Wilderness Link - San Gorgonio Wilderness Association

Wilderness Link
San Gorgonio Wilderness Association
August 2016
Calendar of Events
Calendar of Events
These are the major events of
the year. For more information about
These are the major events of
these and other activities, or to sign
theforyear.
Forgo
more
up
events
to information about
these
and
other
activities, or to sign
www.sangorgoniowilderness.org.
up for events go to
February
www.sangorgoniowilderness.org.
8 Cucamonga Wilderness training
25
SGWA board meeting
August
27 Banff Mountain Film Festival
13 Big Falls Cleanup
March
ForestMountain
Festival/Potluck
at Tulakes
120 Banff
Film Festival
25 Board of Directors elections
September
29
LNT Awareness Day
April
3 Potluck at Barton Flats
53 Trail
bossCleanup
training
Big Falls
12
talk training
4 Ranger
Final Ranger
Talk of the season
29 Board meeting
24 National Public Lands Day
May
3 Whispering Pines cleanup
October
17
Volunteer training day
15 Trail
End patrols,
of Season
Potluck,
24
ranger
talksHeart
beginBar
June
7November
Thurman Flats cleanup
14
or
21 INFRA
1 Close
BFVC training
Volume 4, Issue 3
Do Bald Eagles Have Bad Breath?
Mysteries of the forest explained in Ranger Talks
By Bettye Miller
Do bald eagles have
bad breath? What
should you do if you
encounter a bear? How
does a forest recover
from a devastating fire
like the one that
incinerated large
portions of the San
Gorgonio Wilderness
last year?
Smokey Bear is a regular visitor at weekend
Every Saturday
Ranger Talks.
evening during the
summer, campers in
the Barton Flats area gather in the Greyback Amphitheater to hear SGWA
volunteers share their passion for the forest and explain what everyone
can do to help protect it.
See Ranger Talks on page 3
TBD Forest Service volunteer
July
5appreciation
Thurman Flats cleanup
Board officer
529 Birthday
Bash elections
4-5 Ranger talks
December
August
10 Christmas Party
2 Thurman Flats cleanup
16 Forest Festival
30 Volunteer potluck
31 Last ranger talk
September
3 50th anniversary Wilderness Act
Questions?
Forest Fest Returns to Barton Flats Aug. 20
SGWA’s annual Forest Fest will be held on Saturday, Aug. 20, from 10
a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Barton Flats Visitor Center, located on State
Highway 38 about seven miles east of Angelus Oaks. The family-friendly
festival is free and open to the public. Picnic facilities and food and
beverages will be available.
Visitors will have a chance to meet and take pictures with Smokey
Bear; use a crosscut saw to create a “tree cookie” that is then branded
with Smokey Bear and U.S. Forest Service logos; pan for gold; try their
hand at nature crafts; learn what it takes to serve on a search-and-rescue
team; meet horses used to pack in tools and supplies for wilderness trail
maintenance crews; and participate in Junior Ranger and other activities.
Information also will be presented about Leave No Trace, a nationwide
program of the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics that
emphasizes sustainable no-trace travel and camping practices.
New National Monument Includes San Gorgonio Wilderness
By the U.S. Forest Service
President Obama signed a proclamation creating
the Sand to Snow National Monument in Southern
California on Feb. 11, 2016. This 154,000-acre
monument includes 71,000 acres of the San
Bernardino National Forest and 83,000 acres of
Bureau of Land Management land. On the national
forest, the Sand to Snow National Monument
includes all of the San Gorgonio Wilderness, and a
small portion of Forest Service land around the Coon
Creek area. The BLM Palm Springs District contains
the eastern portion of the monument, from the
National Forest boundary of the San Gorgonio
Wilderness to Joshua Tree National Park.
The San Gorgonio Wilderness contains large
unfragmented habitat areas that serve as important
habitat linkages between the San Bernardino and
San Jacinto mountain ranges. The area has
remarkable species richness that makes it one of the
most biodiverse areas in Southern California.
Twelve federally listed threated and endangered
animal species live in this dramatic landscape, which
is also famous for its oases frequented by over 240
species of birds. There are two research natural
areas in the monument, one with relatively
undisturbed vegetation that provides excellent
wildlife habitat, including one of the highest
densities of black bear habitats in Southern
California.
