Oh, what a week it was! Spring Summit this year (May 8-10) was an event for the books. Over 150 members and partners traveled to Morgridge Commons in Glenwood Springs for the annual convening despite snowy roads and tunnel closures. We packed three full days with a water classroom, a water lab, a field trip to Cold Mountain Ranch, learning sessions, plenty of connection and networking opportunities, and Conservation Olympics.

We’d like to give a special shout-out to the local businesses that supported Spring Summit by providing delicious meals and affordable venues: Zheng Asian Bistro, Taqueria El Nopal, Slope and Hatch, Masala & Curry, Bluebird Café, Morgridge Commons, The Coop, and Glenwood Vaudeville Revue.

Thanks again to the planning committee, over 45 presenters, and over 35 volunteers who made the event possible. And finally, we couldn’t have done it without the support of our sponsors! Thank you to our Peak Partner Sponsors Betsy and John Cochran, plus Conservation Tax Credit Transfer, Tax Credit Connection, Arapahoe County Parks and Open Spaces, Colorado Scenic and Historic Byways, and Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

For those who didn’t make it to Spring Summit, we missed you! While not every moment can be captured and shared, we are glad to say that some of the sessions were professionally recorded, made possible thanks to our Peak Partner Sponsors Betsy and John Cochran. We believe our brief photo album adequately captures the spirit of the week! (Scroll further for info about the Olympics and our DEIJ Cohort convening.)

First Annual Conservation Olympics Held, Medalists Revealed

Roaring Fork Roarers Bud Tymczyszyn, Carly Bolliger, Amy Beatie and Suzanne Stephens display their gold medals and Olympic trophy. Keep It Paul-orado silver medalists were Paul Holsinger, Jeremy Krones, Katelyn Toigo and Linda Lidov. The bronze medal went to Cauliflower the dog.

Spring Summit concluded with an Opening Ceremony for the first annual Conservation Olympics. Following the lighting of the Olympic Candle, competitors headed to Two Rivers Park to begin the games. Teams “Keep It Paul-orado” and “Roaring Fork Roarers” competed for the Olympic trophy in displays of true conservation excellence in five events: “Fundraise from the Cash Pasture,” “Project Management Relay,” “Baseline Report,” “Metes and Bounds,” and “Hammer Time.” The Roaring Fork Roarers slid into gold-medal standing by a single-point margin over Keep It Paul-orado. Each year, beginning with the Roaring Fork Roarers, the trophy will display the winning team’s name and will grace their office until the next year’s games. Congratulations to all competitors!

DEIJ Cohort Convening

On a special pre-Summit day, we hosted a convening for members of the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice (DEIJ) Cohort. The cohort includes 24 individuals from 11 member land trusts, and 19 were able to make it for the convening, held at Morgridge Commons in Glenwood Springs. The full-day convening enabled teams of two to explore tangible, concrete ways to bring this work back into their organizations; access practical tools and resources; and continue peer-learning, connection, and networking.

Many thanks to our facilitators, Travis Custer of Montezuma Land Conservancy and CORE Conservation Consulting, and Olga Gonzalez of Cultivando and O.G. Consulting. They skillfully helped participants explore and identify projects to pursue in their organizations – ranging from land access projects for young farmers, to youth engagement programs, to organizational audits informed by a DEIJ perspective. This summer, Travis will conduct a series of check-ins with members to continue offering support and guidance on project development. We especially thank GOCO for supporting this important work!