Next weekend on Friday May second and Saturday May third Bike Monkey will be holding their 20th annual endurance race at Boggs. The event is a highlight of the year for the mountain biking community here in Lake County and the whole state bringing in professional and amature riders from all over to compete in the grueling race. Whether you’re a mountain biking enthusiast or just enjoy spending time in the forest I hope you’ll consider coming out to enjoy the fun. FOBM will have a booth selling beer, T-shirts, maps and other merchandise to support our goal of restoring all the trails at BMDSF.
For more information you will find the Bike Monkey website with the race route and other details here.
Please join us in celebrating Earth Day at Calpine’s annual Earth Day event on Saturday April 26. Friends of Boggs Mountain will be hosting a booth with a variety of merchandise for sale including 75th anniversary commemorative maps, trail maps, T-shirts and more. We will also be raffling off an REI gift card so be sure to stop by and see us. All proceeds benefit Boggs Mountain Demonstration State Forest through trail building and maintenance, trail signage, trail maps, and support of recreation in the Forest.
PURPLE MARTINS
By Darlene Hecomovich
Friends of Boggs Mountain members have recently taken on the installation of
a Purple Martin nest box on Mac’s Trail. The Purple Martin (Progne subis), is
the largest member of the swallow family in the world. They are uncommon
spring and summer visitors to Lake County, and we have been fortunate to
have them nesting in Boggs Mountain State Forest. Their typical nesting sites
are natural tree cavities or abandoned woodpecker holes. However,
throughout the United States the Martins are more and more breeding in
human-made Martin houses. So, several members decided to see if they could
entice the Martins to do so in BMSF. Darlene Hecomovich donated a nest
house with four nesting compartments; Joe Fusek provided the expertise of
mounting the heavy box on PVC piping to bring it to the desired height of 12
feet above ground level; and Peg Landini and David Thiessen rendered the
yeoman’s work of helping Joe install it. This nest site was selected because the
Martins have used tree cavities in this area in previous years.
The Violet-green Swallows as well as other passerines such as the Western
Bluebird are also cavity nesters and may Tind the Purple Martin nest box
desirable. What we don’t want to see is an appropriation of the nest box by
either House Sparrows or European Starlings, both highly invasive species
that would take over the Martin’s sites, destroy eggs, and kill nestlings.
So, Friends of Boggs Mountain extends an invitation to all of you to take a hike
up Mac’s Trail and in approximately three-Tifths of a mile up the trail on the
left-hand (west) side you will have a view of the nest, and hopefully, some
Purple Martins!!!
Thank you to the enthusiastic crew that met on Saturday to groom and shape the in-slope turns on Mac’s / Scout trail. We moved a ton of dirt, raked rocks from the trail and improved sight lines on the beautiful sunny day. By noon, we had all worked up an appetite for the delicious deli sandwiches provided by Hardesters Market.
Found in the parking lot on Sunday April 6, a green puffy jacket. Please email [email protected] to claim.