Read more about the Sand to Snow National
Monument at http://www.fs.fed.us/visit/sand-tosnow-national-monument.
habitat linkages between the San Bernardino and
San Jacinto mountain ranges. The area has a habitat
Gifts to the San Gorgonio Wilderness Association help support our efforts to preserve the wilderness and the forest surrounding it. We
are thankful for these supporters whose generosity makes it possible for us to further our mission to serve, protect and educate. If you
would like to make a gift in memory of a loved one or to honor someone special please contact our office at (909) 382-2906, or visit our
website at sgwa.org. Gifts may be mailed to: San Gorgonio Wilderness Association, 34701 Mill Creek Rd., Mentone, CA 92359
Individual membership/family
President’s Summit Team
In memory of Louis Hammel
Kirt Babuder Viviane Helmig Eliza Lee
Scott Allen
Dr. & Mrs. Marvin Band
Gary Berry
Bo King
Joyce McIntire
Janie & George Bingham
Doris Borrsatino
Jeffrey Boehler Lee Crandall
Susan Rice
Diana Gossard
J. Lane & Cynthia Harris
Steve Cologne R. Murray
Nanette Peykani
Jim Hill
Marie Jelonek
Lee Crandall
Anitra Kass
Darcy Shepard
Terry & Laurence Grill
John & Barbara McCarty
Kathy Davis
Frank Sprinkle Jamie Smith
Jaimie LaPointe
Lisa and Kevin McClelland
Carol Graves
Chris Waldheim Val Silva
Ted Sledzinski & B.J. Whithall
Robert & Carole Ottosen
Sharon Greer
Jim Weyant
Frank Sprinkle
Robin Thuemler
Zachary Taylor
Bob Oppermann & Reiko Snow
Morgan Sprinkle
Charles Marrs
Margaret Winningham
John Farley
Alexander Smirnoff Fred Hanson
Audrey Scranton
Kevin Burg
Martin Gutierrez Albert Lee
Bettye Miller
Family of Robert D. Thomas
Alexander Kaklamanos Liz Levis Linda Jones
Leslie Groenwold
Jim Matiko
Patrick Shih
Saturnino Garcia
James Barbour
Santa Ana River Cabin Owners Assn.
Kelsie Anderson Cyndi Johnson Sung Yoo
Dave Knapp
Wendy Sanyk
Tim Elder
Kevin Burg
Val Silva
The Anza-Borrego Foundation
Shannon Stratton Gregory Misbach Patricia Shearer
Walt & Susie Kirkwood
in honor of Bob Hazelton
William Fisher
Linica Suceava Vivian Helmig
Malcolm Swift
Victor Rousso
Janelle Zarate
Wilderness 50th Anniversary
Trailblazer
Bud Cole
Jan Gudgell
Pat Peters
Ana Soltero
Mason Consulting
Lifetime Member
Bob Hazelton
Ann Robinson
Lisa Aniello
Scott Modic
Gitty Denver
Michael Gordon Charlene Schramm
Jennifer Callaway Russell Rudeseal
Bob Hazelton
Dennis Stine
John Eisel
Matthew Bell
Dan Scott
John Farley
Judi Hazelton
In memory of Harry Krueper
Ted Schofield
Matthew Schreiner
In memory of Don Davis
All the members of Girardi Keese
Mike Hahn
Scott Stark
Lyn Sandeford & Judy Stump
Goldberg & Osborne Janelle Zarate
Ryan Muldoon
Irene V. Wakimura Gale
Kim Itakura
Sheila McMahon
In Memory of Roger Gossett
Cory & Audrey Scranton Rigg & Dean
Donna Erlewine John Flippin
In memory of Howard Simpkinson
Alissa Rose & John Ing Copple & Copple
Daniel McClory/Brookridge Special Place
Val Silva
Jeffrey S. Pop & Associates
The Brandi Law Firm
Ranger Talks
Continued from page 1
“It’s really important to do these programs,” said
Ley Cash, who coordinates the weekend ranger talks.
“People coming to the mountains often don’t get out
of their campsites much. They’re in the forest, but
they don’t know anything about the forest. They
may not even know where they are, like they’re
visiting a foreign country. They can go home and not
be changed. We want them to go home knowing
more about the forest and be changed, to feel
responsible for the forest.
“As Baba Dioum (a forestry engineer from
Senegal) says, we only conserve what we love, we
only love what we understand, we only understand
what we have been taught.”
SGWA volunteers present Ranger Talks from the
Memorial Day through Labor Day weekends,
drawing crowds of well over 100 on many evenings.
Smokey Bear is a regular visitor, and SGWA provides
free hot beverages.
CLM Services staff, who manage campgrounds in
the Barton Flats area, provide hot water and crank
up the generator that powers lights and equipment
used to present the programs. CLM contracts with
SGWA to provide the interpretive programs.
“It’s a team effort,” said Cash, adding that SGWA
volunteer Gary Berry and Boy Scouts built a new
stage, housing for the screen and a structure to
protect the generator from vandalism.
Preparations for the summer programs begin in
April with a meeting of prospective speakers, during
which volunteers review and polish their
presentations and set the program schedule.
The Wilderness Link is published quarterly by the
San Gorgonio Wilderness Association.
