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4-VICTOR is published by the San Gorgonio Volunteer Association, 34701 Mill Creek Road, Mentone, CA 92359. A non-profit organization in cooperation with the USDA Forest Service, San Bernardino National Forest. The goals of the partnership are to educate the public to preserve and conserve our natural resources. 4-Victor newsletter
edited by Pat Peters and Jan Gudgell Portions of this newsletter may have been edited to present material applicable to the general viewing public. |
JULY 1998 NEWSLETTER
The major business at the June 28th meeting concerned the planning for the annual Forest Festival to be held August 15th from 10-4 p.m. Anyone knowing of places to secure donations of items for the drawings are requested to contact Linda Roddick or John Flippin. An update on Tom Rutledge’s condition indicates he will be home permanently in the near future. The financial status of the SGVA continues about the same and is stable. Sales of merchandise are increasing this year and will continue to do so as the snow conditions ease and more visitors are in the forest. Audrey Scranton reported that the Mountain Top District trail crew has surveyed 100 miles of trail and cut 35 trees lying on trail tread, mostly with the cross-cut saw. Jeannette Granger, crew leaders, says her group is A-OK! The San Gorgonio crew is working well with Ann Barz and will assist volunteers with the Plummer Meadow Trail work. The date for this work is now August 7th. Contact Roger Gossett for details. Roger Gossett
The first special interpretive program was held June 28th at Barton Flats. Entomologist John Klotz, from UCR, gave a very interesting program on ants and a few other insects. Val Silva was a bit squeamish when the hissing cockroach from Madagascar was passed around and Audrey Scranton found out that the 3-foot anthill in her yard was really an ecological asset. And did you know that the large black ant that runs up and down the log you have selected for your lunch bench is a carpenter ant and that its function is to help the dead tree become part of the forest floor? (By the way, they bite!) They are the most prominent ants in our forest. Nineteen volunteers attended the program at 1:00 p.m. at the Visitor Center and everyone is encouraged to attend. The next presentation will be July 26 at 1:00 p.m. and will be given by Oscar Clarke who was the original curator of the herbarium at UCR. On August 30th Jim Cornett, who is the curator of natural science for the Palm Springs Desert Museum, will give a program on the wildlife of the San Bernardino and San Jacinto mountains.
Dana Klatt reports that ladybugs get high on Canada Dry Ginger Ale! She had spilled some on her hand and hadn’t completely washed it off. She watched as the bug began to lose equilibrium and stagger the more that it it licked up the soda. Dana says she worried that as the bug flew off, it would crash into a nearby tree!! There are all sorts of interesting things happening in the meadow. If you are interested in this duty, please check with Sheila McMahon, 909-683-8850. The hours are Saturday, 10-4 and Sunday, 10-3.
New SGVA Office Our thanks to Karen McKinley, Assistant Recreation Officer, and Alfredo Zarate, Developed Sites Manager, who arranged for the SGVA to have a new office of our own in the Recreation Annex at the Mill Creek Ranger Station. A very special thanks goes to volunteer Larry Stiles who painted our new office. Everyone is always welcome to come by. You can usually catch me or Roger Gossett there on Friday and Saturday mornings and Sunday afternoons. There are even a couple of chairs for you to sit down and relax. [Editor: When do either you or Roger sit still long enough to visit?] Green Volunteer Tackles the Green Cards The most time-consuming task in managing the volunteer program is transferring all the information volunteers record on "green cards" (Patrol Reports) and other duty rosters. This information must be transferred to individual volunteer activity/hour lists and to the trail/visitor contact files for the Forest Service. Luckily, we have a new volunteer who asked to take on this important task. Patti Gossett asked to and does it so cheerfully that it makes one wonder if she has walked into one too many trees. However, her husband, Roger Gossett, vouches for Patti’s sanity. They make a great team whether they are patrolling trails, bustin’ dirt, or pushing pencils. Thank you Patti, for this excellent help. Fish Fest ‘’98 Don’t’ miss this one on September 26th. We put all our effort into this annual Forest Service event for over 100 children at Jenks Lake. It is a very wonderful, special day. Sandy Vandenburg will need all of us to help give the kids a great day in the forest. More details later. New or Renewing Contributing Members Many who know the great value of our forests and wilderness areas may not have the time but have the monetary resources to help the SGVA continue to "Serve, Protect, and Educate." New or recently renewing "contributing" members to whom we and forest visitors owe many thanks are: Regular Contributing Members ($20 or more annually) Kevin Proctor John Podolsky President’s Club ($100 or more annually) Clarinda and Pat Teixeira
My Kingdom for a Horse I sure like the freedom and simplicity of roaming on foot up and down trails in the forest. But when I have to haul something really heavy a long way, I’m sure glad we have a lot of good equestrian volunteers. And if I ever sustain a serious foot or leg injury deep in the Wilderness, I’d probably trade my kingdom for a horse. (My kingdom might get me a 27-year-old swayback, Shetland pony, but it would be the best deal ever.) Fortunately for injured visitors, equestrian volunteers like Kathy Greenway and Kirt Moore don’t charge for hitchhikers in distress. On July 4th, Kathy and Kirt, rescued a woman who had sprained or broken her ankle on the Fish Creek Trail. They gave her a lift out to the trailhead where her worried husband waited. Our continued thanks go to Kathy, Kirt, and our other equestrians who always seem to be available when we need the strength of their beautiful, faithful steeds. Lane Sends Her Thanks Lane Lutz, half of the Ed and Lane Barton Flats Management