Find your February Fun: Parks, Recreation & Open Space Newsletter

Find new ways to fall in love with Superior Parks, Recreation and Open Space this month! Enjoy the great outdoors, learn more about local art & history, meet the furry friends hard at work in your community and more!

Keep reading to learn more. If you have any questions, give us a shout at 303-554-9005 or email us at tospros@superiorcolorado.gov.

Nature Journaling
Saturdays, 10 a.m. to noon

Love art and nature? Join Nature Journaling with our Open Space Ranger, Phary Om, who has a background in art education. You will learn the basics of nature journaling, get outside, share ideas, connect with others and create your own nature journal.

Feb. 22: Autrey Park (1830 Honey Creek Lane)
March 29: Coyote Ridge Open Space (Meet at South Pool Pavillion, 3300 Huron Peak Ave.)
April 19: Oerman-Roche Trailhead (414 McCaslin Blvd.)

Birdwatching for Beginners
March 30, 10 a.m. to noon
Coalton Trailhead

Many would-be birders are intimidated by identical little birds with similar names. Can’t tell a Yellow-breasted Noddlehatch from a White-winged Snowbird? Join naturalist, Dave Sutherland, for a fun introduction to the world of birds, and how to spot them and identify them. Bring binoculars and bird guides if you have them. Birders of all abilities welcome, but beginners are cherished.

Eco-Ranger Wildlife Awareness Series
Sundays, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Want to be an eco-ranger within your community? Come and learn about our abundant backyard wildlife and how to help in a wildlife emergency. Talks will consist of one hour of education about common backyard wildlife and one hour of a topic related hands-on project. Instructor Lia Arntsen from Greenwood Wildlife will teach you everything you need to know on how you can create a positive impact with our local wildlife!

Feb. 16: Spicy Animals aka Rabies Species
Feb. 23: Spring Babies!
March 2: All About Birds Part 1 - Songbirds and Corvids
March 9: All About Birds Part 2 - Waterfowl and Raptors
March 16: Bees, Butterflies and Other Important Pollinators
March 23: Reptiles!
March 30: Ready for Spring!

The brand new Superior Pairings speaker series hosted by Superior's Cultural Arts and Public Spaces Advisory (CAPS) Committee kicks off this month!

Learn about the history of mural culture in Colorado during Wall to Wall: Building Community through Murals from 6:30 to 7:45 p.m. on Feb. 25 at the Superior Community Center (1500 Coalton Road).

In the first event of the series, which aims to cultivate dialogue between two professionals on a similar topic, you'll hear from Max Kauffman and Anthony Garcia. The pair will share short videos and photos of some of their favorite Colorado murals while discussing ways to build community through murals.

QUESTIONS?
Contact Jennifer “JG” Garner at jenniferg@superiorcolorado.gov or at (303) 499-3675 ext.167

Be on the lookout for April's talk, Art Meets Nature: Unique Interpretations of Floral Design and Botanical Illustration!

Are you interested in sharing your time, energy and know-how with the Town of Superior? Is volunteering and serving your community one of your new year's resolutions? 

Get your application in now! The next round of appointments will be considered in early March.

By joining these committees, commissions and councils, you can use your expertise to solve problems, research possibilities and recommend enhancements to our beautiful Town. We value your perspective!

Current openings are:

• Cultural Arts and Public Spaces Committee - One Opening
• Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee - One Opening
• Advisory Committee for Environment Sustainability - One Opening

Learn more and apply today by visiting the Town of Superior Advisory Committees webpage or reach out to Mikaela Gregg by email or by phone at 303-499-3675, ext.128.

The Goat Bros and their 300 goats have been hard at work with cool-weather grazing operations, and it's time to meet the new kids in town! On March 1, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., you can get up close and personal with our favorite fuel mitigation team. Look out for the Goat Bros tent in Community Park (1350 Coalton Road) near the playground, and use this time to ask questions, feed the goats with food available for purchase, or buy some Goat Bros merchandise!

