MRHI to Participate in Waterboxx Project

1. Issue
10
8
May 2013
MRHI
UPCOMING
EVENTS
Spring is the most exciting time for bird
watching. Many birds are passing
through the area while others are
settling in for nesting, making it the
perfect time to view a variety of birds.
Saturday, May 18th is Migratory Bird
Day, and MRHI will be hosting a walking
tour along the Limber Grove Trail in
Alma. The tour will be led by Kristen
Meyer, Wildlife Biologist, and will focus
on the life cycles of a migratory bird,
including nesting, breeding, migration,
and wintering. Each bird seen along the
way will be identified and discussed,
making this the perfect event for
families and the beginning bird
watcher! Meet at the Horseshoe
Campground trailhead on the Limber
Grove Trail at 10 am; the tour should
last about two hours.
MRHI has extended the deadline for
our annual photo contest—if you
haven’t submitted your photos yet,
make sure to send them to
calendar@mrhi.org, or mail a CD to PO
Box 375, Alma CO 80420, no later
than May 10th! Please include title of
the photo, location of the photo, your
name, address and phone number.
Winners will have their photos
published in the 2014 MRHI calendar,
as well as receive a MRHI membership,
a free calendar and a special gift. For
more details on contest guidelines,
please visit the MRHI website.
MRHI to Hold Annual Meeting
Are you interested in getting more involved with
your community? Please join the Mosquito
Range Heritage Initiative at our Annual Meeting
on Friday, May 17th at the Mountain Comfort Bed
& Breakfast on Highway 9 in Alma. Join us at
5:30 pm for the meeting, and stay for the
reception from 6:30 to 8:00 pm. MRHI will be re-
appointing and recruiting board members, as
well as announcing the winners of the 2014
calendar photo contest. Come sign up for
summer volunteer work, and find out about our
new Waterboxx research and our Rare Alpine
Plant Project, which is entering its third summer.
Learn about MRHI’s accomplishments over the
last year, and our goals for the coming year. We
hope to see you there!
South Park National Heritage
Area Events
SPNHA will host two events this month: an
historic walking tour of Alma, and a countywide
“This Place Matters” photo contest. The Alma
Walking Tour will meet at Alma Town Hall at 10
am on Saturday, May 18th, and will unveil the
new walking tour phone app. Refreshments,
door prizes, and a small gift will be provided to
participants. For more information, visit
http://parkco.us/index.aspx?nid=509. “This
Place Matters” is a nationwide preservation
movement intended to highlight significant
historic areas. Submit a photo of yourself in a
place that you consider historically important
with a “This Place Matters” sign to the Office of
Historic Preservation by May 31st. Submissions
will be entered in a random prize drawing;
winners will be announced on June 10th. For
submission information and to download a “This
Place Matters” sign, visit
http://parkco.us/index.aspx?nid=474
The
MRHI
Brief
Our
Mission:
“The
Mosquito
Range
Heritage
Initiative,
through
cooperative
efforts,
seeks
to
conserve
unique
natural
areas,
preserve
historic
&
cultural
sites,
promote
diverse
recreation
and
develop
community
business
opportunities.”
Join MRHI for
Migratory Bird
Day
Photo Contest
Date Extended
Photo
courtesy
of
Cara
Doyle
Photo
courtesy
of
Dave
Herr

2.
THE
MRHI
BRIEF
|
Issue
10
2
CONTACT
US:
Mosquito
Range
Heritage
Initiative
PO
BOX
375
Alma,
CO
80420
719.836.0964
info@mrhi.org
www.mrhi.org
MRHI
to
Participate
in
Waterboxx
Project
Support
MRHI,
become
a
Member!
To
become
a
MRHI
member,
you
can
either
visit
our
website
at
www.mrhi.org
or
request
a
membership
slip
and
mail
it
back
to
us
at
PO
BOX
375
Alma,
CO
80420.
Thank
you
for
your
support!
Membership
levels:
Basic
-­‐
$25;
Family
-­‐
$60;
Youth
-­‐
$10;
Business
-­‐
$100;
Corporate
-­‐
$250.
We are excited to announce that MRHI will be participating in the second phase
of a unique research opportunity that will test the efficiency of the Groasis
Waterboxx. The Waterboxx was developed by Pieter Hoff of AquaPro Holland,
and is designed as an “intelligent water incubator” that takes water from the air
via condensation and rain and stores the water in the Waterboxx. The design of
the Waterboxx allows efficient irrigation without using energy in climates that
are typically difficult growing environments. MRHI will be collaborating with the
Forest Service, the Western Hardrock Watershed Team (WHWT), the
Appalachian Coal Country Team (ACCT), and the Park County School District RE2
to implement this project in mid to late May. With the help of students from the
Park County School, MRHI will plant 40 native trees on the school grounds, 20 of
which will be planted with the Waterboxx. The students will assist with
monitoring and research over the next year as we determine the effectiveness of
the Waterboxx in our high alpine climate. MRHI will receive a $1000 award for
successfully participating in the project. For more information on the Waterboxx,
please visit the Groasis website at http://www.groasis.com/en.
MRHI Hosts Growing Up WILD Workshop
Growing Up WILD is an early childhood education program that encourages kids
to explore wildlife and the outdoors. MRHI hosted a training event on Friday, May
3rd for preschool teachers all over Park County. The training demonstrated
various crafts and activities offered by the Growing up WILD program, and
discussed the importance of teaching young children about sustainability and
the outdoors. MRHI will sponsor several Growing Up WILD events for children
and families throughout the summer: “It’s a Bug’s World! ‘In a Grasshopper’s
World’ and ‘Spider Web Wonders’” on June 29th, 9:30 am—12 pm at the Alma
Town Hall; “What’s that Wiggling? ‘Wiggling Worms’ and ‘Fishing Fun’” on
August 10th, 9:30 am—12 pm at the Alma Town Hall; and “Let’s Go On Safari!
‘Wildlife Water Safari’ and ‘Show Me the Energy’”, date to be determined. Email
Cara Doyle, info@mrhi.org for more information.
For the second consecutive year, MRHI has been granted an
AmeriCorps OSM/VISTA (Office of Surface Mining/Volunteer in
Service to America) through the Western Hardrock Watershed Team
to assist with promoting heritage tourism, local capacity building,
and supporting watershed research. Previous VISTA Beth Nielson is
now working with Coalition for the Upper South Platte in Lake
George, CO. Taking her place is Sara Edinberg, who comes to MRHI
from Steamboat Springs, CO. Sara earned a BS in Environmental
Geology and a minor in Watershed Science from Colorado State
University. She enjoys skiing, hiking, and rock hounding, and is very
excited to work and live in such a beautiful part of Colorado. If you
would like to contact Sara, you can email her at vista@mrhi.org.
New AmeriCorps VISTA Appointed
Photo
courtesy
of
Pieter
Hoff,
groasis.com