The Douglas County Conservation District has seedling trees available to purchase for residents owning 2 or more acres of land.  The program promotes planting seedling trees for various conservation practices such as windbreaks, wildlife habitat, erosion control, shelterbelts, etc.  Trees are on a first come, first served basis and the deadline for ordering trees is March 15, 2012.  Information and order forms are available on our website at www.dcconservation.com or call the District office at 303-688-3042 x100.  Distribution of the trees will be Tuesday April 3^rd in Castle Rock just in time for spring planting.

In areas of high winds and blowing snow, windbreaks can reduce the amount of effort spent on snow management.  The design of your tree planting should be done with your needs and winter condition in mind.   Windbreaks can also support wildlife which adds beauty and pleasure to our lives.  You want to be sure to choose trees and shrubs that have wildlife benefits but are adapted to the local climate. Generally, native species are the best bet because are adapted to the site.

If you would like more information on windbreak design, species selection, and caring for your seedlings, plan to attend the windbreak workshop on Wednesday January 18, 2012 at 7:00pm at the Franktown Fire Station located at 1958 N Hwy 83 just south of the major intersection in Franktown.  Staff from the Colorado State Forest Service and the Natural Resources Conservation Service will be available to assist participants in their windbreak design and answer any questions.

Call 303-688-3042 x100, or go to www.dcconservation.com to RSVP for this workshop.

Click here…..

http://www.colorado.gov/treasury/gcp/index.html

I just had a neighbor in Bannockburn contact me to say that a black lab had come to visit and was didn’t seem to want to go home. If you have lost a doggy, please post a reply and I’ll get back to you.

Amy

Get rid of all your old computers, laptops, and other electronics (for a small fee) as well as shredding old documents, get your car washed and eat a bar-b-que, all sponsored by the Legend High School After Prom Commitee. Just go to behind Legend High School, 22219 Hilltop Road. See ya there!

Notice of Burning Tree Fire-Area Community Meeting

The Douglas County Commissioners will host a post-Burning Tree Fire meeting to solicit community feedback and to thank the agenices that responded.  County Wildfire Mitigation staff will also be present.  Join us to share your stories and ask questions.

The meeting will be held at the Franktown Fire Station on Thursday, March 31 at 6:30 p.m.

Song Birds — Best Backyard Practices”Castle Rock Library on Sun, Feb. 13, 1-3pm or Wed. Feb. 16  6:30-8:30pm.  If you sign up online & attend you may win a FREE Custom-made Bluebird House!

Learn about the latest in bird feeding and ways to make your backyard & property appeal to our local birds.  We’ll discuss best practices, the latest products, and many other topics related to wild birds, bats, insect control, and more.

Both programs are the same and this presentation is part one of a three part series with part two coming in March and part three in April.

To register, call the library at 303-791-7323 or http://douglascountylibraries.org/.  Once on the site click on “Events” at the top of in the blue bar.  Next click on the Calendar on the right side of the page, and lastly go to either February 13^th or 16^th and click on the event title to sign up.

Regards, Pat  The Bird Man ® Custom Bird Houses, Bat Houses, & Feeders,

Office:303-841-0966, Cell: 303-517-3102, Website: www.birdmanusa.com

If you know anyone who is curious about the solicitations that have been received in the past few months, they may be able to get some useful information at the meeting.  It’s also possible that it organized by the O&G companies, in which case the information may be somewhat less useful.  At least it will be a public discussion.

Geoff Withers
Rural Water Authority of Douglas County
District 1

This is a great time to meet and greet your county commissioners, the road managers, development managers, the tax assessor, and more. It is great to see these fine folks answer questions from the floor.  The meeting starts at 6:30 p.m.

Did you or anyone you know have a real Christmas tree this year?  If so, don’t just put it out curbside with your garbage, but rather make it into a very simple roost for your songbirds this winter.  Your old Christmas tree will provide a fantastic protection for birds by protecting them from the elements of winter during those cold nights and snowy days.  Best of all you can put it outside one of your windows so you can see more birds close up.

This is very easy to do by nailing or screwing two flat boards in an “X” configuration to the bottom of the Christmas tree trunk so it will stand up on its own.  Using flat board’s works best such as a 1” x 4” by 3’ long for trees less than 6’ high.  You will need longer boards for taller trees.

You will be amazed at how many birds will use your old Christmas tree for roosting at night, in inclement weather, and to flee to a safe place from predators.

Thanks, Pat! If you’d like more information, his email is birdman@birdmanusa.com.