This event will be the only opportunity to meet the goats. On all other days, the goats are busy working and not to be disturbed. Your safety is extremely important! We ask that all instructions from Goat Bros are followed, attendees are mindful of the electric fence, dogs are leashed and children are kept close at all times.

MEET & GREET INFORMATION

Do you have kids interested in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM)? On March 8 from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Superior Community Center (1500 Coalton Road), join SYLC for Stem-A-Thon, FREE event offering children 6-12 an opportunity to participate in stem-based activities led by local high school groups.

REGISTER NOW

Get ready for an evening of unique and entertaining “Who's Who” stories about Boulder’s oldest operating cemetery with author Mary Reilly-McNellan’s lecture If these Stones Could Talk: Tales from the Columbia Cemetery at the Superior Community Center (1500 Coalton Road) on March 12 at 7 p.m.

All are welcome to the Historical Commission's Annual Spring Program to learn about the Columbia Cemetery and its nearly 6,500 interred individuals, including many of the city and county's founders and pioneers. Each of the nearly 3,000 grave markers have a tale to tell, and the cemetery is a multi-hued tapestry of interwoven stories. Reilly-McNellan will also discuss her past grave marker assessment work in Superior’s Historical Cemetery and its overall importance to cemetery conservation.

The Asti Park Historical Museum (110 W. Maple St.) and the Grasso Park Interim Museum (174 E. William St.) will be open the first Saturday of each month, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Drop by and explore Superior's rich history. Learn about Superior’s mining heritage, mine camp house living, schoolhouse education and more! Members of the Historical Commission will also be available and happy to answer questions you might have.

You’ve likely seen the small black boxes labeled “Do Not Touch – Poison” lurking outside a business or restaurant. Perhaps you’ve even used these rodenticides – rodent poisons – around your home or business to control a mouse or vole problem. These poisons carry a heavy price for our natural world, and understanding the alternatives is important for our Town and local wildlife.

Rodenticides pose a risk to your family and pets due to unintentional poisoning and negatively affect the entire food chain of local wildlife. Weakened immune systems in predators of rodents, caused by the toxins present in rodenticides, can be to blame for mange in the local coyote population. Let this be a friendly reminder to keep your dog on a leash!

What can be used instead of rodenticides?

No matter what you do, pests can still persist, and the best thing that you can do is be informed about what alternatives are available.

• Seal holes that rodents may use to enter your home
• Mouse traps (preferably catch and release)
• Nature's Mace natural pest repellent
• Spices and oils undesirable to rodents: peppermint, cinnamon, cayenne pepper and citronella
• If a rodent problem persists, contact a pest control company that practices Integrated Pest Management to help get to the root of the problem

For a more detailed discussion of options, check out the avoiding unintentional poisoning webpage for more information from the National Park Service or visit this article from Friends of Coal Creek. Thank you for keeping our Town and wildlife safe!

Join us in celebrating the 18th anniversary of Superior's Tree City USA designation by going back to our roots! This year’s Arbor Day celebration, taking place April 26 from 10 a.m. to noon at Purple Park (1310 S. Pitkin Ave.), will focus on green education and hands-on volunteer opportunities. Purposeful and fun education will be offered throughout, including planting trees around the park while learning tips and tricks specific to our area.

Whether you are interested in gardening, crafting, reading, poker, or simply looking to build community, there's something for everyone. You can explore all the scheduled Superior Seniors drop-in activities and programs
at SuperiorColorado.gov/SuperiorSeniors.

Be sure to sign up for our new monthly Superior Seniors newsletter to stay informed on all of the new programs and activities designed for Superior seniors.

Are you enjoying the Parks, Recreation & Open Space newsletter? Did you know the Town also sends a Historical Commission, Sustainability, and Superior Sentinel newsletter? You can also subscribe to receive Superior Community Center updates, Town Board information, Marshall Fire news, and more. For more information and to view your preferences, visit the Town's email subscription page.