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Happy Holidays
Canyon Lake Gorge Gazette
Dear Gorge Member,
As the weather is changing and the fall/winter season is here, we wanted to take a minute to thank you for supporting us! Read on to see what we’ve been up to.
Families on Foot
The Gorge Preservation Society supports hiking as a fun, low-cost way to live an active and healthy lifestyle, build memories, and connect with nature. With that in mind, we hope to encourage and give families some inspiration and guidance to get out and hit the trails ~ whether it be in the Canyon Lake Gorge or your own backyards.
According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, kids watch on average 3 hours of TV a day. And that's only TV -- add in hand-held devices and computers and they're spending between 5 and 7 hours of their day glued to some sort of a screen. Hiking is an easy way to get us all outdoors and away from the TV.
Hike through History ~ 2015 New Year
Resolution Idea!
Help celebrate the great outdoors as well as the 13th Anniversary of the Canyon Lake Gorge creation flood (July 4
th 2002.) Going through the Gorge is like traveling
through a million years, from 110 to 111 million years ago.
If have already taken a Canyon Lake Gorge Tour we challenge you to do it again. See 1
st Quarter Tour dates (Jan. - Mar. 2015) listed under TOURS on our website
(or click on the word TOURS above to be taken directly to that webpage).
Always cool things to see and even a new restroom in the middle of the Gorge!
Hiking 101: Hiking Etiquette
Almost every group of people have some unwritten rules to help govern their activity and make things more pleasant for all those participating. Hikers are no different. Following a few unwritten rules can help make your hike and the hike for others more pleasant:
Hike quietly. Speak in low voices and turn your cell phone down, if not off. Enjoy the sounds of nature and let others do the same.
While taking a break, move off the trail a ways to allow others to pass by unobstructed.
Don't toss your trash -- not even biodegradable items such as banana peels. It is not good for animals to eat non-native foods and who wants to look at your old banana peel while it ever-so-slowly decomposes?
Walk through the mud or puddle and not around it, unless you can do so without going off the trail. Widening a trail by going around puddles, etc. is bad for trail sustainability.
PROTECTING THE PLACE YOU LOVE
GPS Membership Click here
Get Back to Nature! ~ THE OUTDOORS AT YOUR DOORSTEP ~
"One touch of nature makes the whole world kind.".
William Shakespeare
- William Shakespeare
Member Benefits
As a benefit of membership, GPS members enjoyed a complimentary Gorge picnic tour lead by volunteer guide Jamie Kinscherff and docents Sara Hilburn and Daneshu Clark. Driver and photographer volunteers, Frank Cooper and Susan Bogle, were also on location to lend a helping hand.
Your dues directly support mission-critical projects.
24th Annual 4th of July Parade - Startzville VFW Post 8800
The Gorge won 2nd
Place for parade entry! We all had so much fun with over 56 entries – one of the largest most people can remember! Community strong from those proven by comradeship by participants and people who came out to watch and carry on this great tradition we have right here in Canyon Lake!
Volunteer Gorge Trailblazers ~ Protecting the Gorge Environment
Our Land Management “Trailblazer” volunteers Get Out and Give Back in their own community by providing safe Gorge tour environment and invasive plant control. Please contact us if you want to join this motivated group.
Protecting the places you love to hike! Refer a friend to become a George Preservation Society member and you will receive a free Gorge mouse pad!
Contact our office for details.
Our Members Make Us Strong! Current members are from the following Texas Cities:
Alvin, Austin, Benbrook, Blanco, Boerne, Bulverde, Canyon Lake, Comfort, Dallas, Dripping Springs, Fair Oaks Ranch,
Fischer, Friendswood, Houston, Humble, Kerrville, Kingwood, Kyle, New Braunfels, Round Rock, San Antonio,
Sandia, Schertz, Seguin, Spring Branch, Sugar Land, Universal City and Wimberley.
Also: West Hartford, Connecticut!
