Hueco Tanks

Hueco Tanks STATE PARK AND HISTORIC SITE JUNIOR RANGER PROGRAM Hueco Tanks State Park and Historic Site Junior Ranger Program Recommended for ages 5 to 13 Welcome to Hueco Tanks State Park and Historic Site. We are glad you have taken the time to visit us and hope you enjoy your tour of this very special place. The Junior Ranger Program is specially designed for people like you. Part of your job will be to help take care of our Texas State Parks and to tell other people to take care of them, too. The parks belong to all of us and we want you to be able to bring your children here someday. Start your adventure of becoming a Junior Ranger by going through the Interpretive Center exhibits. Be sure to watch the orientation video because it will help with some of the questions. On your trip, you will hike and learn about pictographs. You will also learn to identify plants and animals. As you tour the site keep your booklet with you. You never know when you might find an answer. The challenge for you is to complete as many of the activities as possible, but you must complete at least six to be considered a Junior Ranger. If you need any help, just ask your parents or ask a ranger for assistance. When finished, take your booklet to a ranger in the Headquarters building or at the Interpretive Center. Be prepared to answer any questions that the ranger may ask. Once finished, you will receive a certificate of completion and a patch. JUNIOR RANGER PROMISE As a Junior Ranger, I promise to: Assist in making Hueco Tanks State Park and Historic Site and other parks better for those who visit after me. Protect all cultural and natural resources on public lands and in the world around me. Learn more about parks and similar areas including their cultures, plants, animals and historic features. Share with others what I have learned about these special places. Signed: Fun Fact: There are 15 species of lichen at Hueco Tanks. What is lichen? Ask a ranger. Hueco Tanks SP&HS Junior Ranger Program 1 People come to Hueco Tanks from all over the United States and the world. 1. Circle and name your home state or country. ______________________________________________________________________________ 2. Trace your travels from your home to Hueco Tanks State Park and Historic Site. 3. What has been the most fun during your travel? ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ 4. What is a park or historic site close to your home? ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Fun Fact: 2 There are over 270 rock art sites at Hueco Tanks. Hueco Tanks SP&HS Junior Ranger Program Coloring Activity Using the crayons in the Interpretive Center, color the following to the best of your ability. Stagecoach Jornada Mogollon Native Americans Fun Fact: A type of stagecoach that came through Hueco Tanks was the “mud wagon.” Hueco Tanks SP&HS Junior Ranger Program 3 Safety Activity Match each sentence to “DO” or “DON’T DO.” Hint: The drawings will guide you. Bring a hat. Bring water. Throw rocks. Touch pictographs. Put on sunscreen. DO Have fun. DON’T DO Hike alone. Follow trails. Take rocks or other objects. Leave trash. Fun Fact: 4 The dark coating on rocks at Hueco Tanks is called patina. Hueco Tanks SP&HS Junior Ranger Program Interpretive Center Activity Hueco Tanks is a crossroads in time. For thousands of years the water in the huecos has allowed both plants and animals to live here, in the middle of a desert. Ancient people who passed through here hunted bison and other animals. Then, as many centuries passed, Native American groups came to Hueco Tanks and painted their stories on these rocks. The Butterfield Stagecoach route passed through Hueco Tanks on the way to deliver mail between the east and west. Later on, the Escontrias family ranched here. Today, we come to Hueco Tanks to learn about other cultures and to have fun! Complete all questions. If you need help, ask a ranger. � Find the Escontrias Ranch House. How old is it? ______ years old. Silverio’s wife was _____________ Escontrias. She had _____ children. � Watch the orientation video. Hueco means _____________. Name the three mountains here: _______________, _______________ and _______________. � Find an artifact like this, called a ____________ point. � Locate a puma skull. Pumas eat ______________. � See a grinding stone? These were used to grind ___________. Name four other artifacts from the Interpretive Center. 