Events

For event information, see Calendar

 

Star Party

Sun, May 26, 2013
8:45 PM - 10:00 PM

Three planets (Mercury, Venus, & Jupiter) will be extremely close together in the twil…

Leonora Curtin Wetlands Preserve Outing

Sun, June 2, 2013
12:00 PM - 4:30 AM

Docent Natali Steinberg will lead a group on this popular afternoon trip to Leonora Cutrin…

Hiking Los Alamos 101: Classroom Session

Mon, June 3, 2013
6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Objective: To make Los Alamos residents and visitors comfortable and confident about hikin…

Kids Summer Gardening

Wed, June 5, 2013
9:00 AM - 8/7/2013 10:30 AM

Learn how to plant a garden, and eat what you grow!  This summer, Kids’ Summer…

Quiet, Gentle Walk

Wed, June 5, 2013
9:15 AM - 11:45 AM

A gentle walk for those who want a quiet walk along a relatively flat trail. The walks ran…

Green Hour Hikes

Thu, June 6, 2013
9:00 AM - 11:00 AM

Join Petra McDowell, Carrie Talus and Laural Hardin for Green Hour hikes each Thursday thi…

First Friday Forts

Fri, June 7, 2013
3:30 PM - 5:00 PM

Come to PEEC and get building!  On the first Friday of every month, join other kids w…

Nature Odyssey: Wet 'n Wild Along the Rio Grande

Mon, June 10, 2013
8:30 AM - 6/14/2013 4:30 PM

This class is now full.  Please register to be put on the waiting list. Not many…

Hiking Los Alamos 101: Geology Hike

Mon, June 10, 2013
6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Join PEEC, Country Recreation Staff, and Los Alamos Geological Society leader Rick Kelly f…

Summer Family Evenings--Rocks

Tue, June 11, 2013
6:30 PM - 8:00 PM

Join the Los Alamos Geological Society to learn about the fascinating rocks in our area, a…

Elements--Earth

Wed, June 12, 2013
2:00 PM - 3:30 PM

Join Melissa Mackey for a class that combines science, nature, books and crafts.  Mak…

Green Hour Hikes

Thu, June 13, 2013
9:00 AM - 11:00 AM

Join Petra McDowell, Carrie Talus and Laural Hardin for Green Hour hikes each Thursday thi…

Creating a Wildflower Meadow

Thu, June 13, 2013
6:00 PM - 7:00 PM

Come learn how to create a wildflower meadow!  Gail Haggard of Plants of the Southwes…

Get Grounded!

Sat, June 15, 2013
9:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Spend a morning connecting with Nature and the spectacular Los Alamos outdoors. While trav…

Living Earth Adventure Program: From the Rio Grande to the Valles Caldera

Mon, June 17, 2013
8:30 AM - 6/21/2013 4:30 PM

Have you ever wondered: Who lived in northern New Mexico hundreds of years ago? What cause…

Hiking Los Alamos 101: Cultural History Hike

Mon, June 17, 2013
6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Join PEEC, County Recreation Staff, and Dorothy Hoard for an easy walk to learn about the…

Summer Family Evenings--Birding

Tue, June 18, 2013
6:30 PM - 8:00 PM

Learn how to look for and identify birds you see on the trail or in your yard every day, a…

Quiet, Gentle Walk

Wed, June 19, 2013
9:15 AM - 11:45 AM

A gentle walk for those who want a quiet walk along a relatively flat trail. The walks ran…

Green Hour Hikes

Thu, June 20, 2013
9:00 AM - 11:00 AM

Join Petra McDowell, Carrie Talus and Laural Hardin for Green Hour hikes each Thursday thi…

Wildflower Walk

Thu, June 20, 2013
5:30 PM

Meet at PEEC at 5:30 to carpool to the trailhead.  The exact hike location will be de…

Nature Odyssey: Super Sleuths in the Valles Caldera

Mon, June 24, 2013
8:30 AM - 6/28/2013 4:30 PM

This class is now full.  Please register to be put on the waiting list. How do bi…

Hiking Los Alamos 101: Plants Hike

Mon, June 24, 2013
6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

  Join PEEC, Country Recreation Staff, and Jemez Mountains Herbarium Cu…

Summer Family Evenings--Treasure Hunt

Tue, June 25, 2013
6:30 PM - 8:00 PM

The Y Earth Service Corps will create a variety of treasure hunts for all abilities—…

Elements--Air

Wed, June 26, 2013
2:00 PM - 3:30 PM

Join Melissa Mackey for a class that combines science, nature, books and crafts.  Do…