Volunteers enjoyed a day of hard work removing cat tails from the lower
Gorge. (Photo: Brian Trock)
McKenna Foundation Grant Award Update
McKenna Foundation awarded the Gorge Preservation Society a grant to help with capital improvements and transportation cost for area schools’ outdoor laboratory fieldtrips. Partnering with Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority and Heritage Museum of the Texas Hill Country, 5
th Grade students from area Elementary Schools
(Hoffman, Mt. Valley, Bill Brown and Rebecca Creek) attended fieldtrips into the Gorge and the Heritage Museum this past October. Students were engaged with hands-on experiences and observed the impact of the power of water, and understanding of geological events / paleontological evidence going back 10 million years. They also learned about the conservation of our natural resources. Students were able to improve TAKS earth and science test scores ~ overall pre and post test results from these four schools showed 78% of the students scored higher on the post test. Now onto 2015! Two other area schools are already scheduled for March. The committee feels we can accommodate an additional six schools in the Comal ISD district. If you are interested in helping volunteer with these fieldtrips,
please let us know.
Thanks to all our hard working Gorge Trailblazers team. In Recognition, these wonderful volunteers they were invited to a
well deserved luncheon in June at Schobel's Restaurant that included a bus ride down River Road in the Gorge shuttle bus with games and prizes. GBRA staff Josie and Jaynellen along with GPS
Board Chair Van Green presented awards / coupons with much appreciation for their dedication to the Gorge. The highlight was a
framed photo collage of past work days in the Gorge.
We couldn’t do it without them!
Thank You McKenna Foundation
Gorge Sightings
GBRA Environmental Learning Center (ELC) Update
The ELC will be built and located on the GBRA’s 20-acre tract of land adjacent to the Canyon Lake Gorge and near Canyon Reservoir. Naming opportunities will be available for this proposed project. The Guadalupe River Foundation was formed to establish a system for funding construction, operation and maintenance of environmental learning centers and programs.
Environmental Learning Center details or to help donate/volunteer.
Photo by Brian Trock
Photo by Mark Henderson
We often see wonderful birds while Touring through the Gorge. This one is a Great Egret, a member of the Ardeidae Family of Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns. They can reach up to 41” in length and have up to a 55” wingspan. Its bill is yellow and has black legs and feet. They feed on fish, frogs, insects, snakes and crayfish -- all found in the Gorge.
In the picture’s foreground is one of our good native grass species, Bushy Bluestem. It is usually found in moist or semi-moist soils in full sun - again, plenty of that in the Gorge! Bushy Bluestems fluffy flower heads resemble chunks of silvery cotton candy and makes ideal Fall decorating foliage.
Our Land Manager, Mark Henderson, caught this Giant Swallowtail Butterfly* (Papilio cresphontes) taking a sip of water in the Gorge. They range in length from 3½ ” - 5½”. These swallowtails love sunny, open areas. They’re found throughout the U.S. east of the Rockies. Along with the female Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, these are the largest of any U.S. butterfly species. The mature caterpillar resembles large bird droppings. All 29 or so Swallowtail species can be identified by their long "tails" on their hind wings which look a bit like the long, pointed tails of swallows (a type of bird).
* Best guess ID. If you know otherwise let us know
Write a Gorge Review and Like Us on Facebook
Consider sharing your Gorge Tour experience with social media / on-line travel sites like Yelp.com, TripAdvisor.com, or Gogobot.com. Help spread the Good News about what we’re doing here. Be sure to include our website to help others find us – www.canyongorge.org. Over 1,500 individuals follow us on Facebook.
You can support our work by following us on FB, get important updates, and awesome photos of the Gorge.
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g55581-d2217973-Reviews-Canyon_Lake_Gorge_Tour-Canyon_Lake_Texas.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhE7nXHslc0
Gorge Docent Training Class
Become a Canyon Lake Gorge Volunteer ~ Feb. 13 – Mar. 13, 2015 ~ Noon to 5:00 p.m. The first four training sessions will be a combination of classroom and field training in the Gorge. This training will help ensure Docents are best qualified to provide the public with information regarding the Gorge through the "Power of Water".
Docent Requirements: 1. Training –. All classes must be completed. Proof of current certification in
First Aid and CPR is acceptable in lieu of the final class date.
