Mount Evans Junior Ranger Booklet

Mount Evans Scenic Byway

BECOME A JUNIOR RANGER! TAKE CARE OF YOUR NATIONAL FORESTS! HERE’S HOW: Complete all the fun activities in this book. You will learn about Mount

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Evans and its plants and animals. You can color the pictures, too.

Take the completed book to the Dos Chappell Nature Center on Mount Evans. The ranger at the information desk will review it with you.

The ranger will sign the diploma on the inside back cover of the book and award you an official Junior Ranger badge.

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TRUE OR FALSE?

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1. TREES CAN BE USED BY PEOPLE WITHOUt CAUSING HARM TO THE FOREST.

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o TRUE o FALSE

2. SOME TREES CAN BE CUT SO OTHERS WILL GROW HEALTHY AND FULL.

o TRUE o FALSE

3. SOME FORESTS ARE PRESERVED AS “WILDERNESS.” HERE,

NATURE IS LEFT ALONE AND HUMANS COME ONLY AS VISITORS. 4. THERE ARE MORE THAN 150 NATIONAL FORESTS IN AMERICA. 5. THE NATIONAL FORESTS BELONG TO ALL AMERICANS.

o TRUE o FALSE o TRUE o FALSE o TRUE o FALSE

ANSWERS: All are true.

WHAT DOES A FOREST RANGER DO? A RANGER...

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STUDIES THE PLANTS, ANIMALS AND GEOLOGY OF THE NATIONAL FORESTS

AND TEACHES OTHERS ABOUT THEM.

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MANAGES FORESTS FOR MANY FUN ACTIVITIES, INCLUDING

FISHING, HIKING, CAMPING, SKIING, SNOWSHOEING AND MOUNTAIN BIKING.

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KEEPS TRACK OF FOREST ANIMALS AND PROTECTS THEIR HOMES.

aPUTS OUT DANGEROUS FOREST FIRES

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2

PROTECTS WATER FOR PEOPLE TO DRINK AND USE.

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MAKES SURE YOUR TRIP TO THE FOREST IS SAFE BY ALERTING

YOU TO DANGERS.

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COULD BE YOU! JOIN US ON THIS EXCITING JUNIOR RANGER

ADVENTURE UP MOUNT EVANS.

Your journey to the top of the world

you’ll reach the 14,264-foot summit of Mount Evans. It’s a world much like the Arctic. As you climb higher, you will pass through distinct communities of plants and animals called ecosystems. Watch for changes between the montane, subalpine and alpine tundra

Alpine

America. In a very short time,

t Mouns Evan ’ 14,264 Sum m Lak it e

n col Lin ke La

krummholz

paved road in North

subalpine

W

elcome to the highest

ecosystems. You will also

Do Nat s Chap pe ure Cen ll ter

Ch ic Lakago es k. oL Ech,650’ 10

n rge bBe rk, Pa reen rg Eve

visit the krummholz transition the treeless tundra. Are you ready for your Mount Evans

montane

zone, where the forests meet

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adventure? Let’s go!

o Idah s g Sprin ’ 7,540

Mount evans junior ranger checklist

o warm sweater or jacket q o Sunscreen and sunglasses k o Binoculars v

o plant and animal guides g o Water and snacks k

Help keep wildlife wild You will see wild animals during your Mount Evans adventure.

Junior Rangers do not feed wildlife. Why?

bhuman food can make animals sick. b Wild animals can bite, and some carry diseases. bfeeding wildlife draws animals close to roads, where

Forest Fact

The temperatu re drops 3 to 5 degrees for every 1,000 feet of elevati on you climb.

It can be wintr y on the top o f Mount Evans in the middle of the summe r. BRRRRR!

they might be hit by cars.

banimals fed my humans can lose their natural feeding habits.

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ECO - KEY

Montane Ecosystem: 7,500 feet to 9,500 feet our journey up Mount Evans Forest Fact begins in the montane eco-

Y Ponderosa pine

system. Ponderosa pines grow on south-facing slopes. Douglas-firs are found on cooler, north-facing slopes.

Mule deer, coyotes, golden-mantled ground squirrels and tassel-eared

Ponderosa pin

es have a cinnamon-red bark that forms large fl akes and give s off a buttersc otch or vanilla scent. MMMM M!

