Thank you to those who attended our first-ever virtual Spring Summit in late April. About 50 participants came to each webinar and we enjoyed good engagement via the chat Q&A. And many thanks to our presenters for taking the time to share and celebrate your work! Your presentations were informative, interesting and inspiring! We hope to do more of this in the future.
**Update: Keep It Colorado has made these webinars available to the public. See links below.
MEMBER SHOWCASE (View webinar recording)
Patti Hostetler, Douglas Land Conservancy. Patti talked about DLC's long-time partnerships with county government agencies and its community conservation strategies and outreach programs - raising public awareness for the work of land trusts and dramatically increasing fundraising revenues.
Jeanne Beaudry, Mountain Area Land Trust. Jeanne presented about the intersections between land and water, highlighting a baseline inventory of water properties that was developed through a unique partnership with University of Denver. The results have just been shared with landowners.
Alexander Funk, Colorado Water Conservation Board. Alex talked about alternative transfer methods (ATMs) and why land trusts should consider them as an alternative to buy-and-dry. He shared information about three CWCB grant programs available to fund ATMs and innovative water projects. (See more info below about CWCB's grants.)
Sarah Parmar, Colorado Open Lands. Sarah shared a case study about the implementation of a land conservation project using an ATM with funding from CWCB. She highlighted the benefits of ATMs and shared tips for evaluating a project for feasibility and fit.
Wade Shelton, Trust for Public Land. Wade talked about the process of completing the Fisher's Peak project as an example of getting a "complicated deal" done. (Bonus: The announcement has just been made about the closing! See the news here.)
CREATIVE APPROACHES TO COMMUNITY CONSERVATION (View webinar recording)
Libby Collins, Colorado West Land Trust. Libby shared information about CWLT's joint project with the City of Grand Junction, the completion of the Monument Trail and redesign of the Lunch Loop Trailhead - a critical economic driver and close-to-home asset for the community.
Noel Durant, Crested Butte Land Trust. Noel talked about the protection of Long Lake, a project that saved a precious community asset while generating $2.6 million for affordable housing and opening new doors to non-traditional funders.
Ed Roberson, Palmer Land Trust. Ed highlighted the history and outcomes of how the farming communities of eastern Pueblo came together to drive the Bessemer Ditch conservation project, addressing critical issues related to irrigated farmland and water rights.
Travis Custer + Marissa Moore, Montezuma Land Conservancy. Travis and Marissa talked about a shift in MLC's mission, highlighting a youth internship program and an outdoor experiential learning classroom that help address local community challenges from health to climate change.