2. Commitment – A one-year commitment with two tours per quarter is required.
3. Physically Health– Able to complete tour (in ascending or descending direction) while assisting other participants.
4. Responsibilities – Ensure tour participant's safety during 3-hr. Gorge Tour. Assist the Tour Guide, as applicable.
**Docents are eligible to progress to Guides after requirements are met. Class limited to 30 participants. We need 25 people confirmed for these training dates in order to hold this class.
Registration Fee: $50 ~ Includes one year GPS membership. We are in need of volunteers that have the heart for our mission. Our organization is only as strong as our volunteer program and we need you to help us grow! If you have not taken the Canyon Lake Gorge tour yet, we highly recommend you do so before signing up for this training. Visit www.canyongorge.org and get familiar with us! You can sign up for a public tour online. Please contact us at [email protected] if you are interested in having your name added to the Docent training list
Gorge Fun Fact: During the Flood of 2002 that created the Gorge, 1½ times the amount of water in Canyon Lake flowed over the spillway at 67,000 cubic feet per second which is 185 billion gallons of water!
GPS MISSI0N STATEMENT
The Gorge Preservation Society is a non-profit organization whose mission is to promote the enjoyment and conservation of a unique natural phenomenon, known as the Canyon Lake Gorge, by encouraging responsible, quality access opportunities through academic partnerships, economic initiatives and citizen involvement.
River/Lake/Flood Geology Biology Interpretation First Aid/CPR
2015 Award Winners
Guide Sid Bemus Docent Sherry Reel
Trailblazer Brian Trock
(from right to left)
Trail Tiramisu
It sounds complex, but it only taste fancy!
1/3 cup water 2 tsp instant espresso 2 Tbsp Kahlua 3 3.4-oz. package white chocolate instant pudding mix 2 cups milk (from powder) 16 ladyfingers 2 Tbsp chocolate shavings
2015 Volunteer Appreciation Dinner November is the perfect time to thank all of our volunteers for everything they do year round on behalf of the Canyon Lake Gorge! We truly appreciate their dedication and hope you recognize, as we do, the valuable role they play in building a brighter future for our organization. Special thanks to the dinner committee: Van Green, Sherry Reel, Cheri Voss, John Guenzel, Carol Bryant, Margaret
Gardiner, Teresa VanBooven, Josie Gonzales, Sue Nelson and Toby Kerr.
The Gorge Rocks On – You Make Us Strong!
Gorge Volunteers: Board of Directors: Van Green, Sherry Reel, Cheri Voss, John Guenzel, Donna Eccleston, Pete Bryant, Brian
Gardiner, Shawn Wherry, Teresa VanBooven and Jaynellen Ladd. Guides: Lyle Baie, Sid Bemus, Susan Bogle, Coco Brennan, Barry Brupbacher, Pete Bryant, Barbara Geistfeld, Jamie
Kinscherff, Paul Mebane, Kerry O’Neal, David Reel, Cinde Thomas-Jimenez, George Wilkes and Dave Wright. Docents: Gayle Adams, Deb Bradshaw, Ron Butts, Diana Cooper, Frank Cooper, Cathy Downs, Chris Dyess, Jim
Dyess, Jim Geistfeld, Lea Gose, Stephen Gose, Bob Gray, Bob Hansen, Sara Hilburn, Merrily Labarthe, Larry Miller, Laura Paulson, Sherry Reel, Jody Ruhl, Karen Sewell, Frank Stile, Sallie Stile, Andy Swain and Gracie Waggener. Merchandise: Terry Cappetta Trailblazers: Al Steger, Allen Bartram, Brian Trock, Dan Madden, James Griffin, Kati McLean, Marie Miller, Mark
Sewell, Michael Caldwell, Rick Lamb, Ron Butts and Susan Bogle.
The Gorge Family & Staff
Heat water and Kahlua. Make the instant pudding according to package directions using reconstituted milk. Layer half the ladyfingers in the bottom of a pot, drizzle with half of the coffee mixture, and then spread half the pudding over top. Repeat. Top with chocolate shavings. Serves 4. Enjoy!
Jaynellen Ladd & Josie Gonzales GBRA Natural Resource Specialist
www.canyongorge.org
email: [email protected]
Phone: 830-964-5424
