Summer is a busy time at Evergreen Nature Center! Here are some highlights of the exciting goings-on.
Summer camps are in full swing! We have finished the first 4 weeks of camp and have 5 more to go! Campers in June spent time learning about dinosaurs and the geological history of Colorado. The remaining camp sessions focus on our Heroic Herptiles – reptiles and amphibians. Campers will learn about these incredible animals and their fascinating adaptations. We also have Survival Camp coming up, where campers will focus on orienteering, learning Leave No Trace principles, studying water quality, and more!
Recently, we have been very pleased that a number of Eagle Scout candidates have contacted us proposing projects. Two have been completed:
Kaleb King with Troop 343, recently built and delivered six beautiful rocking chairs for the nature center porch. The chairs are not only comfortable and perfect for the setting on our historic porch, they also say “sit, relax, and enjoy nature with us.” ENC visitors have already been enjoying them very much. Thank you, Kaleb!
The second Eagle project is the new Native Plant Garden that was recently installed in front of the Nature Center. This project was planned and implemented by Amelie Anderson with Troop 737. Amelie planned out a landscape outline, created a list of native and bird friendly plants, helped shop for them, and coordinated a volunteer installation day. Volunteers, directed by Amelie, used a sod cutter to remove the top layer of grass, installed a flagstone path, sunk brick to line the path, created a small rock garden with a bench, and planted more than 60 native plants! We are excited to watch this garden develop and thrive as it will attract pollinators and provide habitat for a variety of birds and other wildlife. This project was funded by one of the Paddle Raises at the recent Bash and Benefit! Thank you to all who contributed and Thank you, Amelie!
We are also excited to introduce you to our two new animal ambassadors! The first is our new albino Milk Snake. Adopted from the Colorado Reptile Humane Society (CoRHS), this snake cannot be released to the wild for several reasons. A major contributing factor is its unique coloration. Albino snakes generally have poor vision due to their albinism and a lack of camouflage due to their coloration. This snake, only about a year old and approximately 3 feet long, will be able to live a full and happy life at Evergreen Nature Center, without fear of predation.
The second is a large Bullsnake! This snake was also adopted from CoRHS. It had been taken from the wild as a hatchling and never learned the skills needed to survive in the wild. More than 5 feet long and approximately 7 years old, this very good looking and mellow snake has spent the last few weeks getting acclimated to the large snake habitat at ENC.
The new snakes need names! Start thinking about what you think we should call them and stay tuned for the opportunity to submit your ideas. We are so excited to have these new snakes as ambassadors with Evergreen Nature Center!
We hope you’ll visit soon to see all the exciting new happenings at ENC!
Emma Vasicek, Executive Director