Friday, March 24, Night Sky Program, 7:30 PM – 9:30 PM. Join park staff and members of the Colorado Springs Astronomical Society to gaze at the dark skies above Florissant Fossil Beds in search of planets, galaxies, nebulas, and more. Meet at the visitor center. Saturday, March 25, Picturesque Poems: A Hike and a Haiku, 1:00 PM – 3:30 PM. Join Volunteer Interpretive Park Ranger Steven Veatch for a unique program combining poetry and nature. The program will begin in the visitor center with a short program on poetry writing techniques. Participants will then explore the Monument on a nature hike (less than 1 mile) where they will experience the Monument and collect “picturesque” words for a writer’s notebook. The program will explore language and learn how poetry is connected to our everyday lives. Participants will make and compose original three-line haiku poems using word collections. This is a chance to immerse yourself in a natural setting and release the boundless energy of creativity that is inside you in a fun and supportive setting. There are no additional fees for any park programs beyond the daily entrance fee. Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument offers 15 miles of beautiful, yet lesser known, hiking trails to explore, a free Junior Ranger Program, two short self-guided trails, a park video and museum exhibits, and bookstore. For additional information, please call (719) 748-3253 or visit our website: www.nps.gov/flfo or on Facebook at /FlorissantNPS