1. __________________ 2. __________________ 3. __________________ 4. __________________ You found the ______________________ and ______________________ most interesting. Fun Fact: Hueco Tanks mountains are close to 400 feet above the surrounding area. Hueco Tanks SP&HS Junior Ranger Program 5 Word Find In the puzzle, find and circle the 28 words listed below. Each word is related to the history of Hueco Tanks. Remember that words may be spelled forward, backward or diagonally. F O P I C T O G R A P H S O N I O T H X C G I R K E I T O A WW A E U T A P J O L A R X U E R M X B C R O A R F D A M K R A P O A K C C N F P M I R H S O B F L T H A U O H U N T K I K W A H E D B A A H C A O C E G A T S A G S W M L G N O L L O G O M A I K N A T V U L T U R E I T S Y U C C A F D R A Z I L H T R B H P Y L G O R T E P E M O L I P N E H C I L O V R Z B N R A N G E R M L I O N Word List Jornada Mogollon Hueco Mask Apache Water Stagecoach Shrimp Kiowa Tigua Fox Rain Hunt Gather Vulture Dam Oak Tank Hawk Yucca Lizard Petroglyph Lichen Oasis Park Ranger Buffalo Lion Pictograph Animal Tracks If you see tracks along the trail, see if you can identify the animal that made them and check them off. Bobcat Fun Fact: 6 Coyote Raccoon Javelina Hueco Tanks was once part of a ranch with thousands of acres. Hueco Tanks SP&HS Junior Ranger Program Cottontail History Activity Complete the maze below. As you do, you will learn about the history of Hueco Tanks. IN Paleo Indian hunters here 8000–6000 B.C. Jornada Mogollon at Hueco Tanks 600–1500 A.D. Desert Archaic Indians here 6000 B.C.–200 A.D. Escontrias Family ranches at Hueco Tanks 1898–1956. OUT Becomes a state park in 1969. Stagecoach stop 1858–1859. Buffalo Soldiers, late 1800s. Fun Fact: People have lived periodically at Hueco Tanks for at least 10,000 years. Hueco Tanks SP&HS Junior Ranger Program 7 Geology Activity Hueco Tanks was formed about 35 million years ago, during the Tertiary Period. Magma pushed up into limestone and cooled into granite. Then, the limestone was eroded, leaving the 400­foot­high piles of granite boulders, which we call Hueco Tanks. Hueco Tanks Granite Tertiary Period – Era when humans first appeared. Limestone – A rock formed from ancient seas. Granite – A rock formed from cooled magma. Limestone Number the pictures “1” through “4” in the order that they happened. Magma pushing through limestone Layers of limestone Fun Fact: 8 Hueco Tanks with the Interpretive Center A partially eroded Hueco Tanks The type of granite in Hueco Tanks is called syenite porphyry. Hueco Tanks SP&HS Junior Ranger Program Hiking Activity At Hueco Tanks there are many places to hike. In this activity, you can take a ranger tour or take one of the hikes below. trail is short, but the and the trails are longer. The Trace the trail(s) that you will take. All trails will take you to pictographs. Gate Gate SPEED LIMIT 20 North Mountain MPH Maximum Elevation 4800' FM 2775 m Da Da m Co nc re te en rth Ea Earthe n Dam Guided Access Only East Mountain West Mountain Fun Fact: A jackrabbit raises its ears to help it cool off. Hueco Tanks SP&HS Junior Ranger Program 9 Pictograph Activity A pictograph is an ancient painting on stone. Archaeologists do not always know the meanings of pictographs, so they often have to look for clues, like solving a mystery. Never touch or otherwise harm a pictograph; they are very fragile and cannot be replaced. Draw what the pictograph you see looks like. Write what you think the pictograph means, and why. ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Fun Fact: 10 A petroglyph is a carving, and a pictograph is a painting on stone. Hueco Tanks SP&HS Junior Ranger Program Pictograph Activity Complete one of the two following activities. The Native Americans who painted the pictographs couldn’t just go to the store and buy paint. They had to make it themselves. Look at the pictograph and figure out what they used as colors in their paint. Circle the colors you see and what they might be made from. White white clay, calcium carbonate, gypsum Yellow limonite Red Orange Black Green or Blue hematite or ochre a combination of yellow and red carbon or manganese copper rich rocks (malachite, azurite or turquoise) Desert Archaic pictographs include geometric shapes, comb designs, and animals running, some­ times with a spear in them. People are drawn with hour­glass­shaped bodies. Jornada Mogollon pictographs include “masks” that look like faces, geometric shapes, animals and “blanket” designs (rectangular, with zig­zags or other shapes inside). Historic pictographs are more recent, and they often include human figures and horses. Which Native Americans created the ones you