Birders thank Last Chance, Washington County
Tom Wilberding
Hello COBirders,
We
all enjoy seeing, hearing, and studying Colorado birds. But we also enjoy
getting together with other birders—at Christmas bird counts, the annual CFO
convention, and monthly bird club meetings. Thanks to Joe Roller for setting up
another occasion for birders to get together, this time not to bird but to
clean up some bird habitat, and meet & greet the local residents--today’s
Last Chance Oasis Clean-up Day.
Last
Chance is a little cross-roads prairie town 75 miles east of Denver with a real
frontier name. As you probably know it has a legendary bird oasis, a mysterious
pond at the southwest corner of highways 36 and 71 which attracts many rare
migrating species, like the Hermit Warbler Steve Mlodinow found October 8. The
dozen or so residents of Last Chance are very friendly and welcoming to
birders. In recent years Joe has taken the time to meet most of the residents
there, as well as folks at their big brother town 17 miles north called
Woodrow. The two towns share a school system and a Lion’s Club, which for many
years has maintained a roadside park with bathroom facilities next to the bird
oasis pond. After the devastating June 25th prairie fire destroyed most of the
area, Joe offered to recruit birders to join the residents in a clean-up day
and social get together, so we COBirders could get to meet the local residents
and express our solidarity and appreciation.
About
20 birders from up and down the Font Range and 12 local residents gathered at
Last Chance this morning to collect old bottles, cans, concrete blocks, a tire,
and various other debris that used to be hidden by vegetation before the fire.
At noon we enjoyed a great lunch hosted by the Howard United Methodist Church,
“your best chance in Last Chance.” Joe could not be with us as he was taking
care of his lovely wife, Mary Anne, who is recovering from recent gall bladder
surgery. Best wishes to them both. Next year…let’s do it again, with Joe!
Efforts
are underway to acquire and spread seed and straw on burned slopes next to the
oasis pond. To contribute please mail a check to the Woodlin Lions Club, 25435
County Road L, Woodrow, CO 80757. At the bottom of your check write “Last
Chance pond restoration” and the club will reserve your funds for that work.
Next year think of donating again, to help the Lions Club maintain the park and
bathroom facilities we birders all use. Thank you very much to Jim and Mary
Kleinschmidt, neighbor south of the oasis; Tom Thompson, pastor of the church;
Rose Cronk, school superintendent; the Miller family, and all the friendly
residents of Last Chance!
Here
are nine photos I took today: http://bit.ly/X9JeOU
Cheers,
Tom Wilberding
Boulder, CO