Green Hour Hikes

Thu, June 27, 2013
9:00 AM - 11:00 AM

Join Petra McDowell, Carrie Talus and Laural Hardin for Green Hour hikes each Thursday thi…

Beneficial Insects for your Greenhouse and Garden

Thu, June 27, 2013
6:30 PM - 8:00 PM

  Predacious beneficial insects are becoming the preferred method for treating pr…

Botanical Illustration

Fri, June 28, 2013
11:00 AM - 4:00 PM

  Artist/Instructor Lisa Coddington earned her Master of Art at Syracuse in Illus…

PBS Science Cafe - Ravens

Sat, June 29, 2013
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

  Long recognized as one of the most intelligent birds, the raven also has a less…

Summer Family Evenings--Goats

Tue, July 2, 2013
6:30 PM - 8:00 PM

Local goat breeders (Second Bloom Farm and Gypsy Mountain Ranch) bring mama and baby goats…

Quiet, Gentle Walk

Wed, July 3, 2013
9:15 AM - 11:45 AM

A gentle walk for those who want a quiet walk along a relatively flat trail. The walks ran…

Big Trees of Los Alamos County

By Dorothy Hoard
big Douglas Fir

Everyone loves the biggest and the best, and everyone feels compelled to make lists. Most states and many counties list their largest trees; Los Alamos County obviously needs to be competitive. We are asking for help in finding our biggest trees. Supersleuths Roy Greiner and Chick Keller have scoured our mountainsides. They've found excellent candidate trees. We still have undocumented species, and we challenge you woods wanderers to find bigger and better specimens.

Trees are measured at a standard breast height of 4.5 feet. Circumference is the easiest measurement to make, and we can easily convert to diameter. At PEEC, we have a pamphlet that shows how to estimate height, and a booklet that tells how to identify trees of Los Alamos County.

Los Alamos is a small county, but ranges in elevation from 5,400 to 11,000 feet, giving it much more diversity than one would expect in its 109 square miles. Unfortunataely, over one-third of that is within the Los Alamos National Laboratory secure area. The county extends from the north rim of Frijoles Canyon on the south to Garcia Canyon on the north; from the saddle above Camp May on the west to an illogical set of straight lines from the northeast corner to White Rock, then down the center of the Rio Grande to Frijoles Canyon on the southeast. Upper Frijoles Canyon from Upper Crossing to the Apache Springs Trail crossing is also in Los Alamos County.

In reporting a candidate tree, we need the species, thickness (UTM), and location (we use NAD27 geo-coordinates but can convert). We will check it out. For more information or to report a big tree, please contact PEEC. To view photos of Los Alamos's Big Trees, go to the Big Tree Photo Set on PEEC's Flickr account.

Below is a list of the largest trees we have measured so far. CAN YOU TOP THIS?

Big Trees List, Feb. 2011
Name Circ. Height Location Finder
Aspen 73" 97' Cañada Bonita Y. Delamater
Boxelder 56" 52' Entrance of Bandelier D. Hoard
Cottonwood, Narrowleaf 121" 100' Los Alamos Canyon Y. Delamater
Cottonwood, Rio Grande 123" 86' Ashley Pond (planted) D. Hoard
Fir, Douglas 163" 164' Cañon de Valle R. Greiner
Fir, White 124" 147' Cañon de Valle D. Hoard
Hackberry, Netleaf 52" 24' River Trail, White Rock Canyon B. Shankland
Hawthorn, Cerro 5" 12' Upper Crossing C. Keller
Juniper, Alligator 59" 24' Burnt Mesa Game Pit D. Hoard
Juniper, One-seed 101" 11' Anniversary Trail east D. Hoard
Juniper, Rocky Mountain 56" 15' Frijoles Canyon N rim Y. Delamater
Oak, Gambel's 46" 60' Los Alamos Canyon C. Keller
Pine, Limber 81" 23' Kinnikinnick Park C. Keller
Pine, Piñon 56" 37' Canyon Rim east Trailhead L. Aicher
Pine, Ponderosa 148" 114' Cañon de Valle R. Greiner
Pine, Southwestern White 170" 150' Cañon de Valle Y. Delamater
Spruce, Colorado Blue
Spruce, Engleman 131" 101' Cañada Bonita R. Greiner


 

PEEC Nature Center
3540 Orange Street (or PO Box 547)
Los Alamos, NM, 87544
(505) 662-0460
Center@PajaritoEEC.org, Webmaster@PajaritoEEC.org

©2005-2012 Pajarito Environmental Education Center
Banner photo by Hari Viswanathan; logo by Tori Hansen; photographs by many community members.
We welcome comments and submissions to this web site.