After El Paso's 'Big Freeze' event of a few winters ago, many of the trees on the Temple Mt. Sinai's property died & were eventually removed [mostly conifers]. This site off of Stanton & adjacent to State Park property has historically been one that is beneficial to wildlife, and the loss of so many of these trees is quite noticeable.

 This site has historically been one that attracts wildlife, particularly montane species & especially during irruption years; it is also a site that has been open to birders.

 Some of the species that use the Temple property on a regular basis: Resident: Great horned owl, Gambel's & Scaled quail, Ladderback woodpecker, Verdin, & in some year's Anna's hummingbird. Annual visitors: Ruby-crowned kinglet, various warbler, thrush & raptor species Montane visitors: W. scrub jay, Steller's jay, Red-breasted nuthatch, White-breasted nuthatch, Mountain chickadee, Golden-crowned kinglet, & Hutton's vireo.

​ John Kiseda had recently proposed that the El Paso Trans-Pecos Audubon chapter aid to rebuild the tree habitat at the Temple by helping to purchase replacement trees, primarily conifers, and this resulted in the matching grant funding up to $500 being provided, to enhance the Temple Mt Sinai property. Temple Mt Sinai Admin staff are supportive of this effort and their horticulture person Bill Dahlberg has said that they can handle the planting of the trees. If anyone is interested in helping to provide funds for this habitat enhancement project, they can contact John Kiseda until the Audubon chapter's mechanism is in place to accept the funds [the grant was only approved this past week, so a process will need to be finalized soon].

​​ Please let John Kiseda know if there is any further information that is needed; his home contact number is 533-4615.