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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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Mesa
Verde Hike and Bike Event on Wetherill
Mesa
Everyone is invited to Mesa Verde National
Park’s next “Hike and Bike”
event on Saturday, September 22 on the
Wetherill Mesa tram road. Park entrance
fees will be waived for those participating.
“Fall is a great time to enjoy
the park, with cooler weather and the
changing colors of autumn,” said
Superintendent Cliff Spencer. Wetherill
Mesa is closed for the season after
Labor Day, but will re-open for hikers
and bicyclists on September 22.
On the Hike and Bike day, the Wetherill
Mesa Road will open at 9:00 a.m., and
close at 3:30 p.m. All visitors must
exit the Wetherill Road by 4:30 p.m.
The Wetherill Mesa Road is located near
mile 15 on the park road, just past
Far View Lodge. From that junction,
visitors are invited to drive 12 miles
to the Wetherill Mesa information kiosk.
From that point, hikers and bicycle
riders can ride or hike along the 5.5
mile long tram loop road. Along the
route, stop at Long House, the second
largest cliff dwelling in the park;
hike into Step House; explore Badger
House Community; and hike to views of
Kodak House, and Nordenskiöld #16.
Park rangers and volunteers will be
available to answer questions and point
out unique features of each site.
You may bring a picnic lunch and drinking
water, or you may purchase snacks or
a hot sandwich, chips and a drink for
$5.00 from the Mesa Verde Community
Club at the kiosk. “Last year’s
hike and bike was a great experience,”
said Superintendent Spencer. “We
hope visitors and local community residents
will join us again this year.”
For safety’s sake, bicycle riding
is not allowed on the Wetherill Mesa
Road itself, due to its narrow condition
and lack of shoulders. Dogs are not
permitted on the tram road. Bicyclists
and hikers should keep safety in mind
at all times: bring plenty of drinking
water and high energy snacks, sun and
wind protection. Wetherill Mesa is about
7,240 feet above sea level. For more
information, call 970-529-4465
Photo courtesy of Todd Lochmoeller via
4cornershikers.blogspot.com
Learn
to Photograph Mesa Verde Like A Pro
Just a few openings remain for our special
fall three-day photography workshop
led by well known photographer Northern
Arizona Unversity Professor Emeritus
Dr. Gene Balzer. The workshop is scheduled
for October 12-14, 2012 and is limited
to 13 participants to ensure plenty
of personalized coaching. It begins
at noon on Friday and ends on Sunday
afternoon. The $840 tuition (just $675
for members!) includes three days of
instruction, two nights in-park motel
lodging at the Far View Lodge, and all
meals including two dinners at the famed
Metate Room Restaurant. Click here
for more workshop information or to
sign up.
Artist
in Residence (and Mesa Verde National
Park Volunteer!) Jan Wright
Jan Wright is an artist and a Mesa
Verde Volunteer. She is pleased to
have been accepted as Artist in Residence
at Mesa Verde National Park for the
first two weeks of October. She will
be presenting her paintings and speaking
of her experiences at 7:00 p.m. on
Saturday, October 13 at the Far View
Lodge lounge, where her exhibit of
watercolors has been on display mid-April
to mid-October since 2008. She invites
you to attend.
Also, at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, September
21, at Artisans of Mancos (on the
corner of Main and Grand in Mancos),
Jan will also be presenting her paintings
and experiences as Artist in Residence
at Petrified Forest National Park.
She hopes to see you there.
For more information about Jan Wright,
visit her website at www.butterflyvisions.com
Free
Four Corners Lecture Series Programs
A few more free programs designed
to broaden your understanding of this
area’s rich heritage will take
place at Mesa Verde National Park
and around the Four Corners this fall.
Mesa Verde National Park’s next
program will be a pottery firing and
demonstration by Santa Clara Pueblo
potter Starr Tafoya. Please join us!
When: September 15, 3:00
p.m., Chapin Mesa Amphitheater at
Mesa Verde National Park
Who: Starr Tafoya
What: Santa Clara Pottery
Firing and Demonstration
When: September 20, 7:00
p.m., 130 Noble Hall at Fort Lewis
College
Who: Dr. J. Jefferson Reid
What: The Place of Four Corners
Archaeology in the Discovery of
the Mogollon
When: October 9, 7:00 p.m.,
Far View Lodge Library at Mesa Verde
National Park
Who: Gail Bird
What: Southwest Jewelry Historic
to Contemporary
When: October 14, 1:00 p.m.,
Anasazi Heritage Center
Who: Erica Olsen
What: Recapture and Its Archeological
Fictions: Literary Reading and Book
Signing
This lecture series is sponsored
by the Mesa Verde Museum Association
(MVMA) 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. Your
Mesa Verde Association joint membership
program dues as well as proceeds
from MVMA services provide critical
funding for this lecture series,
keeping the programs free for attendees.