see? Check the box you think is correct. � Desert Archaic � Jornada Mogollon � Historic Fun Fact: The Escontrias Ranch House was built in 1898. Hueco Tanks SP&HS Junior Ranger Program 11 Animal Find Here are some animals that you might find in the park. If you find one, check off the square. Remember, do not touch, feed or disturb them! � Lizard – A reptile with legs and a tail, that enjoys lying in the sun. You might see them scurrying down the trail. � Fairy Shrimp – A freshwater shrimp found in huecos. � Western Diamondback Rattlesnake – A rattlesnake with dark diamonds on its back. Never approach a rattlesnake. � Javelina – A wild grey pig­like animal that sometimes eats cactus. � Pallid Bat – A type of bat with large ears, seen at evening. If you see any other types of animals, describe what they look like and name them, if possible. ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Fun Fact: 12 Although they look like pigs, javelina are not closely related to them. Hueco Tanks SP&HS Junior Ranger Program Plant Find Here are some plants that you might find in the park. Remember, do not damage or remove plants or plant material. See how many you can find; then check them off. � Prickly Pear – A cactus with pad­like stems. Javelina enjoy eating these plants. � Cottonwood – A tree with a cotton­like material around the seed. Native Americans used this tree for medicine. � Creosote – A bush with small, rounded yellowish­green leaves. This plant is very common at Hueco Tanks. � Mesquite – A tree with light­green leaves and thorns. Animals can eat mesquite fruits (sometimes called beans), and Native Americans did, too. Describe and/or draw two more plants that you have seen at Hueco Tanks. 1. 2. Fun Fact: Hueco Tanks is the only place known in the United States where the rare Comal Snakewood grows. What is it? Ask a ranger. Hueco Tanks SP&HS Junior Ranger Program 13 Bird Activity There are lots of birds at Hueco Tanks. Sit by the pond near the Interpretive Center, and look for birds. Below are some common birds. If you see one of them, circle it. Male House Finches have red heads. Turkey Vultures are large birds, often seen soaring overhead. Verdins have yellow faces. Rock Wrens are grey, and have pointy beaks. If you didn’t see one of these birds, draw the bird you did see in the space below. Then describe it. Fun Fact: 14 More than 200 species of birds have been recorded at Hueco Tanks. Hueco Tanks SP&HS Junior Ranger Program Crossword Activity 1 2 3 6 10 4 9 8 5 7 Across Down 1. Black troops at here in the 1800s were __ soldiers. 2. The Butterfield __ Stage stopped at Hueco. 3. A __ is a Native American carving into rock. 4. The __ Mogollon made painted masks here. 5. __ Mountain is in the self­guided area. 6. Hueco Tanks is a State Park and __ Site. 7. Hueco Tanks is wonderful rock and boulder __ site. 8. There are great trails here for __. 9. The Desert __ Indians painted hunting scenes. 10. The __ Family began ranching here in 1898. Interview Activity Find a park staff member or a park volunteer, and if their time permits, conduct a short interview. Name of staff member or park volunteer: __________________________________________________ What is their main job? ________________________________________________________________ What other duties do they perform? ______________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ Their favorite part of Hueco Tanks is: _____________________________________________________ Fun Fact: There are 53 species of mammals at Hueco Tanks. Hueco Tanks SP&HS Junior Ranger Program 15 When you’re finished... ... take your booklet to a ranger in the Headquarters building or at the Interpretive Center. Be prepared to answer any questions that the ranger may ask. Once finished, your certificate will be signed and you will receive a patch. This Junior Ranger Program was developed by Jack Bargemann and the staff of Hueco Tanks State Park and Historic Site. Project funded by Jack Bargemann and Public Donations. For further information or comments please contact: Hueco Tanks State Park and Historic Site 6900 Hueco Tanks Road #1 El Paso, Texas 79938 (915) 857­1135 www.tpwd.state.tx.us/huecotanks Certificate of Achievement this certifies that is an official junior ranger at hueco tanks state park and historic site ranger signature date 4200 Smith School Road Austin, Texas 78744 In accordance with Texas State Depository Law, this publication is available at the Texas State Publications Clearinghouse and/or Texas Depository Libraries. ©2009 TPWD PWD BK P4501­095H (3/09)