Short Trips, Long Memories
August 2010
Volume 3, Issue 6
A New Library Story & Photos by Kate German, Heritage Educator, VVMSP
The Memorial
the State Park The photos of over 1600 men
now has a rerangers.
killed in Vietnam have been moved
search facility!
to this room. If you don’t find
We also have
Part of our renosomeone you’re looking for maybe
several bindvation was to
their picture hasn’t been donated
ers full of increate a library
yet. The Foundation is still acceptformation in
for our collecing new photos and biographies
the
library.
tion of over 800
for the collection. Recent visitors
You can look
non-fiction
have been assisting with updating
through casuVolunteers Hannah Smith and Annie
books.
Previthe biographies as well. Some are
Nystrom set up our library
alty lists from
ously our books
missing bits of information and
Vietnam, lists of New Mexicans
were kept in the back office and
others are simply brief and are
who served and read poetry that
not easily accessible to the pubbeing expanded.
has been left at the Memorial.
lic. There wasn’t enough room
There is also a
The most exciting
on the shelves for all of them.
binder full of
addition to the
Five boxes were in storage. We
items that have
Library has been
now have shelves 15 feet across
been left in the
3 computers and
and floor to ceiling. We have so
Chapel over the
a printer/scanner.
much space, some of our artiyears. It contains
The computers
facts have found a home on the
photos, poems,
were donated to
top shelf. It is now possible to
letters and varithe Foundation
check out a book through one of
ous other items.
pg
4
We have over 800 non-fiction books Cont’d
Protecting Our Waters Story by Pat Walsh, Region 2 Interpretive Ranger
Eagle Nest Lake
As more folks move into the
Moreno Valley, it's good to remember that everyone can play
a part in protecting the waters of
Eagle Nest Lake.
For example, if you have an
automatic dishwasher, check the
label before you buy the next
container of detergent. Look for washing by hand are phosphate
brands that are free of phos- free.)
phates. Why? Phosphates act as
fertilizer when they enter the On another front, most of us drive
water cycle. While this may cars, trucks or motorcycles. Somesound harmless, phosphates can times people like to change their
trigger rapid algae growth in vehicle's oil themselves to save
lakes. When those plants die, the money. If that's you, please resist
decomposition process sucks the temptation to dump the used
oxygen out of the
oil on the ground or down
water. This situaa street drain. Just think
tion, called eutroabout the damage that
phication, can kill
this year's petroleum spill
trout and other lake
has caused in the Gulf of
residents. (By the
Mexico.
Even
small
way, if you wash
amounts of oil can taint
dishes by hand, you
lake water or ground wacan probably relax. A Canada Goose swims ter. Instead, take the used
Most soaps for through an algae bloom C o n t ’ d
page
4
Vietna m Vetera ns Memoria l
Guided Tours
Sa t 11a m & 3p m Sun 1:30p m
thro ug h Aug ust 29th
Cima rron Canyon
Bea r Programs
7p m Frid a ys @ Ma veric k
7p m Sa turd a ys @ To lb y
Cima rron River Roundup
Aug 14th 8a m -1p m
Coyote Creek
Bea r Programs
Aug ust 6th & 27th 6p m
Aug ust 20th 6:30p m
Bea vers Aug ust 21st 11a m
Morphy La ke
Bea r Programs
Aug ust 6th & 28th 7p m
Aug ust 21st 3p m
Ea gle Nest La ke
Va rious Programs
Fish Aug ust 1st 2p m
Ra ptors Aug ust 8th 2p m
Ba ld Ea gles Aug ust 13th 6p m
Ba ts Aug ust 13th 7p m
Rea ch for the Sta rs
Aug ust 13th 8p m
Inside this issue:
Vietnam Veterans Memorial
2
Cimarron Canyon
2
Eagle Nest Lake
2
Coyote Creek/Morphy Lake
3
New Mexico Night Sky
3
Nature Corner
3
Vietnam Veterans Memorial State Park
By Tom Turnbull, Manager
abundance. It really is gorgeous afield while
walking with my furkids.
