Angie Laskerides who was sponsored my Rotarian Glenn McDaniels was inducted into the club today. Angie works for The Arizona Community Foundation, a non-profit organization.  Congratulations Angie!
 
The Student of the Month, Jamey Kogan, her mother Diane Kogan, and her sister, Shelbey Kogan were guests of the club for lunch and Jamey gave a talk about living with diabetes and her very active life, as a high school student who is engaged in sports, and an honor student. Best wishes for a successful future, Jamey!
 
The speaker today was Joe Flynn, a volunteer with the Ramsey Canyon Preserve Nature Conservancy. Joe had a power point presentation and spoke without the benefit of a microphone.  He has volunteered there for a number of years and serves as a docent or guides nature walks in the canyon.
 
Joe explained the reasons for Ramsey Canyon’s unusual bio-diversity.  The canyon is the only local one that is oriented in a North-South direction, as opposed to the usual East-West orientation of other local canyons. Also Ramsey Canyon has steep canyon walls or is flanked by high hills. This creates shadows throughout much of the canyon and in turn attracts much wildlife because of the canyon’s relative coolness.  Moreover, there is a year-round stream which runs through the canyon. During the rainy season the stream becomes a raging flood, but during most of the year including the hot summer months, the stream continues to flow at a much slower pace.
 
The canyon attracts 100 different species of birds, some of which nest year round, but most migrate through. These include 15 different types of hummingbirds, and a flock of turkeys. Butterflies are attracted to the area because of the water which collects in puddles. 70 different species have been identified in the canyon. There are 20 different mammals living at least part-time in the canyon. These range in size from chipmunks to bears. The bears seen to date are black bears, but some have colors ranging from blonde to dark brown. In addition there are eight species of rattlesnakes making their home in Ramsey Canyon.  The canyon is home to 200 species of plants, including different types of oaks, and pines. Different levels of elevation produce different species.
 
The visitors facility with parking for 23 cars  welcomes visitors from all over the world.  There are guided walks on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays. The facility only employs one full-time and two part-time people.  The remainder are all volunteers, including Joe.  This special place should be a must-see for any visitor to the area and we locals should take advantage of such an interesting, wonderful place.
 
Mark your calendars and buy your tickets before they are all gone!  The Rotary Baja Beach Bash is coming on Saturday, February 27th.  It will begin at 5:00 pm, at the Windemere Hotel, Conference Center.  A delectable buffet of Caribbean-style food will be included with your ticket.  Games, raffles, dancing and music by Mark Mulligan will make this an event to remember! All proceeds go to local charities. Get your tickets by contacting Jack Lintner, the event coordinator, (520) 458-2345 or online at www.svsunriserotary.org.
 
Angie Laskerides who was sponsored my Rotarian Glenn McDaniels was inducted into the club today. Angie works for The Arizona Community Foundation, a non-profit organization.  Congratulations Angie!
 
The Student of the Month, Jamey Kogan, her mother Diane Kogan, and her sister, Shelbey Kogan were guests of the club for lunch and Jamey gave a talk about living with diabetes and her very active life, as a high school student who is engaged in sports, and an honor student. Best wishes for a successful future, Jamey!
 
The speaker today was Joe Flynn, a volunteer with the Ramsey Canyon Preserve Nature Conservancy. Joe had a power point presentation and spoke without the benefit of a microphone.  He has volunteered there for a number of years and serves as a docent or guides nature walks in the canyon.
 
Joe explained the reasons for Ramsey Canyon’s unusual bio-diversity.  The canyon is the only local one that is oriented in a North-South direction, as opposed to the usual East-West orientation of other local canyons. Also Ramsey Canyon has steep canyon walls or is flanked by high hills. This creates shadows throughout much of the canyon and in turn attracts much wildlife because of the canyon’s relative coolness.  Moreover, there is a year-round stream which runs through the canyon. During the rainy season the stream becomes a raging flood, but during most of the year including the hot summer months, the stream continues to flow at a much slower pace.
 
The canyon attracts 100 different species of birds, some of which nest year round, but most migrate through. These include 15 different types of hummingbirds, and a flock of turkeys. Butterflies are attracted to the area because of the water which collects in puddles. 70 different species have been identified in the canyon. There are 20 different mammals living at least part-time in the canyon. These range in size from chipmunks to bears. The bears seen to date are black bears, but some have colors ranging from blonde to dark brown. In addition there are eight species of rattlesnakes making their home in Ramsey Canyon.  The canyon is home to 200 species of plants, including different types of oaks, and pines. Different levels of elevation produce different species.
 
The visitors facility with parking for 23 cars  welcomes visitors from all over the world.  There are guided walks on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays. The facility only employs one full-time and two part-time people.  The remainder are all volunteers, including Joe.  This special place should be a must-see for any visitor to the area and we locals should take advantage of such an interesting, wonderful place.
 
Mark your calendars and buy your tickets before they are all gone!  The Rotary Baja Beach Bash is coming on Saturday, February 27th.  It will begin at 5:00 pm, at the Windemere Hotel, Conference Center.  A delectable buffet of Caribbean-style food will be included with your ticket.  Games, raffles, dancing and music by Mark Mulligan will make this an event to remember! All proceeds go to local charities. Get your tickets by contacting Jack Lintner, the event coordinator, (520) 458-2345 or online at www.svsunriserotary.org.