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The
Mesa Verde Association is a joint
membership program of the Mesa Verde
Museum Association and the Mesa Verde
Foundation. Your MVA membership supports
both of these 501(c)(3) nonprofit
organizations.
The Mesa Verde Museum Association
(tax ID 84-1404606) provides educational
and interpretive material to visitors
of Mesa Verde National Park through
an active publishing program and the
operation of retail bookstores online,
in the park, and in Cortez, CO. Our
services enhance the visitor experience
and promote stewardship of Mesa Verde's
world-renowned archeological resources
and natural landscapes. Proceeds from
all Association operations are donated
to the park's interpretive, research,
and education programs.
The Mesa Verde Foundation (tax ID
84-046967) funds capital improvements,
projects, and educational endeavors
for Mesa Verde National Park. Our
projects include construction of a
new Visitor and Research Center near
the park's entrance and remodeling
the existing Far View Visitor Center
into a Tribal Cultures Center to enhance
understanding of the connection between
the Ancestral Puebloans and contemporary
Native American tribes.
You are receiving this email because
you are a member of the Mesa Verde
Association or because you purchased
a product from the Mesa Verde Museum
Association. To ensure that you continue
to receive emails from us, add info@mesaverde.org
to your address book today.
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Welcome to "Verde Views," the e-newsletter
for Mesa Verde Association members and friends.
This periodic publication will keep you
informed about Association news and events,
park happenings, new products and special
sales.
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Visit
Mesa Verde during National Park Week
Mesa Verde National Park invites everyone
to enjoy free admission to the park
during National Park Week, April 21-29,
2012. This year’s theme is “Picture
Yourself in a Park.” The National
Park Service (NPS) and the National
Park Foundation, the official charity
of America’s national parks, join
together each year to celebrate this
special week and entrance fees are waived
to all NPS units which charge an entrance
fee.
In honor of National Park Week, MVMA
is offering special promotions in our
Chapin Mesa Archeological Museum and
Far View Visitor Center stores. These
offers are only available in person
through April 29, 2012. It’s our
way of saying thank you for visiting
Mesa Verde during National Park Week!
Plan ahead! Additional fee free days
for 2012 for all 398 National Park Service
units are:
June 9 (Get Outdoors Day)
September 29 (National Public Lands
Day)
November 10 to 12 (Veterans Day weekend)
Additional information on visiting
Mesa Verde may be obtained by visiting
the park’s website at www.nps.gov/meve
or by calling the park’s main information
line at 970-529-4465.
Mesa
Verde to Host Annual Business Open House
Mesa Verde National Park invites local
businesses to its Annual Business Open
House. This year the park will be partnering
with the Dolores Public Lands Office.
The Open House will be held on Monday,
April 30, 2012, from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30
a.m., at the First National Bank conference
room in Cortez.
The Business Open House provides
participants with information concerning
park events, summer schedules, entrance
fee information and general information
concerning park operations. The Dolores
Public Lands Office will share information
about their upcoming programs and
services.
An optional tour of the new Mesa
Verde Visitor and Research Center
will be provided following the informational
session.
Please RSVP to Sue Johnson-Erner
at 970-529-4612 or sue_johnson-erner@nps.gov.
Save
the Date and Save Cliff Palace!
On Saturday, August 25, 2012, the Mesa
Verde Foundation (MVF) will be hosting
a fun and very special event with the
theme "Save Cliff Palace."
MVF is working with Mesa Verde National
Park to raise funds for a critical study
relating to damage at Cliff Palace suspected
of being caused by water seepage within
the site's alcove and by the weight
of visitors walking through the site.
The National Park Service is working
on a mitigation plan, and MVF is proud
to be a partner in this important project.
The event will be held at the Raccoon
Creek Golf Course in Littleton, Colorado.
It will be a fun evening with cocktails
and dinner. We'll be sending out more
details soon.
The Cortez Journal recently published
an article about the preservation
problems at Cliff Palace. Read the
article here: http://www.cortezjournal.com/article/.
Daily Cliff Palace tours continue
to be offered while the site’s
condition assessment is underway.
Then, on September 29, MVF will launch
the first MVF Family Bicycling Day
on Wetherill Mesa in the park. We
are still working on the details,
but it will be a great day for bicyclists
of all skill levels to enjoy the fall
beauty at Mesa Verde along the 12-mile
Wetherill Road and the 6-mile tram
loop. There will be a discount for
MVA members, and we will keep you
informed as details are finalized.
We hope to make this into a very special
annual event.
The Mesa Verde Foundation is pleased
to be working with the park to raise
funds for six specific projects this
year:
~ A new Native American Internship
Program
~ Native American Cultural Demonstrations
~ Production of a new interpretive
film to orient park visitors
~ Historic trail rehabilitation
~ Re-establishing a park-managed backcountry
horse patrol so that visitor access
can be increased
~ A comprehensive engineering assessment
of Cliff Palace, in preparation for
some much needed stabilization work
To learn more about how you can help
these special projects become a reality,
please contact MVF Executive Director
Ben Duke at 303-321-3120 or ben@mesaverdefoundation.org.
2012
Free Four Corners Lecture Series Begins
The 2012 slate of speakers has been
announced for the Four Corners Lecture
Series, and a number of the programs
will take place in Mesa Verde National
Park this summer. This year’s theme
is “Crossroads of Arts and Cultures.”
A total of 25 programs will be offered
at several Montezuma County venues as
well as at Fort Lewis College in Durango.