Abert’s squirrels live here.

montane madness game Use the clues to unscramble the letters.

1. Natural communities where plants and animals live. they change as altitude increases or decreases:

oooooooooo s m o e y s t e c s

2. The ecosystem located between 7,500 feet and 9,500 feet:

ooooooo o n e a t m n

3. the pine that grows on dry, south-facing slopes:

ooooooooo d r a s e p o n o

4. a large tree squirrel with tassled ears:

oooooo / oooooooo t’ s e a b r / r u s i r q l e 5. a tree that grows on cool, north-facing slopes:

ooooooo - ooo a o l s d g u - r f i

ANSWERS: 1: ecosystems. 2: montane. 3: ponderosa. 4: Abert’s squirrel. 5: douglas-fir

BY WAY BINGO: Check and color each plant and animal you see.

Golden-mantled ground squirrel

Abert’s squirrel

Douglas-fir

Subalpine Ecosystem: 9,500 feet to 11,000 feet

ECO - KEY

A

s you climb higher, the forests become cool, dark and dense. Trees found at these elevations include Engelmann spruce, subalpine fir,

limber pine and bristlecone pine. Take an imaginary hike into the Mount Evans wilderness for a closer look. Play Hiking to Chicago Lakes.

Subalpine fir

hiking to chicago lakes Rules: Each player uses a coin for a marker. Another coin is used for tossing. If it’s heads, move your marker forward 2 spaces. If it’s tails, move your marker forward 1 space. If your marker lands on a space with instructions, do what the instructions tell you. Start at the trailhead. The first player to Chicago Lakes wins!

You don’t turn back when a thunderstorm threatens. Go back 3 spaces.

You carry food and water in your pack.

Go forward 3 spaces.

You quietly listen to a woodpecker you spot in a tree. Go forward 3 spaces.

You carve your name into a tree trunk. Go back 3 spaces.

You feed the chipmunks and the gray jays. Go back 3 spaces.

You plan your hike so you have time to return before dark.

Go forward 2 spaces.

You trip on a rock in your sandals.

Return to the trailhead for hiking boots.

You pick up litter on the trail.

Go forward 3 spaces.

You see an elk, but keep your distance. Go forward 1 space .

You walk off the trail and trample the plants. Go back 2 spaces.

s

Trailhead

You smell the wildflowers, but don’t pick them.

Go forward 1 space.

chicago lakes

You glimpse a snowshoe hare. Go forward 2 spaces.

BY WAY BINGO: Check and color each plant and animal you see.

Aspen

Paintbrush

Engelmann spruce

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ECO - KEY

krummholz transition zone: 11,000 feet to 11,500 feet s you climb higher, do Forest Fact W h at’s 1,60 you notice the trees

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0 years old an d growing stron g on Mount E becoming smaller and twisted vans?

It’s the bristle c o n e p in Flag tree e, a tree into weird shapes? Could this known to live more than 5,0 00 be part of the same forest you years. Meet s ome of Earth’s oldest living things a saw below? In fact, it is. t the Mount G oliath Research Na But up here, the trees are blasted by freezing temperatures tural Area. and winds as high as 200 miles per hour. Their “flag-like” branches show

the direction the wind usually blows. The trees’ twisted trunks earn them the nickname krummholz, a German word meaning crooked wood.

fire fact natural fires can be good for the forest. Wildfires enrich the soil. New trees, plants and grasses grow after a fire, providing food for wildlife. Can you think of a natural way forest fires begin?

ANSWER: lightning

BY WAY BINGO: Check and color each plant and animal you see.

Bristlecone pine

Marmot

Alpine avens

The forest finder game Now that you have visited the forests of mount evans, play the forest finder game. hidden in this picture are at least 5 activities that are allowed in our national forests. circle them. at least 5 activities are not good for the forest. put a big X over them.

Answers:

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Allowed: camping, hiking, watching wildlife, fishing, mountain biking. not good for the forest: getting too close to wildlife (man and bear), picking wildflowers, carving initials into trees and rocks, feeding wildlife, littering.

Alpine tundra ecosystem: above 11,500 feet

ECO - KEY

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ou have climbed higher than trees can grow. You’ve reached the alpine tundra, Colorado’s Arctic. Up here, it can snow any day

Alpine sunflower

of the year. Look closely at the tiny plants. Can you see little hairs on their stems, petals and leaves? Those hairs act like a jacket to keep the plants warm.

what kind of animals live in this harsh land above the trees?