The monsoon rains are washing mud slides
onto our walks and drives so when you visit
watch out where you are walking. We are
lush and green (we call it green) in the Moreno Valley and the wild flowers are in full
All that is a prelude to the facts that the monsoon rains can be very dangerous with mud
slides, rockslides and just general washing
out of the roadways. A lot of our county
roads are dirt so there can be washouts easily. Of course, watch out for the arroyos low areas that cross the roads. If you have to
cross arroyos do it quickly looking both ways,
however if the water is flowing in a low area
do not enter until you determine if the passage is safe. Generally it’s easier and safer to
wait an hour or so until the running water
subsides then proceed with caution as there
may be washouts. Running water can and will
wash away a vehicle. As the old adage states,
Cimarron Canyon State Park: The New Guy
“What a perfect way to make a living, doing
what you love; being in the outdoors, hunting,
fishing, and assuring that other families can
enjoy what I had to enjoy growing up.”
Twenty –four year old Logan Vanlandingham,
the newest Park Ranger in Cimarron Canyon
State Park, explains his
attraction to pursuing
his occupation as a
Park Ranger for the
New Mexico State
Parks. Logan’s appreciation and respect for
nature is greater than
that of most people.
‘better safe than sorry’ but putting yourself
in jeopardy also then jeopardizes your friends
and neighbors that have to come and attempt rescue to save your life.
THINK…
THINK… THINK!!
Don’t make your neighbors rescue you from this!
Story & Photos by BJ Sedillo & Maria Gallegos
His enthusiasm for the outdoors stemmed
from early childhood experiences of hunting,
camping, and fishing. Later, he expanded on
his childhood dreams by obtaining a BAS in
Forestry Wildlife and working four seasons
with the United States Forest Service as a
Biological Technician, in Quemado
New Mexico.
Logan was raised
in
Albuquerque,
New Mexico where
he attended Del
Norte High School.
He later received his BAS from Western New
Mexico University, in Silver City, New Mexico,
graduating cum laude with a 3.54 grade point
average. He realized that he would stand a
better chance of gaining employment either
with the Parks system, or the NM Game and
Fish Department if he was also law enforcement certifiable. With this in mind he immediately enrolled in the law enforcement academy, in Silver City and obtained his certificate
after two very rough semesters. Logan knew
that he had one year to be hired as a Law
Enforcement Officer before his certification
would be sent to him, from the Department
of Public Safety in Santa Fe. Cont’d page 4
Eagle Nest Lake State Park: Blue-Green Algae FAQ
What are blue-green algae?
Blue-green algae, technically known as cyanobacteria, are microscopic organisms that are
naturally present in lakes and streams. They
usually are present in low numbers. Bluegreen algae can become very abundant in
warm, shallow, undisturbed surface water that
receives a lot of sunlight. When this occurs,
they can form blooms that discolor the water
or produce floating rafts or scums on the
surface of the water.
What are the potential health effects
from drinking or coming in contact with
water con-taining blue-green algae?
Some blue-green algae produce toxins could
pose a health risk to people and animals when
they are exposed to them in large enough
quantities. Health effects could occur when
surface scums or water containing high levels
Page 2
of blue-green algal toxins are swallowed,
through contact with the skin or when airborne droplets con-taining toxins are inhaled
while swimming, bathing or showering.
Consuming water containing high levels of
blue-green algal toxins has been associated
with effects on the liver and on the nervous
system in laboratory animals, pets, livestock
and people. Livestock and pet deaths have
occurred when animals consumed very large
amounts of accumulated algal
scum from along shorelines.
Direct contact or breathing airborne droplets containing high
levels of blue-green algal toxins
during swimming or showering
can cause irritation of the skin,
eyes, nose and throat and inflam-
NYS Department of Health
mation in the respiratory tract.
How do I know if I am being exposed to
b l u e - g r e e n
a l g a e ?
People should suspect that blue-green algae
could be present in water that is visibly discolored or that has surface scums. Colors
can include shades of green, blue-green, yellow, brown or red. Water affected by bluegreen al-gal blooms often is so strongly colored that it can develop a paint-like appearance.
