The Rocky Mountain Nature Association (RMNA) is the concessionaire for the bookstore at Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument. People step in the front door of the visitor center many times just to buy books. The books and many other items are chosen carefully by Jo Beckwith, the manager for RMNA.

Jo wishes you to know about several new titles that have arrived recently. In addition to these new titles, many more are being ordered for the summer of 2008 (the bookstore also carries Richard Louv’s Last Child in the Woods if you need a copy).

Look for these new titles when you pay us a visit:

Birding Colorado: Over 180 Premier Birding Sites at 93 Locations, by Hugh Kingery, is a new field guide featuring over 90 prime birding locations with more than 179 sites in total. $19.95.

Colorado Journey Guide, by Jon Kramer and Julie Martinez, is a driving and hiking guide to fossils, formations, ruins and rock art throughout the state. The guide features Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument as the best paleontological site in Colorado. $16.95.

Tourist Guide to Colorado in 1879, by Frank Fossett, takes the reader on a historic trip through Colorado, including 1879 prices, travel, accommodations and other fun facts. $8.95.

Come visit the Monument, see the new exhibits, and browse in the bookstore. If you can’t make it to the park in person, you can order books and others items from RMNA at their website, www.rmna.org.

-Sally McCracken Maertens

Exhibits of Friends history were displayed in the yurt all day, along with the items for the silent auction. At left, sketches and other materials related to the design of the Friends t-shirt and patch, as well as the Junior Ranger patch. All of these were designed by Dorrie Bradley, whose husband Rick was the first president of the Friends.

The Friends have been involved in organizing many events, from March for the Parks to Homestead Days at the Hornbek Homestead. There was also an exhibit of seminar photographs and past newsletters, as well as photographs from last year’s T.D.A. Cockerell Expedition Centennial.

Dr. Bill Dexter, the third president of the Friends and a former seasonal paleontologists at the Fossil Beds, led a guided hike on the Petrified Forest Loop in the afternoon, starting at the “beginning of life” and walking to the “present.”

Ranger Shawn Frizzell answers a question about wildflowers before the hike starts.

A view across the ancient lakebed towards Crystal Peak. The Petrified Forest Loop winds around the edge of this field, past several fossil redwood stumps (including the Big Stump) and back to the Visitor Center.

In the afternoon, Lead Interpretive Ranger Jeff Wolin, volunteer Ron Haberkorn, and museum technician Melissa Barton gave a short program on the design and assembly of the new exhibits. Here Ron discusses techniques for cutting foam nests for fossils so they won’t slide around when drawers are open and shut. Volunteers like Ron were crucial in assembling the new exhibits, and did excellent work.

After nature songs with Ranger Jeff, the Florissant Jammers and the caterer set up. During dinner, past Friends presidents and former park superintendent Jean Rodeck made remarks, and awards were handed out.

Most notably, Jeff Wolin received both the annual Visitor Service Award from the Friends and an NPS STAR Award in recognition for his huge amount of work this past year, both on the new exhibits and Junior Ranger Program and his usual coordination of the interpretive program and supervision of interns and seasonal employees. Jeff worked many long days and wore even more hats than usual, and fully deserves both awards.

The Friends also presented the park with a check for $3000, which will help fund remodelling of the Visitor Center bathrooms, among other projects.

The anniversary was a wonderful reunion and celebration for the Friends. Although we are a small group, we have accomplished many important projects for the park over the last 20 years, thanks to your time, skills, and financial support. Here’s to another fun and productive 20 years!

-Melissa Barton

Photo Credits: Melissa Barton

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