Editor: Bettye Miller
Contributors this issue:
Sheila McMahon, Diana Gossard
Submit story ideas and photos to
[email protected] or [email protected] .
Bigfoot practices the principles of Leave No Trace, as
campers who take The Bigfoot Challenge discover.
Yes, bald eagles DO have bad breath.
“An interpreter is different from a teacher,” Cash
explained. “An interpreter builds a bridge. If you’re
presenting the program, you need to know who
you’re building a bridge for. Sometimes we have
scads of kids in the audience, and sometimes it’s
only adults. You need to be able do your program in
a five- or 10-minute version in case there’s weather
or a disaster. If the power goes out, you need to
have planned for that. You need to be able to adapt
quickly.”
Do you have suggestions for program
topics? Want to give a Ranger Talk?
Email [email protected]. Put Greyback
Program in the subject line.
Many volunteers have been presenting Ranger
Talks for years and update their topic every year.
Some want to try new topics. All come with a
passion they want to share.
The most popular programs focus on animals, like
bears and birds (and yes, bald eagles do have bad
breath). But whether the topic is snakes or hiking the
John Muir Trail, the essence of a successful Ranger
Talk is passion and a knack for storytelling.
“We use a lot of technology, but we’re telling a
story. Stories are the best ways to teach and for
people to retain because stories make us feel, and
we remember the feelings,” Cash explained. “After
most programs people will tell us that they learned
something. I think people who come are blessed.
Even if they leave after taking a picture with Smokey,
they still went to a ‘campfire,’ they saw Smokey
Bear, and they got a story. Every person who takes
the Smokey Pledge to not play with matches has
learned something. There’s goodness in every part
of the program.”
Volunteer Profile
Walter Roth
By Bettye Miller
Walter Roth may have retired after 36 years in the
classroom, but his teaching days are far from over.
An 18-year volunteer with SGWA, Roth is a
friendly and familiar sight with campers who attend
Saturday-night ranger talks at the Greyback
Amphitheater in the Barton Flats area, and with
children who visit the Barton Flats Visitor Center.
Want to know what rattlesnakes eat, how Indians
lived off the land in the San Bernardino Mountains,
the geology of these mountains? Or how trees grow
or are hurt by bark beetles, how to track animals, or
how forests recover from fire? Ask Ranger Roth.
“Educating the public is essential if we expect
people to appreciate and care for our forest,”
explained the retired elementary school teacher.
Roth began volunteering with SGWA when
longtime volunteer Sheila McMahon, also a retired
teacher, was substituting at his school and invited
him to give it a try.
“I began hiking in the San Gorgonio Wilderness in
1965 and have never stopped. So I remember when
SGWA started in the 1980s and the first volunteer I
ever met was John Flippin,” Roth said. “I started out
doing trail patrols and did that for years, but I began
to get interested in interpretive work so I went
through the training offered by the National
Lake Fire One Year Later
SGWA volunteers and Forest Service staff survey the Aspen
Grove Trail in July. These photos illustrate the stark differences in the forest’s rebirth. Photos by Diana Gossard
Association for Interpretation.”
Roth also recently completed certification as a
California Naturalist through the University of
California, Division of Agriculture and Natural
Resources.
In addition to his work with SGWA’s interpretive
programs Roth also has been very involved in trail
crews for the last six to eight years.
“In my opinion, this is the most challenging
volunteer activity, both physically and mentally.”
After a half-century of hiking in the San Gorgonio
Wilderness, Roth has several favorite places. At the
top of the list is the San Bernardino Peak Trail from
Angelus Oaks to Dollar Lake Saddle. “It's special
because it's relatively flat and has a spectacular view
on both sides,” he said. “The first time I hiked it was
in 1969 when there was 12 feet of snow in June!”
Director’s Desk
Val Silva
This summer has been very exciting for SGWA
volunteers. Record numbers of visitors have been
flocking to the wilderness and the surrounding area.
Volunteers have been working hard to
accommodate their wilderness permit requests and
provide information.
At the end of July the Mill Creek front desk had
processed 6,684 wilderness permits representing
26,404 visitors. They had 10,713 visitors in the office
and took 6,528 phone calls.
That’s dedication for you. Many volunteers help,
but we have a great core group of six who are there
every week all summer and winter. Without them,
the office could not remain open.
The front desk at Mill Creek is just one location
where volunteers help. They also provide coverage
for the Big Falls Picnic area, sometimes seeing over
2,000 people a day. They assist in parking, trash
removal, bathroom cleaning, and providing
information.
The Barton Flats Visitor Center has several
hundred visitors asking for information every
weekend. They also provide programs for kids during
the day. At night, the Greyback Amphitheater hosts
sometimes 100 visitors who want to learn about the
forest from volunteers presenting Ranger Talks.
