The PLAN Jeffco Monthly – April 2024
What’s New in the Blogosphere?
Earth Day 2024 Fun at Crown Hill
SLASH 2024 is on its way!
Bird Family with an Attitude: The Corvids
Download your copy of the April 2024 PLAN Jeffco Monthly newsletter here
Archive for year: 2024
Earth Day 2024 Fun at Crown Hill
Your PLAN Jeffco Board members (left to right) Cathi Schramm, Michelle Poolet, and Courtney App, get ready to head out into Crown Hill Park to plant trees and shrubs.
What were you doing on the Saturday before Earth Day, 2024? Three of your PLAN Jeffco Board members joined 124 other Jeffco Open Space volunteers to plant more than 350 (some say as many as 600?) native trees, shrubs and forbs (grass plugs) at Crown Hill Open Space Park, along with multiple patches of native wildflowers.
The day was dark and gloomy, but the planting crew trudged on through the snow and mud…
Despite the cold and snow, 127 conservation enthusiasts weathered the chilly temperatures, including 50 Columbine High School students. Traipsing through the snow and mud, lead by JCOS Natural Resource and Trails staffers, we got the job done before the snowfall resumed in the early afternoon.
One more Rocky Mountain Glow maple tree planted — hurray!
Initial success was measured by the feeling of accomplishment as a tree – in this case, a Rocky Mountain Glow maple – went into the ground. With luck and average annual rainfall (the trees on the east end of the park will not get any supplimental water), this maple will grow 20 to 30 feet tall, and will bear reddish-gold leaves in the fall. The chokecherry, wax current, rabbit brush and potentilla will grace the park with their flowers and fruit, while providing food and shelter for the smaller native inhabitants of the park.
The morning’s wet and cold and muddy activities wound up with a hot lunch buffet, catered by Illegal Pete’s and served by staffers from the JCOS Communications Team. The food was delicious – roasted meats, rice and beans, and Pete’s famous fajita and primavera veggies were top of the line, with plenty to go around. To top off the meal, the chocolate chip cookies were baked to the chewy stage, so good that they begged you to have another one.
It might be safe to say that, despite the inclement conditions, everyone at the Earth Day event had a good time.
Our thanks to JCOS and the Natural Resource, Trails and Communications teams for organizing and executing this 2024 Earth Day activity, and for upholding the meaning and intent of Earth Day.
From National Geographic Education encyclopedia: “Earth Day is an annual celebration that honors the achievements of the environmental movement and raises awareness of the need to protect Earth’s natural resources for future generations. Earth Day is celebrated on April 22 in the United States and on either April 22 or the day the spring equinox occurs throughout the rest of the world.”
https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/earth-day/
Miss Mountain Manners says: “This coming summer, when you’re strolling around Crown Hill Open Space park, look for native wildflowers on the north side, along 32nd Avenue, across from Wheat Ridge High School — but don’t pick the flowers! In the fall, as you walk the trails on the southeast side of the park, please stop and admire the red-gold leaves of the young maple trees and the brushy golden flowers of the rabbitbrush. Be proud of being a part of Jeffco Open Space.”
SLASH 2024 is on its way!
SLASH – Sustainable Lands And Safer Homes — is back for 2024! The anticipated start date for the opening of the first SLASH site is May 23rd, and the program is scheduled to continue through the end of October. At the time of this writing, the location schedule has not been published, but we will advise when it’s available.
Fees for Slash Drop-off
Any size truck or trailer is welcome at Jefferson County Slash Collection sites. Dump fees are based on six cubic yards (162 cubic feet) of material: six yards is one load. The cost to drop off a single load is $24. Credit cards only. This is equivalent to:
- Truck bed full to truck cab height
- Trailer up to eight feet long by five feet wide by four feet high
- Loads outside these parameters will be charged accordingly
Materials Accepted vs. Not Accepted
For additional clarification on what’s accepted and what’s not, or how to better calculate costs, go to https://www.jeffco.us/2493/Slash-Collection
For more information and to stay up-to-date, sign up for Alerts. It’s free, non-intrusive, and you’ll be notified of schedule changes, closures of SLASH sites, and updates to the SLASH program. Enter your email address at the top of the page, scroll down to the Alert Center section, look for Jeffco SLASH and choose the email or cell phone icon — or both — to receive alerts.
