Red Mountain Pass to experience closures

The Colorado Department of Transportation will close U.S. Highway 550 at Red Mountain Pass for drainage-pipe work from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Thursday and July 17.

The drainage work by contractor Midwest Rockfall is part of the project to repair two retaining walls under the southbound lane about 1.5 miles north of the snow shed. The work will be completed by Sept. 25.

Drivers will encounter single-lane, alternating traffic between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., Monday through Friday. There will be no weekend work. Drivers will also encounter periodic full closures as long as 15 minutes.

For more information, call Filiberto Marquez at 462-1529.

Crowdfunding seminar to take place Thursday

The office of U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., will co-host a crowdfunding seminar for small and startup business owners and entrepreneurs looking to raise early-stage capital from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the Durango Public Library, 1900 East Third Ave.

The event will explain how crowdfunding works. The crowdfunding provision allows small, young and rapidly growing businesses to raise money from small, individual investors online and through social media.

Participants will hear from local entrepreneurs and business owners, legal experts and representatives from traditional investment firms in Colorado, including venture capital, banks and microfinance. Space is limited.

To RSVP, visit www.bennet.senate.gov and search for “crowdfunding.”

Genealogical society to meet Saturday

The Southwest Colorado Genealogical Society will meet at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at the La Plata County Historical Society’s Animas Museum, 3065 West Second Ave.

After a business meeting, Jill Seyfarth and Julie Pickett will give a talk called “Searching for Genealogical Gems.” They will present research approaches and methodologies and how to apply them to a family history.

Participants who are not members are invited to visit www.swcogen.org for more information and membership applications.

Membership applications also will be available at the meeting.

Medicine Horse announces programs

Medicine Horse Durango will host these programs:

The summer teen girls’ group, an equine-based empowerment and leadership group for girls ages 12 to 18, will meet from 9 to 11 a.m. Wednesdays. For more information, call 749-3934.

A summer horse camp for kids in first to fourth grades will be held from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. July 23-27. Participants will learn horse skills and basic riding, play horse games and do crafts. To register, visit www.medicinehorsecenter.org or call the number above.

Hummingbirds to be topic of talk

The San Juan Mountains Association and the Cortez Cultural Center will host a Member Series Presentation by Susan Wethington from 5:30 to 7 p.m. July 18 at the Cortez Cultural Center, 25 N. Market St. in Cortez.

Wethington is the executive director of the Hummingbird Monitoring Network. The network has monitored hummingbird populations at sites throughout western North America.

Wethington will discuss patterns of hummingbird occurrence, diversity and abundance at these sites with a focus on hummingbirds occurring in Southwest Colorado.

She also will describe conservation issues facing hummingbirds, such as climate change and habitat loss, and how results from the network’s monitoring work are helping.

For more information, call 385-1312.

Herald Staff