Volunteers patrol wilderness trails and assist
visitors with all kinds of information – including
directions – help injured hikers, and report trail
conditions.
Trail maintenance workers have been busy in the
San Gorgonio and Cucamonga wilder-nesses,
removing trees, putting up signs, and repairing trail
tread. They have also been working in the Lake Fire
burn area, and some trails have reopened outside
the wilderness as a result of their work.
SGWA has almost 200 volunteers, from all walks
of life. I am amazed at the work they do, their
professionalism and dedication. Many donate over
300 hours each year toward helping the public enjoy
their wilderness. Kudos to all.
Nature Watch
By Sheila McMahon
As you drive from Mentone to Barton
Flats you have the perfect opportunity
to review your botanical knowledge.
This summer the trips in June were
accompanied by a strong, sweet
fragrance of the large, yellow Spanish
broom plants. They are a non-native
plant that was brought in to control
erosion along the roadsides. Now there
is concern that it is taking over some
areas from the native plants.
If you look at the blooms of this plant
you will find they are similar to the
sweet pea with a banner and a keel.
They are both in the Fabaceae family.
Another plant in this family frequently
seen along Highway 38 is a purple
lupine. It grows between 1 and 2 feet
high. It also has the characteristic
banner and keel of the sweet pea family.
The lupine’s leaves are compound
palmate, and it has several leaflets
coming from a central area like fingers
coming from the palm of a hand.
A plant I always enjoy seeing on my
way to Barton Flats is the yucca
whipplei. It has a swirl of thick sharp
leaves with a tall spike coming from the
middle topped with a spike of white to
yellowish flowers. These plants are
scattered along both sides of the road
almost up to Angelus Oaks. It’s easy to
see why it’s sometimes called Our Lord’s
Candle.
During July Mill Creek Canyon takes on
a beautiful silvery hue. This is due to
mountain mahogany. These bushes are
frequently over 5 feet tall. The silver
color comes from the single seed, which
has a curly plumed tail. We do have a
small mountain mahogany bush growing
at the Barton Flats Visitor Center.
Hope you’ll have fun botanizing out
the car window on your way up to
Barton Flats.
President’s Corner
Jean Rogers
Fire is a natural part of the
forest's cycle of life. Prior to the
What would happen if no one ever asked: “Why?”
Interpretive education brings connections,
opportunities, and responsibilities to visitors in the
forest. This education provides a connection to new
environments, an opportunity to explore the how
and why of the world around us, and the
responsibility to ensure a better world for future
generations.
Interpretive events give children and adults an
opportunity to learn about the natural world around
us; to see, touch, feel, taste, and listen to a natural
environment they may have never experienced
before. A rattlesnake shows up to get some sun at
Forest Falls and an SGWA volunteer takes the
opportunity to teach visitors about the reptile: its
markings, how it moves, what it eats, how it lives,
and what actions to take when meeting a
rattlesnake in its own neighborhood. No, they didn’t
touch the snake, of course. Hikers going up San
Bernardino Peak Trail are greeted by an SGWA trail
patrol, who warns them about a tree partially
blocking the trail further up, and the safest way to
get around it. Pretty sure they didn’t taste the tree.
These opportunities expand an individual’s
connection to the forest. In the future, the Forest
Falls visitors will know how to observe a rattlesnake,
SGWA
San Gorgonio Wilderness
Association
34701 Mill Creek Road
Mentone, CA 92359
P: (909) 382-2906
F: (909) 794-1125
E: [email protected]
www.sgwa.org
Serve
Protect
Educate
how to act should one surprise them on the trail,
and why the rattlesnake is an integral part of our
natural world. The San Bernardino Peak Trail hikers
will be safe getting around the tree, make it to the
peak, take on the responsibility to inform other
hikers of the obstacle, and appreciate the fact that
the natural world does not always act in their favor.
Greyback Amphitheater Ranger Talks and Barton
Flats Nature Workshops give visitors a weekly
opportunity to get intimate with different aspects of
nature. And yes, at one they could taste no-cook
s’mores!
Smokey Bear’s appearances at our various events
bring forth promises of being careful with fire, while
building friendly connections with children and
adults alike. All of the visitors we interact with in the
forest will carry this knowledge with them for the
rest of their lives, connect with others who may
need to learn, and be responsible for positive
behavior in the forest.
Whenever volunteers patrol the trails, issue
permits, answer the phones, maintain the natural
environment, implement nature workshops and
Ranger Talks, or take on the Smokey Bear persona
within the San Bernardino National Forest, and the
Angeles Forest over in Lytle Creek, we are answering
the bigger question for our visitors: “WHY?” I
encourage each and every one of you to look at the
efforts you already make through interpretive work,
and for ways in which you can increase the
effectiveness of your efforts.
Such is the power of interpretive work.