(Click Images to Enlarge)
Photo Credits: Muskrat-Larry Meade, North American Beaver-Jerry Oldenettel, North American River Otter-Ron Boring, Bullock’s Oriole male-Jerry Oldenettel, Yellow Warbler male-Jerry Oldenettel, Bullock’s Oriole female-Jerry Oldenettel, Yellow Warbler female-Jerry Oldenettel, Narrow-leaf Cottonwood-Matt Lavin, Fremont Cottonwood-Mark LaForet, Narrowleaf Willow-Matt Lavin.
Table (Beaver, Muskrat, River Otter): Rebecca Gillette
Background Illustration: June Jurcak
Photo Credits: Bullsnake-Ted Reid, Side-blotched Lizard-Jerry Oldennettel, Desert Tarantula-Jerry Oldennettel, Big Sagebrush-Matt Lavin, Rabbitbrush-Valerie Rice, Indian Ricegrass-Jared Tarbell, Utah Juniper-J. Stephen Conn, Gambel’s Oak-Patricia Henschen, Western Scrub Jay-Jerry Oldennettel.
Background Illustration: June Jurcak
Photo Credits: Mountain Chickadee-Darin Ziegler, Mountain Bluebird male-Angie Bunch, Northern Flicker male-Darin Ziegler, Red-tailed Hawk-William Jobes, American Kestrel male-William Jobes, Bald Eagle-William Jobes, Dark-eyed Junco male-Darin Ziegler, American Goldfinch male-Darin Ziegler, White-crowned Sparrow-Darin Ziegler, Black-billed Magpie-Darin Ziegler.
Background Illustration: June Jurcak
Photo Credits: Elk-Dan and Lin Dzurisin, Mule Deer-James Phelps, American Black Bear-Lon & Queta, Striped Skunk-Cliff Hanks, Raccoon-Anne Marie Weaver, Bobcat-Corinna Stoeffl, Mountain Lion-Corinna Storeffl, Coyote-Dan and Lin Dzurisin, Gray Fox-James Phelps, Black-tailed Jackrabbit-Jerry Oldnettel, Desert Cottontail-Jerry Oldnettel.
Animal Tracks: Kim Cabrera
Background Illustration: June Jurcak
Photo credits: Violet-green Swallow-Mark L. Watson, Tree Swallow-Bill Benish, Cliff Swallow-Ingrid Taylar, Osprey-Ron Boring, Belted Kingfisher-Bill Benish, Big Brown Bat-Larry Meade, Mayfly-Peter P. Smith, Damselfly-Sid Irwin, Caddisfly-Peter P. Smith.
Background Illustration: June Jurcak
Photo Credits: Mallards-Jerry Oldenettel, Bufflehead male-Bill Benish, Bufflehead female-Bill Benish, Common Mergansers-Jerry Oldenettel, Western Grebe-Jack Sutton, American White Pelican-Jack Sutton, Great Blue Heron-Jack Sutton, Brown Trout-Aaron Gustafson, Rainbow Trout-Ted Reid, Kokanee Salmon-Dave Merril.
Background Illustration: June Jurcak
The Weminuche Audubon Society wishes to thank all of the artists mentioned above for donating their creative skills and their time to our community project. Your generosity and artistry have enabled us to present information to our park visitors at a level far beyond our initial aspirations. Your images come to us from all over the world. When contacted by us over the Internet, you responded with grace and enthusiasm to our requests to include your work in a project in our southwest corner of Colorado. We enjoyed getting to see these examples of your dedication to your craft, and we feel honored that you have allowed us to share your work with others. You have shown once again that concern for the environment and wildlife crosses miles and borders and brings us all together in common endeavors. If you are ever able to visit the Piedra Trail (and we hope you do), please let us know. We would be happy to be your hosts and guides for the day. Again, our heartfelt thanks.
We would also like to thank Amy Thornton, Creative Director, Creative Services, Colorado State Parks, and Catherine Calder of Blonde Design in Denver, Colorado, for their professional contributions to the design and layout of these signs and their commitment to making the time and resources work.
We would like to thank our partners in this project, the Southwest Conservation Corps staff and team members for their organized and dedicated efforts in building this trail and for their smiles and laughter whenever we encountered them along the often dusty, bug-ridden, scorching-heat way. We want to thank, also, the staff of the Navajo State Park for their stewardship of this trail, the land it is on, and the animals and plants that live there, and for welcoming our participation.
We thank Archuleta County for the grant of financial support that made these signs possible.
Lastly, we want to thank Dottie George, Rebecca Gillette, and Dianne Lee, members of the Weminuche Audubon Society. Their skills, knowledge, dedication, months of work, and respect for each other made this project a reality.
To all, celebrate!