Pick-up Pikes Peak Volunteer Clean-up Event on August 6th!

Volunteers Needed for Pick-up Pikes Peak 2011

                Fall is the busiest time of year for Pikes Peak State Park, and we’re looking for help to get the park ready for the fall leaf season!  If you’ve enjoyed visiting Pikes Peak in the past, now is a great time to help us keep the park looking beautiful!

What: We will be cleaning up the main overlook area as well as the Deer Ridge Trail next to the campground, and the Homestead Trail that begins at the Homestead Parking lot.  Overhanging plants will need to be pruned, and some plants may need to be pulled to keep the trail clear.  We’ll also be washing picnic tables and picking up fallen branches, sticks, and trash in the main overlook area.

When: Saturday, August 6^th, 2011, 9:00am-12:00pm.

Where: We will meet at the stone shelter behind the Park Store before going to the different sections of the park designated for clean up.

What to bring: Gloves, sturdy and comfortable shoes, sun protection (sunscreen, sunglasses, hats, etc), and bug spray if desired.  The park owns several pairs of pruning shears, but not enough to go around, so if you own a pair of shears, please bring them if you are able!  Pikes Peak will provide volunteers with bottled water, but please remember it’s summertime and you should always have water with you!

            Volunteers are not required to stay the entire duration of the project and people of all ages and abilities are welcome!  If you would like to volunteer for this event, please contact Iowa DNR Keepers of the Land AmeriCorps member Emily Groom by calling Pikes Peak State Park at 563-873-2341 or by email at emily.groom@dnr.iowa.gov

   

Programs Resume at Pikes Peak

Our AmeriCorps interpreter is finally back from her summer travels and deployment to help with levee patrol near Hamburg, IA so programs will resume this weekend!

The lineup is:
Friday, July 29^th at 7:00pm: Hickory Ridge Hike!

     A guided hike led by AmeriCorps interpreter Emily will begin at the main overlook at Pikes Peak and go up to Hickory Ridge, and then follow the trail back to the concession stand (see map below).  Hike will last approximately 1 ½ hrs and will include information about the Native American mounds, the history of the park, and the plants and animals that call Pikes Peak home!  There will be stairs involved as well as some time spent on a dirt path, so please wear appropriate shoes!

                                                                       

Saturday, July 30^th at 8:00am: Bird Walk on the Boardwalk   Come join us on a short walk through the woods to see what birds are awake and singing along the boardwalk! We’ll meet at the main overlook and go over some of the common species found in our park and some of the basics of birdwatching before heading out.

Saturday, July 30th at 10:30am: Animal Tracks Kids’ Program!    This program will last for about an hour and kids will learn how to identify some common (and not so common!) animal tracks.  Then we’ll go out and see if we can identify some tracks in the park!  Kids can also make plaster molds of the tracks we find to take home with them!

In other news, the first annual Pikes Peak Pick-up will be held on Saturday, August 6th from 9am to 12:00pm - any and all volunteers are welcome to come and help out for as long as they can! Our main project will be to clean up Deer Ridge Trail.  Details will be posted this weekend!

Deer Ridge Trail is very appropriately named! We spotted this doe and fawn
out and about on the trail this morning!