Birding friends, Here's our chance to help say "thanks" to Last Chance!
I am sure that we all feel grateful for the easy access birders have had to the crossroads community of Last Chance, Colorado, over many years. Soon after the devastating fire of June 25th swept through almost 50,000 acres of range and farmland, the community and the Oasis, many of you birders have expressed a desire to do our bit to help, in any way we can. At a recent community meeting, it was agreed to hold a Last Chance Oasis Appreciation and Clean Up Day on Saturday, November 3, from 11 til 3 PM. There will likely be some food, and a truck will be on hand to haul away debris. We're all set! Here's our chance to say "thanks" to the Woodlin Lions who maintain the Charlie Harbert Memorial Park, meet the property owner of the Oasis, as well as residents and members of the vibrant Last Chance/Woodlin School community. Although one notices only a small hamlet at the crossroads, there is a large and strong Community of great people nearby. Who knew? You will enjoy meeting them, and they are keen to hear birders share stories about how great the Oasis has been to us and to the birds. The area suffered a great blow from the fire, with houses destroyed, major property losses, but no injuries to residents. It costs $8,000 to $10,000 to replace a mile of fence, and many miles burned. We can't do much about that except express our sympathy. *But* we can clean up trash from the Oasis, spread some straw, maybe get there early for some birding and express our gratitude about having such open and welcome access to Last Chance. *Every place we go there is private property, and we can't take it for granted*. A grant is in the works to mitigate fire damage and enhance habitat for birds. We've agreed on the steps to take this fall, namely cleaning up and spreading seedless straw on the bare slopes (which burned very hot, destroying all grass seed). Next spring we'll plant grass to prevent further erosion (which is already happening). We are getting experts' opinions and are leaning toward planting native shrubs to enhance the habitat for birds. All that is in the discussion phase. Get a carload of friends, grab your work gloves and I'll see you there on Last Chance Oasis Appreciation Day, November 3rd. Even if you can't find your work gloves of find a shovel that is just your size, come anyway to say thanks and we'll find something for you to do! Joe Roller, Denver -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. To post to this group, send email to cobirds@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to cobirds+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
