Valles Caldera National Preserve
Aspen Dendroglyph Survey
Valles Caldera Natural Preserve has messages from the past on the very bark of some of its aspen groves. Sheepherders, loggers, and hunters, who once used the land, carved words and pictures on the trees. Known as dendroglyphs, these carvings are a rich source of information about 20th century land use. Carvings often provide a precise date and the carver’s name and hometown, giving information on families and communities otherwise largely undocumented in regional histories.