Team, is doing well recovering at home and sent the following note to all. "Thank you so much for the cards, flowers, wind chime, and your prayers for my recovery. I’m doing much better but the doctor is going to have more tests done. Looks like we’ll be spending the summer in the hot flatlands. We miss all of our friends, the cool weather, and the bears. Your friendship means so much to us." Ed and Lane are hoping to visit us, doctor permitting, at the Forest Festival on August 15. (Editor: No sign of your bear yet, Lane.) Barton Flats Station Still in Good Hands While Lane Lutz is recuperating (with Ed’s help), our new Barton Flats managers, Glen and Marcie Riddle, have learned real fast and are taking excellent care of the station and all of the visitors and volunteers that pass through. They also offered to stay on through our last holiday weekend, Labor Day. A special thanks goes to the many volunteers who helped get them moved in and trained. Ed Lutz and Vern Rodgers worked hard getting the trailer site ready. Larry Vincent saved the day with his 4X4 pickup moving the old trailer out of the way. Then Del Hawkins rode in on his horse just in time to trim a lot of oak branches and help get the Riddle’s trailer nestled into its new home. Finally, Danny and Val Silva, Larry Stiles, Sheila McMahon, Sandy Messner, Jim Fuller, Karen Saffle, Brian McGoldrick (who often helps in emergencies at Mill Creek), and Donna Ball (back for a couple weeks from Columbia, South America) all pitched in at a moment’s notice to keep the station open and get them quickly trained and feeling comfortable to operate on their own. Glen and Marcie jumped right into the excitement of Barton Flats, including the many unusual events, which often occur. First, they took care of a lady who knocked on their door about 9 p.m. on the 4th of July. She had hiked from her East Flats campsite after being beaten by her husband. They took care of her and called the sheriff and Forest Service law enforcement. Then they rescued a volunteer with a dead battery at Tulake Camp during midweek. These two certainly have that good team spirit and we are happy to welcome them aboard!! John Flippin
Family, friends, forest personnel, and SGVA volunteers gathered July 7th under the pines at the Barton Flats Visitor Center to say farewell to Natalie Gammey. Family members and friends shared remembrances of Natalie’s love of life and her dedication to family, friends, and the forest. John Flippin eloquently recounted a few highlights of Natalie’s 16 years of adventures as a dedicated volunteer. A young pine tree was planted in her memory at the Center. You will be missed, Natalie.
A new phone scam has been reported by Lt. Mere. A caller identifies themselves as an AT&T technician wanting to test your phone line. He requests you to push 9 then 0 then the # key. If you give this to anyone, it allows them to have full access to your line, enabling long-distance calls to be made and charged to you. The GTE security department says DO NOT press 9-0-# for anyone!!
Bear problems are coming at an unusually fast pace this year, due in part to their population growth. Bears wander as much as 150 miles in search of food and open turf as their numbers increase. Statewide, bear population estimates are upwards of 22,000 compared with 12,000 in the early 1980s. The San Bernardino National Forest has the most in Southern California -- between 300-400. Grizzlies, the natural enemies of the black bear, were eradicated from the San Bernardino mountains about the turn of the century. In the 1930s, 27 black bears were brought from Yosemite and released in the San Gabriel and San Bernardino mountains. The San Bernardinos offer the best habitat for bears in Southern California because the slopes are less steep and the soil is deeper, allowing for more growth of the type of berries that bears eat. Also, the winters are milder here. During the peak feeding season, a bear will devour 20,000 calories a day, and as their population increases, their range across the state expands. More are pushing northward into forests near the central coast. And it is estimated that it is a matter of time before the San Jacintos have a good-sized population. Though dangerous, black bears are rarely out to get humans. Unless taught otherwise, they see humans as the dominant species. They are, however, very smart and opportunistic when it comes to securing food. Dumpsters, food chests, food left untended, backpacks, camper shells, trash barrels, and even a particular make of car are no challenge for them. When they learn they can get food from humans, whole generations grow up eating trash and they lose their fear of people. Relocation of these persistent types of bears is rarely successful. Control of bears involves the use of rubber bullets, tranquilizers and, in the extreme, depredation permits to allow killing. Educating the public is the primary goal for the game wardens involved with bear problems. Citations are rarely given to persons not cooperating by controlling their trash, but Lt. David Smith, Department of Fish and Game, says they are considering a crackdown on a few camps in the Barton Flats and Forest Falls areas where problems exist. Just one rule-breaker can lure bears where many children are camping. With natural enemies eliminated and an increase in numbers, the bear population will eventually hit saturation and natural decline will occur. Until that time, more and more bears will be forced outward from their habitat in the forest. The resulting problems can be minimized if all the public will be "bear wise" and help give both humans and animals the chance to coexist. You can help as volunteers by sharing your knowledge with those you meet on the trails and in other service locations. Recent Black Bear Problems Reported incidents between bears and people began late this year:
[Editor: Information for this article comes from the Press Enterprise, June 8, 1998, written by Mark Kendall.]
Their
Support Enables Without the monetary support of the following SGVA organization members this year, we would not be able to provide half the services we do. Our great appreciation goes to (in random order):
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