“History in Stone” Red Rock Canyon event March 14.
Crew Leader Training registration opens March 16.
Legacy Loop presentation March 18.
Celebrate Rocky Mountain National Park Centennial March 19.
Upcoming events.
NEWS FOR THE WEEK OF MARCH 11, 2015
21st Annual Starlight Spectacular June 20th
The PIRATES are coming…
Registration is now open for the 21st Annual Starlight Spectacular, our night time bike ride through the city, starting and ending at the Garden of the Gods Visitor and Nature Center. Mark your calendars for Saturday, June 20th, and start thinking about costumes–prizes for best costume, best group costume, and best illuminated bike. The theme this year is…PIRATES! Aaaargh!
For best value, register now, at the Earlybird pricing. For more information, visit www.StarlightSpectacular.org.
Two trails-related events, March 12
ManitouCATS and Outdoor Sports Expo offer info, fun.
All trail building volunteers are invited to a party by Manitou Cats to kick off the 2015 season onThursday, March 12, 5 to 7 pm at the Town House lounge in Manitou Springs. Get a look at the Manitou Springs Master Plan for Open Space, Parks and Trails, projects for the coming season, as well as a slide show about the Iron Mountain building project last year. For more info, visit www.manitoucats.com.
Come meet many of our partner nonprofits at the Ivywild Gym thisThursday, March 12th, 6 to 8 pm. No cost to attend. Ride your bike and The Principal’s Office will give you your first draft beer free! Trails & Open Space Coalition, Medicine Wheel Trail Advocates, SOCO Velo Cycling Club , WMBA (Womens’ MTB Club), Run with a Mission, Kids on Bikes, Urban Singletrack Project, Club Cafe Velo (triathlon/road club), Incline Friends. More info at the event page on Facebook.
History in Stone: Red Rock Canyon.
Learn about one of our region’s natural jewelsMarch 14.
Sat, March 14, 2 – 3 pm, Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum. Join local author and longtime TOSC member Ruth Obee for a biography of place, telling the story of Red Rock Canyon. Learn the fascinating tale of the area’s geological origins, its recently discovered dinosaur tracks, marine fossils, and archaeological evidence of early humans, and its more contemporary history with the arrival of man, including the colorful story of the Bock family, who owned the land for 80 years. The story concludes with a description of its final preservation as public open space by a group of dedicated volunteers who saved the land for the benefit of the entire community.
Reservations are required by calling719.385.5990 or visiting www.cspm.org. $5 suggested donation; free for members of the Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum.
Learn more about proper trail construction and maintenance, how to lead a crew and make a contribution to local trails! Crew Leader Training will be held at the Bear Creek Nature Center April 17 (Friday evening), 18, and 19 (Sat and Sun). Training is free, but attendees must have participated in at least two trail work days to qualify, and must sign up for two additional mentoring days in order to complete certification. The goal is to graduate qualified crew leaders who will take charge of crews for work days during the year. The more crew leaders we have, the more work we can get done!
Signups go live Monday, March 16th atwww.coloradosprings.gov/volunteer. Use the calendar to search for the event date, then follow the instructions to sign up. You may be required to create a Volunteer Profile in the system.
Legacy Loop presentation March 18th.
Learn about future plans for COS trail connections!
Wednesday, March 18, 2015 | 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm El Pomar Foundation’s Penrose House, Penrose Pavilion, 1661 Mesa Avenue. Hors d’oeuvres and beer and wine will be served.
Learn about the project to connect the Greenway and Shooks Run trails in Colorado Springs to create a loop around much of the central city. This project has been in the works for decades, and Colorado Springs Parks has made it a priority project in their work plan for the year.
Featured speakers will be Jeff Shoemaker, The Greenway Foundation – Denver, Tatiana Bailey, Southern Colorado Economic Forum, and Chris Jenkins with Nor’wood Development Group.
Thursday, March 19, 7-8:30 pm, Library 21C, 1175 Chapel Hills Drive. Free admission; donations to the Sierra Club accepted.
Join the Pikes Peak Group of the Sierra Club in a program celebrating the Centennial of Rocky Mountain National Park with a one-man, first-person performance. Storyteller and award-winning author John Stansfield reenacts key moments in the life of Enos Mills and dramatizes his part in the creation of Rocky Mountain National Park. Following the program, the audience is invited to learn more about Mills in a question-and-answer session. From childhood on, Enos Mills (1870-1922) experienced a bond with mountains and wilderness, which inspired him to overcome personal hardship to become a successful speaker, writer, naturalist, and the driving force behind the birth of Rocky Mountain National Park, celebrating its centennial in 2015.
Upcoming Events
Save the dates.
County Parks Meeting for Westside Parks:
March 11 (Wed)–Informational meeting about Bear Creek Regional Park, Bear Creek Nature Center, Rainbow Falls, Green Mountain Falls and Ute Pass Regional Trail. Wednesday, March 11th at 6 pm at Bear Creek Nature Center, 245 Bear Creek Rd, Colorado Springs.
County Parks Meeting for Eastern area Parks: March 18 (Wed)–Informational meeting about Falcon Regional Park, Homestead Ranch Regional Park, Fairgrounds, Rock Island Regional Trail, Drake Lake and Paint Mines Interpretive Park. Wednesday, March 18th, 6pm in Swink Hall, El Paso County Fairgrounds, 366 10th Street, Calhan.
April 9 (Thurs), 7-8 pm. Black Forest Regional Park Community Meeting, The Lodge at Cathedral Pines. Enjoy light refreshments and get the latest updates on Parks projects. Learn about the forest management plan and priorities for restoration. Find out how you can help restore your Park!
City of Colorado Springs Meeting:
April 2 (Thurs), 5:30-8 pm. YourCOS. A non-political gathering to learn about day-to-day city operations. Hear from city staff and volunteers to learn about ways to get involved and understand the City’s efforts to improve our community. More information, registration and submit questions at this link.
Volunteer Dates:
April 12 (Sun) Save the date for a tune-up of the Goose Gossage Bike Park! We’ll report on more details as we get them, or check out their Facebook page.
April 25 (Sat), 9 am. Third Annual Tackle the Trash. El Paso County Parks’ annual cleanup. Seven sites all around the county, sign up at www.tacklethetrash.com.
