Community Digest Forest Management » Classes: Living wisely with wildlife and wildfire

Classes: Living wisely with wildlife and wildfire

Posted on: March 15th, 2013

There are great upcoming classes for mountain residents.  This information comes from the Gilpin County Extension Agent, Irene Shonle.  Some are actually webinars you view at home on your computer.

Gilpin Wildwise series: Living wisely with wildlife and wildfire

Fire Preparedness Workshop April 27 (Sat) 2:00-4:00pm Gilpin Community Center  FREE   A big fire could happen anytime. Prepare yourself and your home for evacuation. Metal reflective address signs will be for sale. RSVP’s appreciated.

 

Living with Wildlife  May 4 (Sat) 2:00-4:00pm Gilpin Community Center   FREE  

Are you seeing moose for the first time, or noticing aggressive coyotes? Are you ready for extra-hungry bears this year? Bring your children for the special kids track with snacks, crafts and games. Also, look for wildlife-related story hours at the library through the month of May. RSVP’s appreciated.

 

Firewise Landscaping    May 11 (Sat) 9:00- 12:00 Nederland Community Center  FREE    Create a usable and attractive defensible space. Learn how to transform your house’s perimeter into an area that you can not only use, but looks good and helps protect your home.

 

Chainsaw Safety Workshop    June 1 (Sat) 9:00-12:00 Gilpin Community Center   FREE    Learn how to evaluate and fell trees safely with a chainsaw. The class will consist of an indoor presentation and an outdoor demonstration of techniques.

Must RSVP-space is limited. Gilpin residents only, please (others will be waitlisted)

 

Gilpin County Spring Gardening series:

Mountain Gardening Basics   April 6 (Sat)   1:30pm
Exhibit Building  $5.00  Learn the basics of what it takes to successfully garden in the mountains- flowers and vegetables!

Composting & Soil Amendments   April 6 (Sat)   3:00pm  Exhibit Building  $5.00  Learn how to compost in the mountains as well as how to test and improve your soil..

Mountain Vegetable Selection & Seed Starting
April 9 (Tues)   6:30pm  Gilpin Community Center    $5.00  Learn what to look for in vegetable varieties, and which plants to start early indoors and which you can directly seed outside.

Vegetable Planting Techniques & Season Extension
May 7 (Tues)   6:30pm  Gilpin Community Center  $5.00
This class will give you the best practices for planting your vegetable garden, including tips on how to extend your growing season.

Firewise Landscaping  May 11 (Sat)   9:00- 12:00
Nederland Community Center  FREE  Learn how to transform your house’s perimeter into an area that you can not only use, but looks good and helps protect your home.

Drought Tolerant, Hardy Flowers  May 29 (Wed)   6:30pm  Exhibit Building  $5.00  Nothing grows up here? Nonsense! Learn about beautiful and tough flowers to brighten your landscape.

 

Garden Pests: Insects & Critters   June 22 (Sat)   2:00pm
Exhibit Building  $5.00  Learn how to deal with pesky insects and animals that are destroying your garden.. Not having any problems yet? Learn how to stop them before they find you!

 

Small acreage webinars:

Colorado Native Fruits  March 19, 2013 12:00 – 1:00 pm MT

There are many tantalizing, tasty, and tough native plants out there that can produce edible fruit and enhance your landscape.  We will discuss these plants as well as some choice cultivars. Options are given for all elevations in Colorado. Presented by Irene Shonle, CSU Extension Director in Gilpin County

To register for this free webinar, click on the following link:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1vt-u9dTd_iUuYkDutN8WFafz3pyrYExnIdoFIv_eYLs/viewform

 

No-water Gardening for Higher Elevations (above 7500’)  April 2, 2013 12:00 – 1:00 pm MT Colorado water rights can be frustrating for the mountain homeowner. For example, there are no outdoor water rights for houses with wells drilled after May 8, 1972 on less than 35 acres.  In this webinar, learn techniques that allow you to grow beautiful ornamentals (and even vegetables) without violating water rights restrictions. Presented by Irene Shonle, CSU Extension Director in Gilpin County

To register for this free webinar, click on the following link:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1Y1r8ruH8rUT1-AgkldAxp3eGuqGu0so33_WTZjnVolo/viewform
Assessing Your Small Acreage for Water Quality and Environmental Protection  April 11, 2013  12:00-1:00 pm MT  Learn how to protect water quality on your property. We will discuss common water quality concerns related to private wells, pesticide and chemical handling, animal manure management, and oil and gas. Presented by Eric Wardle, CSU Soil and Crops Research Associate and Troy Bauder, Water Quality Specialist in the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences at CSU.

To register for this free webinar, click on the following link:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1ktVPwFK8td_4whnOAJ_sUfdrJ20NrS6h1cPMz9OEHVg/viewform

 

Water Wells & Oil/Gas Reserves in Northeastern Colorado  April 23, 2013  12:00-1:00 pm MT  Geologist Al Albin, of USDA-NRCS, will discuss the geologic history of Northeastern Colorado and how it relates to water wells and water availability.  We will learn about aquifers and specifically focus on the aquifers of the Denver Basin and the Ogallala aquifer.  Mr. Albin will also give an introduction to the Niobrara Formation, a major target for oil and natural gas drilling in Colorado.

To register for this free webinar, click on the following link:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1Jd0iNAcK16jPeh3VbINoeJIMSpaGIoRl3XCvZbu0eNg/viewform

 

Not classes, but great resources for you:

 

Wildfire Mitigation Measures Subtraction

Tax time is once again upon us so we thought we would repost information about the State of Colorado “Wildfire Mitigation Measures Subtraction” program; available for the income tax years 2009 through 2013. You might be eligible to subtract from your federal taxable income 50% of the costs incurred while performing wildfire mitigation measures that meet the specified qualifications.

Complete details about this program including qualifications and limitations are available on the Colorado Department of Revenue’s FYI Income 65 fact sheet.  Weblink: http://www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite?blobcol=urldata&blobheader=application%2Fpdf&blobkey=id&blobtable=MungoBlobs&blobwhere=1251781330468&ssbinary=true

Please contact the State of Colorado directly if you have questions. The program is administered by the State of Colorado Department of Revenue. In case you were curious, all forest landowners in Gilpin County have an authorized Gilpin County-wide Community Wildfire Protection Plan. This is a requirement to participate in this program.

 

Irene Shonle, Ph.D., Director/Agent

CSU Extension Gilpin County

230 Norton Drive, Black Hawk, CO 80422

303-582-9106   FAX 303-582-5062

www.extension.colostate.edu/gilpin

 

Extension programs are available to all without discrimination