Again this summer FOSM members enjoyed mentoring future environment and climate science leaders from the Talking Talons Youth Leadership program. FOSM members Joelle Hertel, Lou Romero, and Sam Beard developed a program that kept the young people engaged in vigorous and educational activities in the forest from June 4 through June 20. FOSM project leaders unanimously describe the youth as enthusiastic and hard working. We look forward to next year.
Bucking, Splitting, and Hauling Donation Firewood
On June 5 and 12, TTYL members helped FOSM’s Wednesday crew buck, split, and haul donation wood previously felled at the top of the ski area and in Sulphur Springs Picnic Area. Photos from these activities are shown below.
June 5 Photos
June 12 Photos
Restoring and Rerouting Trails
On June 6 and 13, TTYL members helped the trail construction crew build a new trail section reconnecting the recently rerouted 10K North and Osha Loop Trails. Photos provided by Laura Leon.
On June 20, the TTYL group spent their last day with FOSM this year helping refurbish Acequia Trail.
Other Activities
June 4 – Joelle led the TTYL crew in making improvements in the Juan Tabo Picnic Area including starting to fill a seemingly bottomless latrine build by the CCC in the 1930s with sand from a nearby arroyo.
June 10 – On this rainy day, the TTYL crew practiced using a few different crosscut saws in the SRD vehicle parking shed behind the shop. Sam also discussed the operation of chain saws and demonstrated removal of the bar and chain. In the afternoon, the crew viewed a local USFS video about wildlife drinkers in the large conference room in the Ranger Station.
June 11 – The group returned to the Juan Tabo Picnic Area. Half accompanied Joelle to move more sand into the latrine. The other half helped Sam remove several large graffiti tags in the stone shelter and on three large boulders near the restroom above the stone shelter. After lunch, the crew hiked up the short canyon east of the La Luz Trailhead parking lot. From here they hiked up and around boulders to the CCC dam that was covered with blue characters outlined with silver paint. The tags were partially removed so that the characters could not be read.
June 12 – TTYL group helped inspect Tree Spring wildlife drinker (photos by Sam Beard).
June 17 – TTYL group helped inspect the Cedro wildlife drinker (photos by Dan Benton).
June 18 – TTYL group helped Anne Hickman and Joelle paint stripes on parking lots at the Crest and picnic areas.