Page 9 - 16 page summer_Neat

Friends oF red rock canyon 9

Susan Murphy riends of Red Rock Canyon’s vol- I had just listened to Eckhardt Tolle’s “The
“Funteers have been on an Power of Now,” and I knew I had three choic-
official hiatus in “working” for the BLM to es: (1) leave it, (2) change it or (3) accept it.
keep us safe during the Yup, door number 2! So I started
pandemic. I stayed home picking up the trash with my
and listened to streaming pink bucket and grabbers (one
audiobooks, but I’m an befuddled woman asked if I was
active, albeit elderly per- using a metal detector). I did find
son, and I began hiking... a penny, and it was heads up! I
by myself...a LOT. I saw knew I was doing the right thing
beer cans, water bottles, for me to feel productive and
toilet paper, sanitary hand keep my sanity. Yes, I distanced
wipes, gloves, masks, myself from others, went through
diapers...all just tossed a ton of hand sanitizer, wore
and left on our beautiful Conservation Area. gloves and a smile under my mask.”

put on hold. Many Friends members are hikers, so
they have been doing some clean up on their own
while hiking on the trails that are still open in the
Conservation Area. Like all of us who volunteer at
Red Rock Canyon, Susan Murphy is dedicated to
making a difference. See Susan Murphy’s experi-
ences in the above sidebar.

Friends Executive Director, Erin McDermott,
and Programs and Asset Manager, Susan Gonzalez,
have been working safely
from their homes since “What I miss the
March 16. Recreating their most is the energy
Red Rock Administration I feel at Red Rock
Building work space at Canyon.”
home was a challenge at
first, but after a few down- Susan Gonzalez
loads and updates, they
were ready. Finding the U.S. Mail that usually goes
directly to the Administrative Building was their
Above: Masked volunteers preparing to remove red brome from the Tortoise Habitat. Photo by Erin McDermott second challenge. They finally found their carrier
Below: New Graffiti in First Creek documented by Susan Murphy and arranged for BLM and SNC mail to be brought
to the Blue Diamond Post Office for either Mc-
Dermott or Gonzalez to pick up and drop off at the
Administrative Offices.

The Board of Directors, McDermott, Gonzalez
and the committee leaders have been using Zoom
for meetings and it has been a wonderful way to
stay connected. The board conducted the April and
May meetings via Zoom as well as several

(Continued on page 10)

Summer 2020