Mystery Plant ID

Wildflowers
Mystery plant
Mystery plant is White Scorpion-weed

During our October 2008 workday at Crellin Lake, a large, odd-looking dried plant was spotted by Judy and Harry. They pulled it up from the north east lake shore and kept it through the winter. During our April Ecology meeting,  Judy turned over the unusual specimen to me.  I just got back from the CSU Herbarium where Jennifer Ackerfield, Research Associate, identified the plant and showed me the pressed, reference specimen. The name of the plant is White Scorpion-weed or White Phacelia (Phacelia alba Rydberg). Continue reading Mystery Plant ID →

Our Mountain Cactus Story

Plant List, Wildflowers
GVM Ball Cactus by L. Huckabee 5/20/09
GVM Ball Cactus, L. Huckaby 5/20/09

Jim Erdman sent this information: Ball or Mountain Cactus (Pediocactus simpsonii) is a common and beautiful cactus you will find throughout Colorado. It is a globular type of cactus reaching up to 6 inches in diameter and is strongly tubercled [meaning rounded projections]. Prickly-pear seems to be more abundant than the Ball or Mountain Cactus, probably because it’s found in more visible masses, especially when in flower. Continue reading Our Mountain Cactus Story →

GVM Pine Beetle Spraying $ Info

Forest Mgmt, Pine Beetle

4/28/09 Email from Susan Lamb to Ecology Committee: “Yesterday I talked with Jeff Smith, owner of Tiger Tree Land Management, to confirm the price of spraying for mountain pine beetle. The price remains the same as last year: $13.19 per tree. There was a conflict in price ($13 vs $11) mentioned at our Ecology meeting last month, so here ’tis straight from the horse’s mouth. This is also the price that Jeff and Steve H. have agreed to for GVM if 500+ trees are sprayed. Just thought we should all be on the same page.

Tiger Tree will start spraying in GVM in a couple of weeks. More information is available at their website: http://www.tigertreeinc.com/.”

Judd’s April Workday Report

Land Restoration, Land Stewardship, Work Days

Monday, April 27, 2009 8:32 AM: “My thanks to Linda Petrie and Chana Fuller for coming out and helping seed Crellin Lake. We worked from 8:30 – 10:30 seeding the west side: first was the area near the picnic table that had not yet been seeded. Second we pulled, via racks, dead Canada thistle and made mini trenches between the existing tufts of grass, all the way to the second picnic table and a bit beyond. It was quite wet and at one point it seemed I had stepped into quick sand and would leave my boot behind. Fortunately they are quite tight to my feet and stayed with me. It was a beautiful day although a bit windy at times.

Chana’s dogs had a great time, and Oreo was a bit perplexed by all their activity. He wanted to participate, a bit, but it was all so new for him. The end of the this month will be the one year anniversary for Rusty’s passing. He would have loved playing with Chana’s dogs.”

–Judd Adams

Possible Spring Nature Walk

History, Nature Walks
Ponderosa cored recently
Ponderosa cored recently

Jim Erdman is hoping to lead a spring nature walk on forest ecology and fire history, if he can enlist his U.S. Forest Service colleague, Laurie Huckaby to visit GVM. Her most recent analysis is of a tree Jim showed Wynne and the rest of us on our Nov 1, 2008 nature walk, see photo. Laurie agreed with Jim that this tree may be at least 400-500 years old (click “more…”for details). Continue reading Possible Spring Nature Walk →