Nature Studies announces events
Durango Nature Studies will host these events:
Registration is open for the Junior Naturalist Field Camp, open to children entering grades one to six. The camp will have five sessions taking place from June 8 to July 31. For camp registration, visit www.durangonaturestudies.org/summercamp.htm.
Registration is open for Middle School Camp: Field Studies, Stewardship and Adventure. The camp is open to children entering grades seven to nine. The camp will have two sessions taking place from July 13 to Aug. 7. For registration, visit the website above.
Various day programs also will be available. For day program registration, visit www.durangonaturestudies.org/riverdays.htm.
A Site Work Day will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 28. Kids are welcome. Participants are asked to bring work gloves and shovels if they have them. To RSVP, email John Duwe at john@durangonaturestudies.org.
FireWise receives national recognition
FireWise of Southwest Colorado and Judy Winzell of Falls Creek Ranch have received national recognition for their contributions to wildfire preparedness and mitigation.
FireWise of Southwest Colorado is the recipient of a Wildfire Mitigation Innovation Award, which recognizes the group’s effort to directly reduce wildfire hazards.
Winzell is the recipient of a Community Wildfire Preparedness Pioneer Award, which recognizes her achievements and commitment to get neighbors actively engaged with their fire department.
FireWise of Southwest Colorado and Winzell will be honored at a local recognition ceremony at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Public Lands Center in Durango. Both also will be honored at the International Association of Fire Chiefs’ Wildland Urban Interface Conference in Reno, Nevada, on Wednesday.
Established in 2014 the Wildfire Mitigation Awards are the highest national honor an organization or person can receive for outstanding work in wildfire preparedness and mitigation.
For more information, visit www.stateforesters.org/partnership-announces-inaugural-wildfire-mitigation-awardees.
Chimney Rock to host volunteer open house
Chimney Rock Interpretive Association will host the annual Chimney Rock National Monument open house from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday at Sunetha Properties, 165 N. Pagosa Blvd., in Pagosa Springs.
Association volunteers will talk to participants about the variety of roles that support this program and the flexibility in level of commitment. Some of the volunteer positions include: visitor cabin host, mesa host, tour guide and maintenance crew.
For more information about the monument, calendar of events and volunteer opportunities, visit the open house, www.chimneyrockco.org or call 731-7133.
Conservation Corps to receive training
The Southwest Conservation Corps, which has regional offices in Salida, Durango and Acoma, New Mexico, is starting its 2015 field season in Salida with a staff chain-saw training and field project.
Corps staff members from all three regions have come together in Chaffee County to work with expert sawyers from the Colorado State Forestry Service and the U.S. Forest Service. The goal is to improve saw and leadership skills so staff members can share these advanced skills with crew leaders and members who complete projects on public lands in Colorado and New Mexico.
The corps is a nonprofit organization that works with federal, state and local nonprofit partners to perform community and conservation service.
For more information, visit www.sccorps.org.
Alpine Bank earns certification
Alpine Bank has been recertified to the International Standards Organization 14001 Environmental Management System standard of excellence.
The bank remains the only U.S.-based financial institution that has earned this distinction.
To meet requirements, businesses must minimize harmful effects on the environment caused by their activities and must achieve continuous improvement of environmental performance.
For more information, visit www.alpinebank.com.
Herald Staff