Miss Mountain Manners wants to thank everyone who will take part in the 2024 SLASH program. Removing slash and creating a defensible space around your home is the first line of defense against wildfires, which are a consistent cause for concern in Jefferson County. You can create zones around your home, removing any fire fuels, such as tree debris, to create a properly mitigated property. This doesn’t mean that wildfire will pass you by, but it gives the fire department a better opportunity to save your home when it does happen. Great tips on how to protect your home and property can be found on the Jeffco Sheriff’s hazard mitigation page and at FireWise website. Jeffco’s CSU Extension also has a factsheet that can help homeowners plant low-flammability gardens.
The Bird Family with an Attitude: The Corvids
Editor’s note: This is a reprint of the original article published by Ann Bonnell, June 1st, 2011. Rest in peace, Ann, we will never forget you or the expertise in bird life that you were so fond of sharing.
— Steller’s Jay, photo by Matthew Olson
The Corvids are probably the most notable family of birds with an attitude. They are loud, pushy and act like they are the boss, running off other bird species and often eating other birds’ eggs and hatchlings. The Corvids found in our area include Common Raven, American Crow, Western Scrub-Jay, Pinyon Jay, Blue Jay, Steller’s Jay, Gray Jay, Clark’s Nutcracker and Black-billed Magpie. Read more
The PLAN Jeffco Monthly – March 2024
What’s New in the Blogosphere?
Ann Bonnell Lived a Life of Service
Pioneer PLAN Jeffco Board Member John Litz
ENOR Turns 50!
2024 Conservation Awards Ceremony Pays Tribute to John Litz
Video of the Month: Clear Creek Canyon Park – Huntsman Segment – Construction Update 2.1.2024
Download your copy of the March 2024 PLAN Jeffco Monthly newsletter here
Ann Bonnell Lived A Life of Service
Ann Bonnell’s death on December 26th, 2023, at the age of 85, left a gaping hole in the heart of the Jefferson County birding community and in the hearts of her fellow PLAN Jeffco Board members.
Ann’s life was focused on family and service. As a high school biology teacher and volunteer Water Safety Instructor for those with special needs, she was able to reach into the lives of many, passing along her belief in service, empathy, and passion for the outdoors and all that it encompasses. Her specific focus, as we at PLAN Jeffco knew her, was birds – birding, leading Tuesday Birders, and teaching about bird life. Read more
Pioneer PLAN Jeffco Board Member John Litz
Pioneer PLAN Jeffco Board Member John Litz Served 51 years
By Vicky Gits
John Litz’s death on Dec. 29 at 87 marked the end of an epic career in the service of PLAN Jeffco and the cause of preserving natural lands in general.
A metallurgical engineer by profession, John was a remarkably prolific volunteer who donated most of his free time over the years to various charitable organizations and land stewardship causes.
He is survived by three daughters, Kari Litz, Kirstin Litz, and Denise Litz and by three grandchildren. His wife of 49 years, Karen, died in 2007.
He was a member of nonprofit PLAN Jeffco for 51 years from 1972 to 2023 and treasurer for most of that time, working closely with longtime chair Margot Zallen. He was a member of the Jefferson County Open Space Advisory Committee for 30 years, from 1993 to 2023.
John was known for his spreadsheets and mastery of finance and operations, said Ralph Schell, executive director of the open space division from 1998 to 2009. But he was also approachable. “John was just someone that everyone could appreciate and get along with.”
He was a tireless workhorse on behalf of the outdoors and a living history record of the open space saga.
At the beginning Read more
ENOR Turns 50!
EAGLE’S NEST OWL’S ROOST (ENOR) Environmental Discovery Camp of Colorado State University Extension in Jefferson County celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2024.
The camp began in the 1970’s and has pioneered education for over 20,000 children in 4th through 8th grade, in outdoor skills and stewardship of the local open spaces and trails. Read more
2024 Conservation Awards Ceremony Pays Tribute to John Litz
By Vicky Gits
Once a year, Jefferson County Open Space honors those who have demonstrated outstanding leadership and exemplary effort as volunteers on behalf of Open Space Parks, as well as the causes on behalf of land preservation and involvement.
About 300 people attended this year’s Conservation Award event at the Lakewood Cultural Center Jan. 31. Members of the Open Space staff nominate candidates and choose the winners.
The highlight was a video tribute to volunteer role model John Litz, longtime board member of PLAN Jeffco, who died Dec. 29, 2023 at age 87. Although suffering from cancer, Litz continued to serve as an active member of both the PLAN Jeffco Board and the Open Space Advisory Committee before he died. Read more