Thank you for your support!
Click here
to see the full lecture series schedule.
New
Visitor and Research Center Nears
Completion
This bronze sculpture depicting
a climbing Ancestral Puebloan is
situated in the Welcome Plaza of
the new Visitor and Research Center.
Photo courtesy of MVMA. Click image
to view larger.
Exciting news here at Mesa Verde!
The long anticipated Visitor and
Research Center being constructed
at the entrance to the park is nearly
complete. The building itself is
virtually complete, with only minor
details being addressed. In October,
the interpretive exhibits will be
installed. By late November, the
new Visitor and Research Center
will open at the park’s entrance
to provide daily orientation services
to the park’s visitors. Finally,
over the late winter Mesa Verde’s
remarkable artifact collection will
be housed at the new facility.
This is all very exciting, and
it has been a project that the
National Park Service has wanted
for decades. The Mesa Verde Foundation
has been instrumental in making
this long-desired facility a reality,
by purchasing the land on which
the building is being constructed
and donating it to the National
Park Service. Before construction
could begin, Congressional action
was required to expand the park
boundaries to include this land.
Foundation board members helped
to secure that approval, funded
architectural planning for the
project, and also played a major
role in the National Park Service
securing 2010 Federal stimulus
dollars for the project.
Once the facility is open, park
visitors will have easy access
from Highway 160 to a beautiful
new facility that will provide
an introduction to the park and
the Ancestral Puebloans, the ability
to purchase tickets for park tours
without having to drive to the
mesa’s top, and an opportunity
to shop at a new and expanded
bookstore run by your Mesa Verde
Museum Association.
Both MVMA and MVF look forward
to welcoming you to this wonderful
new facility in 2013. The grand
opening ceremonies for the new
center will be held on May 23,
2013. Save the date, and make
plans to join us!
During a recent visit to Mesa
Verde National Park, writer Jane
Schneider interviewed several
park managers about the new Visitor
and Research Center building as
well as the challenges of packing
and moving the 3,000,000 artifacts
that will be housed in the new
building. Read her article here:
We thank National
Parks Traveler for its permission
to share this article with you.
Balcony House ranger-guided tours
continue daily through October 20,
conditions permitting.
Cliff Palace ranger-guided tours
continue daily through November 10,
conditions permitting.
Morefield Campground
--fully open through October 14
--open to primitive camping (vault
toilets only, no hookups) from October
15 through November 3
--closes November 4 for winter
Morefield Gas Station and camper
services are open through October
14, then are closed for winter.
Far View Lodge and Metate Room
--open through the night of October
20
--closes October 21 for winter
Far View Terrace
--open for breakfast, lunch and dinner
through September 26
--open for breakfast and lunch September
27 through October 13; closes October
14 for winter.
For Far View Lodge guests here between
October 14 and October 20, breakfast
is provided at the Lodge. Lunch is
available year-round at Spruce Tree
Terrace.
2013
“Ancient Civilizations of the
Southwest” Wall Calendar
The 2013 edition of this popular
calendar celebrates the remarkable
cultural and architectural heritage
found here at Mesa Verde and across
the Southwest. Twelve full-color
11” x 14” images grace
its pages, accompanied by descriptions
and fascinating stories about each
featured site.
$14.95; click here
to buy your calendar today. Proceeds
from your purchases support Mesa
Verde National Park.
If you are a Mesa Verde Association
member at the Interpreter ($100)
level or higher, you will automatically
receive a copy of this calendar
in December 2012 as a benefit
of your membership. Not a member
yet? It’s easy to join! Just
click here
or call us at 1-800-305-6053 or
970-529-4445 for assistance. You
can also call us at the above
numbers if you’d like to
upgrade your existing membership
to the Interpreter level or higher.
As always, Mesa Verde Association
members receive a 20% discount
on this item and on all regularly-priced
merchandise. Your special coupon
code to receive your member discount
online has been sent to you separately.
Misplaced your member discount
code? Just call or email us at
info@mesaverde.org
and we'll be happy to provide
it to you!
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