by Åsa Björklund, La Plata Open Space Conservancy
Meet a conservation hero, Helen Ruth Aspaas, who has protected her 149-acre ranch on the La Plata River in Hesperus with a conservation easement. Wildlife and plants thrive along the river and the spring-fed ponds, but in addition, this old homestead has an historic value. The main house used to be the military officers’ quarters that were moved from nearby Old Fort Lewis in the 1890s.
“It’s an historic ranch that my great grandmother homesteaded so it has a lot of meaning to me. I grew up on it, so I knew it as a child. I came to appreciate it for its flora and fauna and the diversity of smaller ecosystems, so I wanted to preserve it,” said Helen Ruth.
Originally from Norway, Helen’s great-grandparents made their way to Colorado in the 1870s, first to Silverton, then to Animas City, and finally to this scenic homestead, which was placed on the La Plata County Historic Register in 2017.
For the future, Helen Ruth envisions Aspaas Ranch to be used for scientific and cultural purposes.
“To me, it’s a beautiful piece of property. I want it to be appreciated for its beauty and to be used for science, ecology and teacher training, and to have children be better acquainted and connected with nature,” said Helen Ruth.
Last year a group of women and children from the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe visited Aspaas Ranch to study the peeled Ponderosa pines, or culturally modified trees, on Aspaas Ranch. Removing the bark is an ancient Ute female tradition to roll the healthy, nutritious cambium layer into edible strips, according to history professor Andrew Gulliford. Few peeled pines still exist on private land, but seven such trees still dot the riparian landscape of the La Plata River as it flows through Aspaas Ranch.
Photo credit: Jerry McBride