The lecture series is sponsored in part
by the Mesa Verde Museum Association
and Mesa Verde National Park, as well
as by Fort Lewis College's Office of
the President and Department of Anthropology,
Anasazi Heritage Center, Bureau of Land
Management, Cortez Cultural Center,
Crow Canyon Archaeological Center, and
the Hisatsinom Chapter of the Colorado
Archaeological Society. Additional support
is provided by ARAMARK/Mesa Verde Company
and KSJD Dryland Community Radio.
Click here
to see the full schedule, and make
plans now to attend these free programs!
Road
Construction and Trail Work Return to
Mesa Verde National Park
Road construction will return to Mesa
Verde National Park this summer. Beginning
on May 1 through September 30, all paved
roadways throughout the park will receive
long overdue pavement patching, crack
sealing and chip sealing. The project
includes the main entrance road, scenic
routes, tram roads, campgrounds, and
amphitheaters, parking areas, service
roads, guest services and pullouts.
Visitors can expect minor delays
through the construction zones with
traffic control and temporary closures
of some campground loops and parking
areas while work is underway. No full
closures to tour or visitor services
will occur.
This project is administered by the
Federal Highways Administration and
is funded through the Federal Lands
Highways Program. Park rangers and
maintenance crews will be assisting
throughout the project. While construction
is underway, please watch for heavy
construction traffic and obey all
traffic control signs and flaggers
as you travel throughout the park.
Maintenance crews will be replacing
asphalt walkways to nine mesa top
cultural sites and view areas. This
work is scheduled to begin in mid-April
and to be completed in October. Individual
sites will be closed to visitation
for short durations while work is
in progress. Routine maintenance will
be performed throughout the summer
on currently accessed trails without
disruption to the visiting public.
For more information about these
projects, please contact Frank Cope,
Chief of Maintenance, at 970-529-4607.
~ Chapin Mesa Archeological Museum
and MVMA Store are now open from
8:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. daily.
~ Far View Visitor Center and MVMA
Store are open daily from 8:00 a.m.
to 5:00 p.m.
~ Balcony House tours began on April
22. Cliff Palace tours are also
underway. Tickets are required for
both tours, and can be purchased
at the Colorado Welcome Center in
Cortez (928 E. Main Street) or at
Far View Visitor Center, up to two
days before the tour.
~ Morefield Campground primitive
camping began on April 15. Full
campground services and Morefield
Village will open on May 10.
~ Long House tours (ticket required)
and Wetherill Mesa access will begin
on May 25, conditions permitting.
Help sustain the geographical character
of the Four Corners — its environment,
culture, aesthetics, heritage, and
the well-being of its residents…be
a geotourist! National Geographic
officials have teamed up with more
than 30 tourism leaders in Colorado,
Utah, New Mexico and Arizona to
produce a road map and website dedicated
to exploring the Four Corners states’
cultural values.
The road map features state and
US highways that link the extensive
network of cultural sites in this
region. It is illustrated with many
points of interest and a synopsis
of each site. Then you can go to
the companion website to learn more
about that site and the things to
see in and do in the area.
The website, www.fourcornersgeotourism.com,
also has a map of the broader Four
Corners region. The map’s legend
lists 11 categories: Accommodations;
Action Opportunities; Community;
Festival or Event; Food or Drink;
Health and Wellness; Historic or
Prehistoric Place; Local Points
of Interest; Museum, Theater, Interpretive
Center; Natural Area; and Outdoor
Adventures. The information on the
website is being expanded and updated
all the time, so we invite you to
make it your first online stop when
planning your next Four Corners
visit.
The Cortez Journal recently wrote
about this project. Read the full
article at http://www.cortezjournal.com/article/
We thank the Cortez Journal for
their excellent coverage of the
project!
You can purchase copies of the
National Geographic Four Corners
Region – Trail of the Ancients
destination map, printed in full
color on waterproof, tear-resistant
paper, for just $11.95. Click here
to buy yours today!
American
Bungalow Magazine Features MVNP
Superintendent’s Residence
The first superintendent of Mesa
Verde, Jesse Nusbaum, and his
wife Aileen, designed their residence
and many of the park’s buildings
with an eye toward incorporating
surrounding ecological themes
into the structures. The Superintendent’s
Residence remains the first example
of the “Pueblo Revival”
style of architecture. The ten-page
cover article of the February
– May 2012 edition of American
Bungalow magazine, “A
Sense of Place: Ecoregional Design
at Mesa Verde National Park,”
explores many park buildings through
insightful writing and gorgeous
photography. Several Mesa Verde
Association member receptions
have been held in this beautiful
building in conjunction with the
park’s annual holiday open
house and luminaria lighting.
Purchase your copy of this edition
today for $8.99 to experience
Mesa Verde from the unique perspective
of architecture. This item is
only available through our website!
Click here
to take advantage of this special
offer now. As always, proceeds
from your purchases support Mesa
Verde National Park.
While you’re at it, browse
the selection at our newly revamped
webstore at www.mesaverde.org.
We’re adding more products
all the time! If you don’t
find what you’re looking
for, call us at 800-305-6053 or
970-529-4445 for assistance.
As always, Mesa Verde Association
members receive a 20% discount
(enter your discount code at check
out) on this item and on all regularly-priced
merchandise. Not a member yet?
It’s easy to join! Just click
here
or call us for assistance.
Misplaced your discount code?
Just call us at 800-305-6053 or
email us at
info@mesaverde.org and we'll
be happy to provide you the code!
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