Don’t let your pets
drink the water
Unpleasant tastes or odors are
not reliable indi-cators of bluegreen algal toxins or other toxic
substances, however, the absence of unpleasant tastes and
odors does not guarantee the ab
-sence of blue-green algal toxins.
Coyote Creek/Morphy Lake: Bear Troubles
By Chris Vigil, Manager Coyote Creek/Morphy Lake
We constantly go through the park and ask
Over the past
visitors not to leave food out as it will atfew weeks we
tract bears and provide them with an easily
have had several
accessible food source in which they begin
Black Bear sightto rely on. Bears can smell food from a mile
ings within the
away, “Trash means trouble for Bears and it
park. Two bears
can mean trouble for homeowners, visitors
have been reAcorns are proper bear food
and campers”. When
located back
bears eat human food it
into wilderness areas due to nuisance
often becomes preissues within Coyote Creek State Park.
ferred over other food
Trapping and re-locating nuisance
sources such as fresh
bears is not the best thing to do as
grasses, forbs, roots,
most do not survive as well or at all in
insects, carrion, berries,
a different environment or habitat
This is a scene we’re trying to
fruit, etc. When this
from which they are accustomed to.
avoid
New Mexico Night Sky
necessary)
and a comfy
chair so that
you can lean
back
and
scan the sky.
M e t e o r
showers, or
“shooting
Volume 3, Issue 2
than grains of sand) can enter our upper
atmosphere and burn up with a brief fiery
glow. Rarely, a meteoroid makes it all the
way to the ground and then it is called a
meteorite. The Perseid meteor shower
derives its name from the fact that it appears to radiate from the constellation
Perseus. The meteoroid debris itself comes
from the comet Swift-Tuttle.
On August 7-17 you will see a
close grouping of Venus, Mars
and Saturn on the western horizon before sunset. Look for
bright Venus with Saturn above
and red Mars to the left. On the
12th a thin crescent moon near
the planets will create of beautiful tableau. Happy August viewThis grouping won’t happen again ing!
for a long time!
Nature Corner: Broadleaf Beardtongue or Blue Bells
The plant's flowers are
partly tube-shaped with
two-lipped flowers and seed
Bears with cubs have been seen and are even less
likely to survive if relocated
By Doug & Kathleen McLeod, Friends of VVMSP
August is the month of the famous
Perseid meteor shower which will be
active between the 11th and 15th. If it is
clear and you’re willing to stay up late,
you should be rewarded with 20 to 30
meteors per hour between midnight and
3 a.m. especially on the morning of August 13, the peak of activity. Viewing
should be very good this year because
the crescent moon will set early in the Perseids can be seen with the naked eye
ev en i n g,
leaving the
stars” are bits of rock and
sky dark all
other debris (properly
night.
All
called “meteoroids”) that
you need to
are shed from comets as
see
this
they orbit around the Sun.
show is your
If Earth travels through this
eyes
(no
debris stream, the meteorbinoculars or
oids (sometimes no bigger
telescope
Perseid Meteor
The scientific name is Penstemon neomexicanus and
is found on wooded slopes
or in ponderosa pines/
spruce/fir forests that are
6,000 to 9,000 feet. This
plant is commonly found in
the Sacramento Mountains
and in the Rio Grande Botanic Gardens in Albuquerque.
happens, bears sometimes lose their fear of
humans and may become aggressive in their
search for food.
capsules. The foliage is
evergreen and blue-green.
The bloom color is blue to
blue-violet and blooms in
late spring to early summer.
By Deb Herbst, Resident Volunteer
There is another Penstemon similar to
the neomexicanus called virgatus. This
plant's has smaller flowers, shorter sepals, and the base of the lower corolla
lobes is glabrous or lightly bearded.
This plant is the food
source for the Sacramento
Mountains Checkerspot
Butterfly. The butterfly's
larvae is dependent on
this flower for food.
