 2010 Education Series Program
2010 Education Program events will be updated in April 2010.
School Field Trips
Castle Tours for School Groups Grades 4-12
Guided 1 hour tour of the castle includes 15th and 16th century original artwork, stories of the families that have lived here, architectural highlights, pottery dating BC, eclectic collection of European art and furnishings, Russian Icons and an introduction to our cattle operation.
Outdoor Education Programs for School Groups Grades 4-12
Select your class interests and we will customize your outdoor program. These programs last approximately 2 hours. Attendees must wear jeans, closed toe and heel shoes (no sandals, flip flops, etc.) due to rocky terrain and possible wildlife encounters. Guests wearing inappropriate attire may not participate. Water bottles, sunscreen and bug spray are advised. Select from the following topics:
• Ecology, conservation and stewardship of the land
• Douglas County History
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Birds (best in the morning)
• Cattle Ranching Architecture and exterior of the castle
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Elk (in September during bugling season)
Land and Wildlife
Santa Gertrudis Cattle Ranch
Between 50 and 70 head of Santa Gertrudis cattle are being raised on Cherokee Ranch each year. Cherokee Ranch and Castle Foundation uses the animals for educational and agricultural exhibits.
Santa Gertrudis was the first new breed of beef cattle to be developed in the U.S. and was established between 1908 and 1920 by the King Ranch in Texas. The Santa Gertrudis breed is a mix of three-eighths Guzerat Brahman and five-eighths beef and milking Shorthorn. The Santa Gertrudis name comes from the Spanish land grant given to the King Family.
While the breed is known to survive dry and hot conditions, they had never been raised in a cold climate before Tweet Kimball brought 31 of them to Colorado in the 1950s. Tweet shipped 29 cows and two bulls from Texas. When they arrived, her ranch foreman refused to unload them, saying it was a death sentence. Tweet fired him on the spot, and then told her Italian butler to put his jeans on. Together they unloaded the cattle and began a 50-year legacy.
Tweet was the first woman in the world to breed Santa Gertrudis cattle in this area. She also founded the Rocky Mountain Santa Gertrudis Breeders Association and served on the board of the National Western Stock Show. Many awards are displayed in the Ranch Room of Cherokee Castle from state fairs and the National Western Stock Show. Cattle from Cherokee Ranch have been sold all over the world, including Taiwan, Australia, South America, South Africa, and Canada.
Livestock Magazine published this story in September 1981: In 1965, a deadly storm struck Douglas County. It destroyed 4 bridges and left a wake of debris and dead animals. Tweet recalls, "That storm took 12 feet of top soil from the fields. The Santa Gertrudis cattle during the storm were in single sire herds along the creek. Due to the commanding leadership of the Santa Gertrudis bulls who shepherded their cows and calves to high ground, not one animal was lost. An adjoining ranch lost 40 cows and all their calves. The Santa Gertrudis have shown an extraordinary ability to accept new climate and rugged terrain."
Today, Grand Champions Minataur and Little Governor and Tweet's first cow, Tallahassee, are buried near a large boulder on the ranch and are honored with a bronze plaque along the driveway. These animals were very important to the development of our herd.
For information on cattle sales, please contact Rafael Miranda at 303.888.5297.
Bluebird Project at Cherokee Ranch and Castle
Our Bluebird Nest Box Monitoring Project includes 200 potential nests and provides scientific data to the Colorado Division of Wildlife and the Audubon Society concerning migratory bird breeding and fledging success, and the environmental health of our open space lands. Our team of volunteer ornithologists host educational programs at elementary schools and are working toward the goal of being recognized as an 'Important Bird Area.' We protect the area's population of rare and endangered species by sponsoring the release of rescued and rehabilitated birds provided by the Birds of Prey Foundation.
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