Outdoor Learning
>
Nature
Education
. THE JAKE AND TERRY
HERSHEY OUTREACH PROJECT
 Audubon
Colorado is excited to expand its reach in southwest Colorado!
Thanks to the generosity and vision of Mrs. Terry Hershey,
and with additional support from the National Recreation Foundation,
Together Green, and the Jacob and Terese Hershey Foundation,
the Pagosa Springs region now benefits from the nationally-recognized
voice of Audubon. With the help of these generous sponsors,
Audubon Colorado is providing new opportunities for environmental
education, research, conservation and community activism as
we contribute to the collective voice of groups working for
environmental protection in the region.
Environmental education programs held
at Terry Hershey’s Four Mile Ranch provide critical
hands-on science education for local students. Bird population
research and habitat assessment are underway on the rich and
valuable landscapes of Four Mile, with the goal of establishing
both the ranch and the Pagosa Springs region as birding destinations.
Southwest Colorado faces numerous conservation issues including
oil and gas development, water management, and residential
and commercial development, and Audubon Colorado is bringing
new ideas and energy to focus on these important issues. Through
support of the newly-formed Weminuche Audubon Society, Audubon
Colorado is helping to provide additional education and conservation
opportunities in the area, while building a new pool of conservation-minded
community activists.
Click these links for more information
about the work of Audubon Colorado’s Southwest Regional
Office:
Environmental
Education and Volunteer Educator Training: Adults and Students
Learning Together
The Jake and Terry Hershey Environmental
Education Program brings nature into the classroom, and students
into nature. Field programs take place just north of Pagosa
Springs at the Hershey’s Four Mile Ranch, where rivers,
ponds, meadows, spruce forests and cottonwood groves provide
stimulating venues for experiential science and nature education.
Students participate in a combination of hands-on group activities
and individual explorations led by trained Volunteer Educators.
Classroom sessions prior to the field trips provide students
with background in science concepts and prepare them for spending
a day outdoors. Participating schools in 2008 included Pagosa
Springs Elementary and Dulce Elementary.
Adult volunteers complete a free training
that certifies them as Volunteer Educators for the Hershey
Environmental Education Program. The training provides education
in science and nature concepts, and teaches skills and activities
to lead children in experiential field programs. While expanding
their own knowledge and experience, these dedicated volunteers
give young people the opportunity to explore their local environment,
and to learn science directly from the natural world in a
way that is not possible inside a school building.
Free training and materials include an
activities manual, adult-level natural history education,
program site orientation, group management and child development
information, and outdoor safety protocols. Volunteers provide
their own backpacks and appropriate outdoor clothing and footwear.
Attendance at all training sessions and a National Audubon
Society background check are required to receive certification
as a Volunteer Educator.
Pagosa Springs and Four Mile Ranch
as Birding Destinations
The Pagosa Springs region is an area rich
with unique, interesting and reliable birding locations. A
wide variety of wildlife habitats exist within a short distance
of downtown Pagosa, including alpine and subalpine zones,
montane woodlands, high desert plains, and the lush river
valleys of the San Juan and Piedra Rivers. Audubon Colorado
is working with the Pagosa Springs Chamber of Commerce to
develop informational brochures and exhibits to educate the
public on birding opportunities in the region. Collaborations
with the Colorado Division of Wildlife and the Rocky Mountain
Bird Observatory are also in progress as they work to create
a southwestern loop for the Colorado Birding Trail.
Important Bird Area designation
for Four Mile Ranch
Audubon Colorado is working toward IBA
designation for the Jake and Terry Hershey Four Mile Ranch,
just north of Pagosa Springs. This 2200-acre property is under
conservation easement and contains a wide variety of habitats
including ponderosa pine and oak woodlands, old-growth aspen
stands, grassy meadows, spruce-fir forests, and lush riparian
zones along Snowball and Four Mile creeks. The ranch provides
a valuable connection to surrounding National Forest lands
for wildlife corridors, and preserves upper regions of watersheds
containing tributaries of the San Juan River.
A rapid assessment of the bird species found
at the ranch was completed through a series of focused inventories in
2007-2008. All of Southwest Colorado’s woodpecker species have been
recorded, including Lewis, Downy, Hairy, and Three-Toed woodpeckers,
and Williamson’s and Red-Naped sapsuckers. Other species of interest
documented on the property include Grace’s and Virginia’s warblers,
more commonly seen farther west and south. Further data collection
efforts will include targeted surveys to better document populations
of specific birds. Surveys of the ranch property and surrounding lands
are also in progress to determine the extent and value of bird habitats
in the area. The results of this initial IBA assessment will be issued
in a report in 2009.
For a list of all Four Mile Ranch bird
species compiled to date, click here.
Community Activism and Local Conservation
Issues
Southwest Colorado is affected by numerous
conservation concerns, including oil and gas activities, residential
and commercial development, and water management issues. In
cooperation with existing environmental and conservation organizations,
the Jake and Terry Hershey Outreach Project brings Audubon’s
nationally-recognized voice to the local and regional conservation
communities in support of environmental protection and conservation.
Our current focus is on the highly contested development of
the Village at Wolf Creek.
Weminuche Audubon Society chapter
development
Established in 2007, the Weminuche Audubon
Society promotes the conservation and appreciation of birds,
wildlife and their habitat in the Pagosa Springs region. The
chapter sponsors educational programs at their monthly meetings
and field trips, participates in local habitat restoration
projects, and is developing long-term, positive collaborations
with local organizations and agencies.
In May 2008, the Weminuche Audubon Society
received its first grant from TogetherGreen,
a organization created through a collaboration between Toyota
Motors Corporation and the National Audubon Society. As a
TogetherGreen Volunteer Days grant recipient, the chapter
is responsible for designing, implementing and recruiting
volunteers for six conservation and habitat restoration events
through May, 2009.
Contact Us
For more information about the Southwest Region of Audubon
Colorado or the Weminuche Audubon Society, please contact:
Becky
Gillette, Southwest Regional Director
Audubon Colorado
PO Box 2665
Pagosa Springs, CO 81147
Phone: 970-883-3066 |