Page 3
Vietnam Veterans Memorial State Park
(575) 377-2293 Angel Fire, NM
[email protected]
Cimarron Canyon State Park
(575) 377-6271 Eagle Nest, NM
[email protected]
Eagle Nest Lake State Park
(575) 377-1594 Eagle Nest, NM
[email protected]
Coyote Creek/Morphy Lake State Park
(575) 387-2328 Guadalupita, NM
[email protected]
A New Library Cont’d from page 1
There are 35 New Mexico State Parks. Three are located in the Moreno
Valley with another in the Mora Valley less than 20 miles away. We provide a variety of activities for the entire family to enjoy within an easy
drive. Vietnam Veterans Memorial State Park is a beautiful place that
honors our veterans and offers learning opportunities. Cimarron Canyon
and Coyote Creek State Parks feature camping, hiking and river or creek
fishing. Eagle Nest Lake State Park offers fishing, boating and wildlife
viewing. All four parks remain open year round enabling visitors to enjoy
ice fishing, snowshoeing, cross country skiing and other winter activities.
Morphy Lake, about 50 miles from Angel Fire, offers fishing, boating,
camping and wildlife viewing. However, winter snows close this park
during the colder months as it is one of our highest lake parks.
through
doors.
our
by Dennis Thomas and Deb Herbst. Brent
Dalton was one of our many visitors over the
Memorial Day Weekend when we were still
unpacking. He noticed the computers sitting
on the floor of the library and offered to return and set them up. When he returned a
couple of weeks later, he brought with him
extra monitors, a printer/scanner, a wifi
router and adapters for each computer. For
the next 2 days
Brent not only
installed and
set up all three
stations
and
the printer but
he visited with
virtually person
3 computers and a printer all
made possible by donations and who
came
Our computers
are now available
for research use.
Roughly 25 sites
are bookmarked.
No other sites are
accessible.
If
has
Many visitors take advantage someone
of our reading nook
suggestions for
sites to be added
to the list they should talk to one of our
rangers or volunteers.
Our Waters Cont’d from pg 1
and its residents. For example, birds often
try to use discarded fishing line for their
nests. This creates a potential death trap for
parents and their chicks. A bird that gets
tangled in fishing line may strangle or hang
from a branch until it starves. Old fishing line
needs to put into trash cans, not left on
shore. Other litter issues are things like glass
bottles--which break and can cut someone-or plastic bags, which wildlife can mistakenly
eat.
Soon visitors will be able to view videos using our computers. Brent is currently transferring our VHS videos to a digital format.
Headphones will be available for video viewing in the library.
Both Eagle Nest Lake State Park and Coyote
Creek State Park have group shelters?
They’re available for $30. Call the parks for
more information.
Eagle Nest’s Group Shelter
volunteers!
oil to a reputable car repair business and
ask the manager if the firm will dispose of it
for you.
Yard care is another potential problem for
water quality. Some gardeners rely on chemical products to kill weeds or insects. Unfortunately, when it rains, these chemicals wash
out of the yard and head downstream for the
lake. The most dramatic example of possible
consequences came after World War II, when
use of the pesticide DDT nearly resulted
in the extinction of our national symbol,
the bald eagle. The bald eagle came back after
DDT was banned in the 1970s. In your yard,
consider other options, such as using (nonphosphate) soapy water to rinse bugs off
plants, and either digging up or mowing
weeds.
Finally, litter can cause problems for the lake
Sometimes we forget that everything we do
has consequences. Fortunately, most of us
who live in or visit this area share appreciation for Eagle
Nest Lake. We
can also share
in helping to
keep it beautiful and clean.
Dispose of fishing line properly
Coyote Creek’s Group Shelter
New Guy Cont’d from page 1
His diligence and hard work paid off and he
was hired by the Energy Minerals and Natural
Resources Department on June 5, 2010, after
a lengthy application process. Logan received
his certification as a New Mexico Peace Officer with ten days to spare. Logan said that
the only word he could find to describe how
he felt, at that moment, was “relieved.” The
only words that I can think of, at this moment,
are “Welcome aboard Logan. We are glad to
have you. By the way, here is your toilet
brush.”