How do they survive? Play the Alpine Animals Matching Game to find out. Simply match the answer above with the animal below.

alpine animals matching game 1. a small rabbit-like alpine animal with tiny round ears. This creature stores up to 30 pounds of grass in hay piles to be eaten during the winter._______________ 2. a large rodent related to the woodchuck. it hibernates during the winter. _______________ 3. colorado’s official state animal. it has spongy hooves that provide traction on rough and rocky terrain. ______________ 4. the only bird that lives on the tundra year round. it beds in snowdrifts and eats willow buds. _______________ 5. it has pencil-like horns, a shoulder hump and a bearded chin. _______________

A. Ptarmigan

D. Pika

B. bighorn sheep

E. Marmot

ANSWERS: 1: D. 2: E. 3: B. 4: A. 5:C.

C. Mountain Goat

BY WAY BINGO: Check and color each plant and animal you see.

Mountain goat Sky pilot

Arctic gentian

Bighorn sheep

Forest Fact

TUNDRA TEASERS

Some tundra

plants live as many as 60 years b efore they blo om for the first tim e. Be careful not to step on the m. They may be tiny and fragile , but they’re m uch older than yo u!

From rocky dens, i send my shrill whistle warning across the hill. all summer, i eat to double my weight, for in the winter, I hibernate. what am I?_________________________________ ANSWER: marmot

On cliffs of granite, with rocks so steep, my perfect footing helps me leap. my horns are majestic, there’s no debate.

I am the official animal of this state.

What am I?____________________________________ ANSWER: bighorn sheep

I’m the only bird that lives on the tundra year round. i turn from winter-white to summer brown. my feet are lined with feathers, you know. they keep me warm when i walk through snow. what am i?_____________________________________________ ANSWER: ptarmigan

BY WAY BINGO: Check and color each plant and animal you see.

Pika

Elk

Ptarmigan

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P os tc ard

wish you were here Write this postcard to a friend or relative describing what it’s like to stand on a mountaintop. How is it different from being in a city, which you can see in the illustration below?

c c c c starry skies

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Can you imagine what it’s like to be on Mount Evans at night? Near the top of the mountain, there is a telescope scientists use to study the stars, planets and comets. They are so close up there at 14,000 feet that it almost seems you can touch them.

are you a junior ranger?

Place a check beside the things you have learned.

o be prepared. Bring warm clothes, sunscreen, sunglasses, water, snacks and guidebooks!

o view wildlife from a distance. Never feed

Forest Fact

Some soils on

Mount Evans have been frozen s olid for thousa nds of years. This “permafrost,” rarely seen in Colora do, is commo n in arctic regions .

the animals!

o Stay on the trails. Protect the forest’s plants! o keep forests clean. don’t litter!

BY WAY BINGO: Check off each of these sights you can see from Mount Evans. Hints:

one is to the north, one is to the south and the other is to the east. Use the spotting scopes!

Longs Peak and Mount Meeker

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Pikes Peak

Denver

national forests are for everyone.

They provide timber to build houses and gas to heat our homes and fuel our cars. The forests give us water for drinking, washing and fishing. We go to the national forests to hike, camp, ride mountain bikes, ski, snowshoe and watch wild animals in their homes.

Junior rangers help the national forests by conserving the forests’ resources for future generations of people to use and enjoy. Put a check next to the things you will do to help the forests and your own neighborhood when you return home from Mount Evans.

o Pick up litter. keep the outdoors clean! o Recycle paper. Conserve our trees! o walk or bike instead of driving. Save gas! o avoid leaving water running when washing dishes or brushing teeth. Save water!

o tell others about your national forests. spread the word!

Congratulations, Junior Ranger!

This book was developed through the cooperative efforts of the u.s.d.a. forest service, arapaho-roosevelt national forest clear creek ranger district and the Rocky Mountain Conservancy. project coordinator/editor: John Gunn text: Judy rosen editorial assistance: linda hecker, curt buchholtz, karen knutson book design, map & graphics: ann green cover illustration: roberta morales inside illustrations: roberta morales, ann green, ben brown, marj dunmire, susan strawn funded by a grant from great outdoors colorado