[Volunteers_fosm] FOSM Membership Meeting, Today, 6:00 PM, Sandia Ranger Station Conference Room

[FOSM Vice President]

Please plan to join us this evening to learn the history of the Sandia Mountains medallion trees.

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Date and Time – September 2, 6:00 PM (Note earlier starting time)

Location – Sandia Ranger Station conference room

Program Abstract

People have speculated for years about how small metal medallions providing information about the germination date of the tree and an historical event of about the same time came to be on dozens of trees scattered across the Sandia Mountains. A recent article in the Albuquerque Journal stated: "The exact origin of these medallions remains a mystery. While they were positioned to cover a hole in the trees where a core sample was taken to determine their age, it's unclear exactly who was responsible for providing the complimentary history lesson.”

Many of us have enjoyed countless hours hiking the mountains searching for the trees and photographing the medallions.

The story of these medallion trees will be told by a close friend and a son of the man who created them.

Speaker bios

– Mike Coltrin is a physical chemist by training and was a member of the technical staff of Sandia National Laboratories for 37 years before his retirement in 2017. He has enjoyed hiking in the Sandia Mountains for more than 40 years and is the author of the Sandia Mountain Hiking Guide. He created the Friends of the Sandias website serving as a member of the FOSM board of directors and webmaster from 2005 to 2021.

 – John Holmes is the third of five children born to David and Arlene Holmes. He grew up in Albuquerque and enjoyed many hours exploring the Sandia Mountains with his dad. His professional career was in the jewelry business in Albuquerque.

Note: We anticipate this could be a standing-room-only event; therefore, we are inviting only Forest Service personnel and FOSM members. The Sandia Medallions Facebook Group has over 170 members, but the legal capacity of the conference room is 58 people. Please arrive early. The door will be shut should the room reach capacity. We plan to record the presentation for later viewing.

Thanks,

Cliff Giles
FOSM VP and Webmaster
https://friendsofthesandias.org<https://friendsofthesandias.org/>

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