This summer our team made some serious tracks to visit a few of our members across the state. Meeting face-to-face is a unique opportunity to learn more about their work, meet their community members, and set foot on some gorgeous conserved land. Here are highlights.
Salida
Our team headed to Salida to spend time with our land trust member Central Colorado Conservancy! We joined a BBQ for their community members and heard from the landowners at Hutchinson Ranch to hear about protecting this beautiful slice of ranching heritage. The next day we joined the team for lunch on the banks of the Arkansas River and learned about the evolution of recreational access here (and witnessed some impressive river surfing, the newest thing). We topped off the day with a peek at the conservancy's work at the Arkansas Community Preserve - an important habitat and haven for wildlife.
South Fork
We had a blast going to Rio Grande Headwaters Land Trust's 25th anniversary party in South Fork. A quarter-of-a-century of doing land conservation work in the San Luis Valley was the special occasion, and our team had good conversations with the RiGHT team members and board members about what it takes to keep this valley so special. (We also really enjoyed the band: local legend Don Richmond & The Rifters.)
Eagle County
During a visit to Brush Creek Valley Ranch and Open Space in Eagle, we learned a few things about post-assisted log (PAL) structures for riparian restoration. Our members at Eagle County Open Space and Natural Resources taught us that these low-tech systems divert water, and slow down or speed up the water flow, to rechannel the creek and create erosion - helping to extend the floodplain and restore it to its natural state. Widening the floodplain has all sorts of benefits for the species that depend on this habitat, from elk and mule deer to beaver.
CRESTED BUTTE
In Crested Butte, the before-and-after photos of the Peanut Mine area are enough to tell the story of how this land has healed through reclamation and conservation. But setting foot on this previous mining site and getting the inside scoop about its damaging history was a really unique experience. Crested Butte Land Trust, Town of Crested Butte and the Crested Butte Town Council treated us to a hike through this gorgeous, healthy and thriving ecological and recreational wonder along the Slate River - and lunch at a yurt!.
Larkspur
Colorado is full of hidden conservation gems - one of them being the JA Ranch along the south I-25 corridor near Larkspur. We had the privilege of attending Douglas Land Conservancy's annual barbecue - along with 300+ of the land trust's closest friends - on this spectacular piece of land. Those open-space views from the cliffs? Unmatched! Protected under a conservation easement with Colorado Cattlemen's Agricultural Land Trust (CCALT), the ranch resides in an area surrounded by significant Front Range development. It's part of a large block of conserved lands in the county and shares a boundary with the Greenland Ranch. Travelers along I-25 don't even realize this gem is there! As described on CCALT's website, "A mosaic of habitats from Douglas fir and ponderosa pine forests to mixed grass prairie along two riparian zones make this property very appealing to wildlife. JA Ranch serves as an important wildlife habitat and migration route for a number of game species including elk, pronghorn, and mule deer, along with smaller animals and birds that occupy this landscape during different times of the year. The ranch also has a rich agricultural history, with irrigated hay meadows and pastures first grazed in the 1870s."
