. Jim was an
exceptional volunteer, helping with
special projects and events, often
dressed in cold weather gear, directing
traffic.
Working with his hands to build things
was a talent he used to create displays
and exhibits with his wife and fellow
volunteer Lynn. Jim was the
mechanical genius and Lynn used her
artistic genius to create the “Bats”
exhibit and “The Mysterious Fish of
Bear Creek” among other projects at
Bear Creek Nature Center.
Jim enjoyed forming friendships with
interesting people by volunteering at
the nature centers. His wishes for all
of us: “Keep on expressing Life!
Always stay on the upside (of the
escalator).”
We will
miss you
Jim. Thank
you for
making
Bear Creek
and
Fountain
Creek
Nature
Centers a
part of your
life.
Jim Wilson, “Smilin’ Jim”
Spring 2015
Page 3
Volunteer Highlight by Jamie Bequette
K
arrie Williams has been a volunteer since
2011 helping in a variety of facets at the
nature centers. Williams has connected
children to nature through our environmental
education programs, greeted visitors to our window
into the wild, has been instrumental to the success
of numerous fundraisers, and now sits on the
Friends of El Paso County Nature Centers’
executive board as a member at large.
Karrie is a Westside advocate, living and working
on the west end of town. She jumped at the chance
to help our community when she found our
volunteer opportunity in the paper. You will often
see Karrie at Garden of the Gods Gourmet
managing the market. While off from work and
away from the nature centers she spends much time
with her husband sharing a love for baseball. She
calls themselves “baseball nuts” and travels to
Arizona every year to enjoy America’s favorite
pastime sport. Karrie is also a new grandma to
grandbaby, Rosie.
In Karrie’s past life she attended high school in
Bogota where she learned Spanish, a language she
uses daily and is certified to teach English as a
second language. Both in Colorado and New
Mexico she has been an award-winning newspaper
reporter. For fifteen years of her life she directed the
alumni program at Colorado College.
A mundane, static life is not one for her. “Traveling
off the tourist grid is a true joy. I've lived in a tree
house in Costa Rica, training horses on a farm near
San Jose. I've joined scientists on a whale watching
expedition in Cabo. I've traveled to Greece, tracing
the path of Odysseys. And I've followed the
migration of Monarch butterflies to Michoacán.
Next up -- dancing the tango in Buenos Aires!”
Karrie Williams, Friends Board Member and World Traveler
With Karrie’s busy schedule we sure are thankful to
have her around. Thanks for making time for the
nature centers and for all of your contributions!
Know someone who would like
to join our great team of
volunteers? Please contact
Paula Megorden, 520-6387 or
e-mail: bcfcvolunteers
@gmail.com.
Naturalist Notes
Page 4
Rick Flores, an Interpretive Volunteer, keeps us laughing with
humorous cartoons of his experiences at the nature centers.
Fountain Creek Welcomes New Seasonal
Interpreter, Rebecca Johnson by Ian Wilson
S
ay hello to the newly hired Rebecca Johnson, Seasonal
Park Interpreter at Fountain Creek Nature Center.
Rebecca has been a lover of nature since she was young.
Rebecca grew up in Hutchinson, Kansas where she lived in the
country. When she was younger she would try to stay outside as
long as possible in the summers, sometimes spending morning
to night in a small hut she built herself! She is a graduate of
Kansas State University where she majored in Anthropology
and minored in French. Rebecca first visited Colorado for
spring break and was impressed by the beauty of the mountains,
and the lack of tornadoes. Since living in Colorado, Rebecca has
been a preschool teacher assistant and worked at Starsmore
Discovery Center. Rebecca enjoys working with kids. She likes
that everything is still new and exciting to them. She says,
“They have fun and use their imaginations!” Rebecca likes
working for Fountain Creek Nature Center and enjoys that the
work is a good balance of science and creativity. Be sure to say
hello if you see her at Fountain Creek Nature Center or out on
the trails!
Rebecca Johnson (right) with Great Blue Heron
Spring 2015
Page 5
Fountain Creek Happenings
I
by Rebecca Johnson, FCNC Seasonal Interpreter
t’s spring, a show-off season with grand displays of critters returning, or coming out of their dens.
Green cattails are piping out of the pond and yellow-colored bullsnakes lay coiled on warm rocks.
Bullsnakes create a mixed reaction among guests, ranging from a child’s excitement to a teacher’s
bolting escape! To enlighten the fearless and the fearful, let us learn more about this resident reptile.
First, though bullsnakes are nonvenomous, they have septic teeth which can cause infection if they bite you!
Second, they are one of the largest snakes in the United States averaging six feet long. Third, their
coloration, dorsal pattern, and semi-keeled scalation
resembles the diamond back rattler, which is a venomous
threat. Lastly, bullsnakes move slowly, and if it determines
you are too large to be his prey and he does not have time to
escape, then you are a threat. This could produce some
defensive behavior wherein the bullsnake will hiss, make its
bull snorting sound, maneuver into an “S” attack position,
and shake its tail on the ground to emulate a rattle snake!
Will it bite? It may. If it starts to strike, do back away.
Most likely the snake will see you and slowly slip into a
hole. Bullsnakes produce very fertile droppings and keep
the rodent population under control.
Bullsnake, Fountain Creek resident reptile
If you don’t wish to fear this beautiful reptile, then watch quietly from a distance. It would much rather
hunt for nesting birds or frogs than get in your way. But if you are lucky he will stay put, and you can
admire this beautiful, benevolent and beneficial creature.
Bear Creek Sightings
by Maria Petkash, BCNC Interpretive Program Coordinator
The rock squirrels have come out of hibernation and mallards are bathing in Bear Creek! Spring has sprung
and wildlife is stirring. We’re seeing the return of migrating birds (mountain blue birds and waterfowl), the
awakening of our winter hibernators (ground squirrels
and American black bears) and some year round wildlife
enjoying the beautiful weather.
Just as winter melted into spring, I watched a bobcat
cross our regional trail, make its way up the hill and
circle around the nature center. Yes, we do have bobcats
in the park. Like all cats, they are allusive. Bobcats do
not hibernate and hunt all year long for their food. This
one was most likely checking to see what delicious
small animals had awakened from their winter’s nap.
Female and male mallards bathing in Bear Creek
I urge you to come and see spring bloom for yourself
along our trails! You won’t want to miss the sights and
smells of Bear Creek in the spring.
Passing on Your Legacy...
Naming the El Paso County
Nature Centers as a
beneficiary of your estate
plan is a simple way to bring
welcome support to Fountain
Creek and Bear Creek Nature
Centers. Make a difference
for generations to come.
Contact us for more
information. 719-520-6399.
Summer Program Highlights
Active Adults Nature Club-Ute Prayer
Tree Hike
Saturday, June 27, 9-11:00AM
Teddy Bear Picnic
Saturday, July 11, 1-3:00PM
Sustainability Series: Container
Gardening
Nature Camp Sessions
June 8-12, June 22-26, July 13-17, August 3-7
Milkweed Mania Give-Away
Saturday, June 6, 1-2:00PM
Firefly Celebration & Night Hike
Thursday & Friday, June 25 & 26, 7-9:00PM
Saturday, July 18, 2-3:00PM
Fountain Creek Firelight Evening
Happy Trails BBQ
Friday, July 10, 7-9PM
Friday, August 14, 6-9:00PM
Active Adults Nature Club: Jones Park
Hike
Saturday, August 29, 8:00AM
Our Bug Friends
Saturday, August 15, 10-11:30AM
Magic Monarchs
Saturday, August 29, 10-11:30AM & 1-2:30PM